Cyber Monday

Seems very contrived this year to me. So did Black Friday. Basically if you look, there are deals everywhere. Great shopping though, if you're into it.

Here's one for you:

Restaurant.com Use coupon code: SAVE at checkout to save an extra 80% off certificates--get $25 certificate for $2. Today only : )

Here's the link

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Good Deal

Sears has a universal power adaptor kit for your car for $9.99. Free to pick up in-store. I have this & love it, even though I paid $19.99 for mine. This would be excellent to give the traveler with alot of devices or someone who keeps their camera in the car. I just picked up another one to give as a Christmas present.


Item #02871521000 Model# 71521

Here's the link.

Enjoy!

New Week

New week, new month, new office.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Are You Scared?

Not because it's halloween, because of the report out yesterday proving that junk food is just as addictive as hard drugs (& in my opinion, just as bad). There' no stigma to eating doritos, candy bars, etc., especially when you're young, & by the time you're in high school it's too late--you're already addicted & destined for a life of health-related problems.

Sound extreme? Care to challenge me on it?

What I want to know is how eating in the US got so out of hand in the first place. When I was a kid the television was already full of "eat this" messages for everything from candy to cereal to soda.

Here's the article. If this subject interests you there are some good related articles on the left sidebar to take a look at also.

Oh & have a good time trick or treating tonight...

Good Deal

Buy.com is offering a 4 gig SD Card for 8.95 with free shipping today. When I got my first 4 gig card a couple of years ago it cost about $50. I didn't check to see if they still have it or not, but they usually offer a $10 discount to first-time buyers who check out using the Google checkout--which would make this a freebie. Google check out is no big deal either, very easy to use, & it works with a variety of sites.

You Capture---Autumn

Last week's "You Capture" theme was Technology. No problem for me, as I am a bit of a tech geek, & always have a few tech items laying about to give my opinion on. Gadgets are cool, tech is here in many corners of my life, blah blah blah...

This weeks "You Capture" theme is autumn--my most favoritest time of the year. (that was a quote from my nephew) & that is a bit of a challenge. How do you take a picture of a season?

Here in the mountains of WNC autumn does not creep in, no, it sashays right into our eyeballs & stays there for a while, demanding attention. No peeping pastels (spring), lush jewel tones (summer) or quiet neutrals of white & grey (winter). Nope, fall in Appalachia is loud & glorius & earthy. The air gets really clear, the sky gets really blue, & it all serves as the perfect backdrop for firey yellow, orange, & red. Autumn asks us to get outside & kick some leaves....

I can't capture the whole season with a little cell phone camera but here are some pictures I've taken in the last week or so. Click on them for larger version & feel free to use them if you need them. Hope you enjoy : )

These started out white & are getting pink-ish

An angry leaf

Doesn't the birdbath look like it has fire under it? Those are hostas.

This is last year's pic--at the Smythfield Burying Ground in Southport. I know I should be only posting recent images, but this is traditionally my week of vacation, & my mind has been on last year's outing...

One last memory of last year's vacation. Even the beach looks different in autumn.

Your turn! Head on over to Beth's blog & rake in some real talent...

Let Me See If I Can Understand This

At a drive-thru this morning (no caffeine in the house). The line of cars was long. The building was on the left side of the cars, as were about 5 parking spots-which were blocked by the line of cars waiting for their order to get taken. There was a small car in front of me & a giant SUV pulled in to the parking lot & proceeded to bully it's way past the small car & into one of the parking spots right by the door. It almost hit the little car & the drive-thru line was completely blocked till the SUV got parked.

Then the gal driving the SUV got out & started yelling at the driver of the car in front of me. Ok, I don't get this--there were plenty of other spots she could have parked in that wouldn't have been much further away. Why was she yelling when she was the one causing the trouble?

Well, ok, some mornings you get a pink rainbow, some mornings you get a crazy lady...

What A Way To Start The Day

I wish you could have been with me this morning as I was driving. The sun had been up for a few minutes & there was a huge pink rainbow. I've never seen anything quite like it. I couldn't find a place to stop & take a picture or I definitely would have. Pink was the only color that showed up, in a grey sky.

Nice.

Raw Food VitaMix Recipe

High protein low carb? No problem! This one really fills you up. My nephew doesn't even know it's good for him : )

1 tbs raw sunflower seeds
1 tbs flax
3 tbs raw hemp seeds (find in health food stores)
2 tbs raw almonds
1 tbs raw chocolate
1 cup blueberries
2 tbs raw agave nector

24 oz pure water
1 cup ice

Mix on variable/high for about 1-2 minutes till smooth.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Good Deal

If you are a crafty person (and I know you are!) here is a link to the Wallies clearance page. Wallies are pre-pasted cutouts that you can put on just about anything--a wall, a flowerpot, etc. Some of them are up to 80% off.

Also for the crafty, the Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville is having a craft show today & tomorrow.

See you there : )

You Capture...Technology

I love reading Jaimes blog. Jaime you are so creative!

Anyway, lately she has been posting something called "You Capture" & I asked her about it & found out that it originates with a blog called "I should be folding laundry" & it would be ok for me to give it a try. I think it will be fun. So here goes with this week's topic: Technology (I think I can handle that one...)

This is a reflection of my buddy Gary looking into a mirror. The mirror has a TV built into it. It's only about 2 inches thick & the picture quality is excellent. I'm not sure why anyone would want that, though Gary was quick to point out that if you spend alot of time in the bathroom this could be really...good. I asked the salesperson (we were at Salon Blue Ridge) how much it cost & she said it was around $3000. Well then, moving right along...


This is a picture taken in the lobby at Morris Broadband in Hendersonville yesterday. As you can see, the internet is down...


This is a picture of the computer tower that I am using to post this. It's an A+ A380 by XClio & while it looks really cool, I am not going to recommend it. The fan on the side was so loud that it just overpowered the room, that is for the 3 months the fan worked...customer support is non-existent for this product.

This piece of work is my lynx point very spoiled kitty Vena...enjoying the IMAX: Dolphins movie from Netflix last night. She loves it when I have a long project in front of the computer...& yes, she is that spoiled. I tried to tell her she could hurt her eyes but she insists on sitting close so she can reach out & swat the screen from time to time...

And finally, here's a blast from the past & my favorite piece of technology today:


Not only does this qualify as cutting edge "Green Tech", it will also help you burn calories & save money at the same time! I love it when tech actually works the way it was intended...oh, your clothes will smell really good too.

Now it's your turn. Head on over to Beth's blog & get creative! Here's the link to the "You Capture" challenge. Enjoy!

PS - I took all of these with my Blackberry Storm...

Product Review & Comparison: Netflix vs Blockbuster

We started using Netflix a few years back when the cost was about $25 a month. Then for some reason (yeah, we fell for the marketing) we switched to the Blockbuster DVD rental program. I'm not really sure that we had a good reason to switch since Netflix was working for us. We ended up going back to them because the movie selection there seemed to suit us better.

To be fair, both have the latest releases but we didn't like having to drive to the store to drop off the disks. I understand the program has changed now & you can either mail back or come into the store to drop off & recieve a free in-store exchange (non-new rental).

Netflix pioneered the "Instant Download" for the masses, even ahead of Hulu. We bought a converter from Radio Shack & started streaming the movies to our TV. Loved it! Now there's a product called a Roku that sells for about $99 that makes it even more convenient. Just add movies to your Instant Watch queue via the internet, then connect the Roku to the TV of your choice to watch anything in your queue. The Roku does need to be connected to the internet either with or without a wire. The best thing of all is how portable it is. Take it with you when you travel. Right now we have 166 films in our Instant Watch queue & 62 in the DVD at Home queue. Roku also gives you instant access to Amazon Video on Demand & MLB.com on Demand. I plan on buying at least one Roku to give as a Christmas present. Yep, it's that good. As I frequently tell my students, I love it when technology actually works the way it should.


Here's our current queue:

10/20 You watched The Dark Ages
10/14 We shipped The End of Suburbia
10/14 We received What a Way to Go
10/12 You watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
10/10 You watched 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix
10/10 You watched South Park: Ssn 4: Probably

As you can see we're using the Instant Watch feature more than the DVD feature, even though the turnaround through the mail is really fast in the Asheville area. We learned recently that there is a Netflix warehouse in Arden so that explains the quick turnaround.

Some info on Blockbuster:

Watch on TV—use TIVO DVR, Samsung Blue Ray, or the 2Wire MediaPoint Set Top Box , the answer to the Roku. It sells for $99 & includes credit for 25 movies, which is a great deal. One thing I do like about this device is that you can search & order titles onscreen, which the Roku still lacks. Here's the big problem with it however, everything you watch will cost you-at least $1.99 per video. That makes this a non-option for me.

Monthly Plans

Blockbuster by Mail:

1 DVD at a time $8.99
2 DVD’s at a time $13.99
3 DVD’s at a time $16.99

Blockbuster by mail + 5 in-store exchanges per month

1 DVD at a time $11.99
2 DVD’s at a time $16.99
3 DVD’s at a time $19.99

Netflix Plans:

1 DVD out at a time + unlimited instant watching $8.99
2 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $13.99
3 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $16.99
4 DVD’s out at a time + unlimited instant watching $23.99

*Add $2.00 per month for access to the growing library of Blu-ray titles

1 DVD out at a time (limit 2 rentals a month) with 2 hours a month Instant Watch on PC or Mac only (no Roku) $4.99

Starz Play only (no DVD’s, can be used only on PC or Mac) $7.99 per month

The bottom line? Netflix works best for me because I'm not as interested in the "latest greatest" films & I like the simplicity & pricing structure of the their plans. We watch a ton of documentaries & Netflix carries A&E, History Channel, Bravo, IFC, etc., as well as many of the newest titles. The Instant Watch feature is a staple of my day now. I site in front of the computer & stream documentaries. Don't criticize, at least I'm not distracting myself with YouTube all day.

I think the Blockbuster plan has probably improved since we last used it (2 years ago), but as the saying goes--if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Autumn

I love this time of year in Hendersonville. The seasons are so distinct here, each one with a kind of pervasive mood. Randy on the other hand, sees fall as a personal challenge--him against the leaves as they come down. How dare they mess up his perfect yard by falling here?

Links To Help With Your Morris Broadband Problems - Maybe...

I wanted to pass these along so you folks out there can start doing your own research. The first one is to DSL Reports. This is a well-known place to get good (but a bit more technical) info. I am posting a link to a thread entitled "A+ for Morris Broadband". Seems that there are a few Mediacom employees posting anonymously there. Take that for what you will.

Click here for the link. There are plenty of other sites for you to research as well. Just search.

Here is the link to the new official Morris Broadband site, specifically the direct page to report problems. I do like their new site & hope it continues to grow to contain even better info for their customers. I hope the promises of new/better everything come to fruition soon.

At this point I'm going to throw up my hands & walk away in defeat. I have been trying to help my friends/clients for two solid weeks now & haven't been able to really do much for them. The digital phones are still really buggy & I was told by a Morris employee that the phone service was being outsourced from another company & they were working on getting it fixed but didn't really know what or when those issues would be resolved.

I'm also told that the email is being outsourced. No wonder they don't have a handle on this stuff, the ball is out of their court.

I don't know what else to do to help you troubleshoot your email issues & the Morris employess don't know either. I think it's time you seriously considered a Google or Yahoo email account. Or buy a domain from me & set up email that way.

Seems the internet speeds are a bit more stable. Looks like the Hendersonville backbone is being fed out of Asheville & peers with AT&T. Ok, whatever. I don't know when the upload speed is going to be opened up. Right now I'm getting about 470k. Grrr, just what I need. But hey, at least I've got service. Good thing I don't have a business account with a static IP.

I'm told that they are having some routing/service issues. Duh...

To my friends/clients with a sticky IP package--I'm sorry! I wish I could help you. I know you're frustrated & I feel your pain but there's really nothing else I can do. I can't reach them either & after calling for days, showing up at their office, & speaking with every employee I know, I still can't find anybody who will call you back. My suggestion is that you start writing letters & include a copy of your bill in them.

To Morris: what are you thinking? Seriously, it takes more than 2 days to train employees on a brand new software system. And why in the world are you ignoring your business clients? They are paying more per month than your home users. Why would you not return their calls? That just doesn't make sense. And yes, that's the heart of my discontent. I simply don't get the thinking process that says ignoring your highest paying clients will make the problem go away. Maybe that kind of thinking is why Morris Publishing is fighting bankruptcy?

And thanks for the job offer but no thanks. Don't you read my blog?

Would You Wake Them Up?

Me neither.

This is why I didn't make the bed this morning...

Book Reccomendation

I just read "No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog" & am inspired. Now on to putting ideas in motion. I am teaching a blog class for the next 8 weeks at BRCC. Come out & see me!

C'mon Morris Broadband, This Isn't Funny Anymore

Please figure out a way to get in touch with your commercial customers--their problems are not fixed & they still can't reach anyone who is helping them.

These are the small business's in the area that depend on the internet to do business & this is really hurting them.

Just a phone call would make a huge difference I think.

How To Lose A Sale

1. After I repeatedly say "No thanks, we're not ready to buy yet", ask me what my husband does.
2. Ask for my husband's business card because you "have a laptop that really needs some repair work".
3. Call my husband at quitting time on Friday evening & tell him that his wife really wants him to stop by while it's still on sale to take advantage of these great prices...
   

Think it's time for this guy to find another career path...

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I'm So Classy

Just found out that I'm scheduled for not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 12 classes this spring! I am thrilled, no joke. I'll post them here soon.

Pumpkin Found!

They're 99% sure she was stolen. They have a fenced yard and she isn't an escape artist or wanderer. She's a typical Golden who wants to be with her family and would never leave on her own...

Here's the story. Ashley, the owner, received a call from an older couple several miles away from their house. The couple found Pumpkin several miles further along the road. They think whoever stole her began seeing flyers all over, got scared and... dumped her!

I'm so glad this story ended well : )

Good Deal - Free Will Hoge MP3 on Amazon

Hey there - Amazon is offering a free download (today only) of Will Hoge's release "Even if it breaks your heart", from "The Wreckage". Glad to see he's going to get some good publicity, I'm sure he can use it. The Amazon page is php-driven & it will show up in different areas depending on what your buying preferences are, but when I logged in it was on my front page.

Here's the link.

If that doesn't work, just try searching out his name & the name of the track.

Enjoy!

Missing Golden - Church Hill, TN - Please Help

MISSING GOLDEN RETRIEVER, CHURCH HILL, TENNESSEE (Kingsport area)
1 yr old spayed female - Missing from yard early evening Oct. 6th

PLEASE CONTACT OWNER:
Ashley/Robbie Blevins - 423-357-1979 or 423-956-1976
OR BREEDER:
Jennifer/Ken Workman - 828-891-2648 or 828-606-9808

Call name: PUMPKIN
Blonde coat color, black streak on left ear
Avid Microchip
Wearing a pink collar w/ a diamond pattern - Tag is a heart shape with princess on one side
Location: Church Hill, TN

(they're pretty sure she was stolen from the yard) My friends are heartbroken. Wouldn't you be? Thanks for passing this along.

Raw Food VitaMix Recipe

1 large ripe tomatoe
1 large cucumber
1 stalk celery
16 oz water

Blend on variable/high till smooth. Use this as lunch or use it to work as a light broth for soup.

Enjoy!

Best of YouTube

The last four years of YouTube in 4 minutes...

Warning! Not for the squeamish.

Where's a Good Crowbar When You Need One?

Found out yesterday that the cabinets above the stove are going to have to come down for the drywall to go up. Then we promptly found out that those cabinets were set in with a row of nails instead of screws. What?? Nails? Oy veh, the other cabinets had screws...this is going to be interesting, as the cabinet is about 6 feet wide & heavy, to say the least. It's also in a pretty awkward place for us to move.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Morris Broadband - More Issues

When I find out about the webmail version with Morris Broadband I promise to post it here. Right now I don't know the answers to your questions.

Meanwhile, click here for another interesting article about Mediacom & Morris Communications.

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

1 pint blueberries - washed & frozen
1 not too ripe bananna
1 package protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp raw vanilla extract
1/4 cup flax seeds
32 oz water
1/3 cup raw agave nectar

Mix water, flax, & sunflower seeds on Med/Hi till smooth (app 1 min)
Add each ingredient one at a time, ending with frozen blueberries

This recipe created a bland, somewhat gritty drink that could have it's taste changed radically with a few spices--maybe cardamom? Anyway, it was very good & relatively low glycemin with the addition of the protein powder.

Enjoy!

The Case for VitaMix, Cooking, & Your Health

I am often asked why I am a Vitamix junkie & am happy to recite my list (yes, it's a list) of reasons. Today while listening to the radio I learned yet another interesting tidbit.

The Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry recently published findings from a study showing antioxidant levels in carrots were increased more than 34% when cooked or pureed. Luke Howard, lead author of the study contends "The softening of the carrot tissue allowed phenolics attached to the cell wall to be released".

Levels of antioxidants continued to rise during the first week of storage and then began to fall after 2 weeks in storage. However, antioxidant levels of stored carrots remained higher than that of fresh raw carrots.

Howard explained that reactions that occurred during storage resulted in the formation of new phenolic compounds "with excellent antioxidant activity."

Keeping the outer skin on carrots also boosted antioxidant activity slightly, researchers found.

"Numerous phenolic compounds are located in the (skin) of fruits and vegetables, many of which are removed by peeling steps prior to processing," the study notes.

While the study used cooked carrots, I will point out that jucing or "Vitamixig" (pureeing without cooking) has the same effect as cooking in that it breaks down the cell wall to allow the nutrients out.

The nice thing about using the Vitamix is that if you don't cook the veggies you don't kill the living enzymes & amino acids, you get all the fibre, & it is easy to digest. All the benefits of the vegetables!

Read the article here.

Hendersonville News Survey

What do you think about the Hendersonville Times-News survey asking how you would feel about paying for online content?

Morris Broadband Delivers...

Ok, I guess I'm going to have to write something about the switchover in Hendersonville from the much-maligned Mediacom to the now much-maligned Morris Broadband.

As I write it's being reported that there are still a couple of thousand people without internet, cable, digital phone service. I've had customers calling me since last week trying to figure out what to do about the situation. They're saying they're "out of business" till this is over. I know of at least 3 small business that had to send employees home because of it. It's a no-win situation for lots of other folks too.

As the date for the changeover got closer I got quieter about Morris Broadband on this blog. Why? Well, because the scope of the changeover is so large that I couldn't figure out how it was all going to go down. I worked at a small ISP for a while which means I know just enough about "provisioning" to have a healthy respect for what they were going to have to go through. I had a feeling that it was going to be a rough transition & when they changed the date of the email transition from 9-18 to 9-24 I knew then that there was going to be trouble.

Think about it, Morris Broadband is (as far as I know) the first provider owned by Morris Publishing. Not only that but Morris Publishing is going through some pretty severe financial troubles too--missing interest payments, etc. All the signs of a company in decline. Add to that the fact that they were coming in behind Mediacom--a company with lots of issues as far as the public is concerned. Don't take my word for it, just ask anyone living in Henderson county about Mediacom & chances are they will have their own story to tell & chances are it won't be a nice one. They are famous around here for being non-responsive to customers. It's also well known that their installers are sub-contractors who will work for the least pay & what does that tell you? (by the way, the consultant hired by Morris--Mike Feld said this when interviewed by the local paper: "Some of our vendors and some of our subcontractors made a lot of connectivity and configuration mistakes that didn't show up until we went live." Hmm. Not taking responsibility, sounds like business as usual...

Put it all together & you have the potential for disaster. A company trying to learn on the job in a community already trained to not like them...

Then again, they did have months to make this transition happen right? Should I give them a break or not?

My biggest problem has been the way they handled the transition before all of this happened. Sure, they notified the public before transition happened, but did they handle the public's expectations? No. Did they let anyone know that there could be a disruption in service that could affect their business? No. They basically implied that everything would be fine, as long as the public made the email changeover correctly. No "plan B", no warnings that service could be disrupted for a while, no information on what exactly was going to take place, not even a dial-up number so people could still check email. Now they are in the soup so to speak & all their apologizing & promising is not going to matter to the public. They haven't even gotten started yet & they've already blown it by conducting business the way it's always been conducted.

I know it's a "keep your fingers crossed" situation whenever you are dealing with hardware/software & believe me I sympathize. But the public doesnt care, & should they? After all, don't they have the right to expect the service they pay for?

My home only lost connectivity for about a day, so I'm not mad. I was inconvenienced though--getting up early to do some work & not being able to, but that's not suffering, it's just a little aggravating. Would I be so calm if I was without phone, email, TV for days? Probably not.

OK, Morris--the burden is on you to make this right. (you put it there) Let's see you handle this. Good luck, I'm glad I'm not working there right now.

And by the way public, don't just yell at the folks on the phone. That really doesn't help you know. They're not the techs who made the bad decisions, they just know what they've been told. Write a letter (since you can't email right now). Let them know why you're mad. Here's the address:

William S. Morris III
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Morris Communications Company
725 Broad Street
Augusta, Georgia 30901

What's your opinion?

Kitchen Project Is Finally Underway

We have a 46 year old stainless steel stove hood that has never been used. Evidently it was set up above the stove then they figured out that there was no vent or electrical outlet for it. I'll bet if it was plugged in it would probably work! Does anybody know someone who might want it? Maybe someone into retro-kitchens...

Good Deal

Restaurant.com has $25 dining certificates for $2 when you apply coupon code: CHEF

Make sure to apply it before you check out & read the fine print! Some restaurants require a $50 order, some $35, etc.

Enjoy!

You Know It's Been Raining A Lot...

When you have mushrooms growing upside-down from a branch in your yard....

We've had several bumper crops of weird cool mushrooms this year--every color, size, shape. Stinky ones too....

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Friday! Yeah

I'm so glad it's Friday--not that my workweek is over mind you, it just feels different.

Test Posting at BRCC

Here we go--posting on the blog! No, it's not a post about my beloved Vitamix.

Good Deal

Land's End (I love Land's End) has clearanced their Women's Embellished Fleece Scuff Slippers. Down from $25 to $4.99.

Free shipping will apply if you use coupon code SEPT18 and pin 1236.

Supplies are limited--when I ordered this morning there were only a few sizes left: 8, 9, 10

Enjoy!

No, They Can't All Be Winners

Day 2 of "me on a soup kick" & I just created something so awful I'm not even going post an image of it for fear that it will cause me to go running for the bathroom door...

Needless to say, the Vitamix does not do a good job of fresh cream of broccoli soup.

Yuck!

Perfect 10 Vegetable Soup Recipe

This weather is so perfect for soup, so I indulged myself with my all-time favorite.

3 small carrots
2 small potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 bunch kale - deveined
brussel sprouts - 10 or so
okra - 10 or so
1 small can corn
1 small can white beans
1 small can pintos
3 tbs olive oil
coriander to taste
curry (powder) to taste
crushed black pepper to taste
3 bay leaves
12 oz veggie broth (ok to substitute chicken broth if you prefer)

Make sure all veggies are cut to approximately the same size. Add everything except potatoes, carrots, & onions to crock pot.

Saute carrots in olive oil & black pepper.
Saute onions in curry & olive oil- just barely carmelize them
Saute potatoes in coriander & olive oil.

Add to crock pot & let it cook on high for about 4 hours.

Enjoy with cornbread or flax seed crackers (if you are low-carb)

Mmmmm : )

Patches is Disfunctional

Princess Patches (the office cat) has a dirty secret. She craves rubber bands--as in the taste of rubber bands. We have seen this in action & it's not pretty, so there's a rule in place now that basically keeps them hidden out of sight when they're not in use.

The other day Tom was going through some mail that had a rubber band wrapped around it. Patches went after it, swallowed it down & took off running. Now what do we do? We know it can't be healthy for her. She seems perfectly normal but now has a rubber band in her.

I'm outing her. Patches if you're reading this, your secret is out!

Short Weekend

Man, that went by too fast! But I'm happy to spend some time with my friends & family, even if it does make the minutes tick by too quickly.

Raw Food VItamix Recipes

I've heard that raw/living food is food that hasn't had the amino acids "killed" with heat. Use your judgement on how hot (or not) you let this soup get. It is a staple of my diet & one of the best soups ever!

1 stalk celery
1 cup spinach
1 medium carrot
1 medium tomatoe
Braggs tonic to taste
24 oz pure water

Throw it all in the Vitamix, set to medium high until hot.

Enjoy!

Remastered Beatles Catalog Goes on Sale Today

Apple records & EMI released the re-mastered Beatles catalog today & fans are pony-ing up the $179+ in droves. Amazon sold out of pre-order supply last week. It's been interesting watching the anticipation. I expected some purists to give it a thumbs-down, since it's "not the original", but haven't seen one negative comment yet. Conclusion? The fans are desperate for anything they can get. I totally understand.

A team of audio engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London worked on and off for four years sprucing up the songs of the Fab Four. The release is being offered in both stereo & mono formats.

In 1987 the Beatles discography was released on CD for the first time, & fans complained that much of the music lacked the warmth of the original tunes (on vinyl). It doesn't look like that's going to be a problem with this release.

Oh yeah, the Beatles edition of Rock Band comes out today as well.

Viva la Beatles! You influenced my parents generation & beyond.

Product Review - Nextar Solar Bluetooth Car Kit NXBT-001

I drive, I work, and I don't like wires. When I saw the Nextar Solar Bluetooth car kit (NXBT-001), I got pretty excited. At $29.99 & free shipping it seemed too good to be true....and it was.

The device was easy to set up. It came with a "quick-start guide". (I love those). It took a charge pretty quickly & paired with my Blackberry Storm 9530 with no problems. Unfortunately those were the only things that worked well with it.

The volume rockers were not where the guide listed them. The device only has about 30 minutes of talk time (far too little for an average work day), & the speakerphone is so quiet that even with the car windows rolled up, no a/c or radio, I still had to really strain to hear the other person.

One other thing: after leaving it in the sun (it is a solar device after all), the faceplate curled up & melted halfway off of the device. Now this I could totally understand if my car was in the Arizona desert or something, but it was in the WNC mountains on a day where the high was not quite 80 degrees. Go figure...

I really really wanted to like this device. I hope I can find something out there that will actually work soon!

Bottom line--don't waste your money on this one.

Is It Monday Already?

Hellish weekend.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful and good.

Vitamix Raw Food Recipe

It's apple season here in Hendersonville & they are good this year!


3 apples - cored (peel if you like)
pinch of cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw honey

Add to vitamix & blend on variable/high for about 30 seconds.

Enjoy the best applesauce ever!

Hello Again

Well I haven't been posting for a while but I'm back now so look out! I've been busy (to say the least), but then again everybody I know has been busy too, so I don't really consider that as a valid excuse to not post regularly.

Ok, here's the latest good deal:

Galls is offering unbelievable deals on boots & athletic shoes. Galls is an online site for law-enforcement, emergency, & military supplies, but anybody can order most of the stuff they stock. Most of the footwear is $9.98. If you're looking for a pair of boots that will last years, you can't do any better than these.

Here's the direct link.

If that doesn't work go to www.galls.com then click on "Clearance".

We Have a Visitor...

Bob Barker is paying a visit to the Cherokee reservation today to talk with them about the bear zoos there. It will be interesting watching the reaction of the locals to this. I don't know if he is representing PETA or just working with the same goals in mind, but he has made it clear that he thinks the zoos should be shut down.

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Exactly 1144 Monday's ago Randy & I got married : ) We are 3rd generation elopers.

Good Article

Last night I the article "100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About". It was written for Wired magazine & opened up by mentioning the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. I attended Emmanual Lutheran School in West Asheville at the time as a kindergartner. I remember my mom bringing a black & white television equipped with "rabbit ears" to the classroom so we could all watch the moon landing.

I wasn't impressed back then. I am now.

At any rate, things have definitely changed for me as I'm sure they have for all of you. The article reminded me of all kinds of cool memories.

Here's the link.

Enjoy

This Is A Test

If you are reading this then the scheduling problem has been fixed & I will go back to regular posting.

Baby Squirrel

Ever seen one? Me neither till the other night that is. Randy & I were sitting on the side porch & kept hearing something in the yard. We knew it was some kind of animal out there eating but were curious as to what kind it was. Randy got a strong flashlight & shined it on the oak tree where we keep the squirrel food & voila! there was the cutest little tiny squirrel I've ever seen! It was about six inches long (including the tail) & just chowing down!

I love our porch. So much good quiet stuff happens there.

Good Deal

Get a $25 gift certificate for $2!

Ends 7/28/09.

To redeem, use code: NAPKIN

Enjoy!

Real or SciFi?

The headlines lately have been wild. Here are a few of them:

"Identifying the Great Blob of Alaska"
(an unidentified "blob that is literally miles long)

"Man is Charged a Quadrillion Dollars to Smoke"
(I hope it was the good stuff if he paid that much)

"Students Build Hydrogen Vehicle that Gets 1,336 MPG"
(It only cost $170,000 to build)

"British Girl's Heart Heals Itself After Transplant"

"Cats Do Control Humans, Study Finds"
(Duh, I've known that for years)

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I'm Glad It's Friday

I hope I can get my computer up & going soon.

Yuck

Spyware, Malware, & Trojans...oh my!

Back when I'm more functional.

What A Memorial

Like him or hate him, you can't help but be amazed at the outpouring for Michael Jackson.

Vita-mess!

Note to self:

Do not overfill the Vitamix. No matter how good it will taste when finished...

All American Pastime

Had a great time at the Asheville Tourists ballgame over the weekend. It's one of the few things left that are still a good entertainment value. The fireworks afterwards were awesome as well.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Happy Independence Day

Stay safe & enjoy your day

A Good Deal

Discovery Store has every DVD they offer on sale right now & free shipping if you buy $50 or more.

Click here for the link.

Still Having Scheduling Issues

But I will post at least once a day if at all possible.

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

The vegetables in Western North Carolina have been fantastic this year. We've had plenty of rain & you can sure tell it!

This is one that we make at least once a week. I know it sounds weird but it actually has a pretty good taste & is loaded with both vitamins & fiber.

1 apple
1 small carrot
1 cup pure water
1 small cucumber
1 cup ice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 small piece vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all together till smooth.

Enjoy!

Ready For Another Weekend

I need to try that again & do a better job this time. This past weekend was so hectic that I didn't get any downtime at all & boy am I feeling it this morning...

Note to self: Don't let anybody plan anything for me this weekend...

Sleep...sleep...must get sleep.

Blogspot Scheduling

There appears to be an issue with the scheduling function lately, so my posts could come at erratic times. Just wanted to let you know.

A New Adventurecon

There is a new sci-fi show coming to Pigeon Forge October 24 & 25. It is being run by the same folks who put on AdventureCon in Knoxville every year.

Who wants to go?

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful and good.

Dixie Dregs

The fire at Georgia theater last week sent me into reminisce-mode. I remember one of my favorite bands that I ever saw there--the Dixie Dregs. Think Bela Fleck with a touch of the Allman Brothers & you'll have an idea of how they sound.

We used to road trip from Peachtree to get to the theater--back roads all the way. By the time we limped into town, sitting down in any air-conditioned room was a really intense feeling. We would rest a little, drink a little, rest a little...you get the picture.

The Dregs had a very laid back vibe but the crowds weren't always so mellow. Fights broke out from time to time & I do remember the night we all had to leave the building till the cops got things sorted out.

Their label was Capricorn Records out of Macon Ga.. Capricorn signed Widespread Panic, the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Wet Willie, Elvin Bishop, plus a few others too.

That was good stuff! Glad I was there to hear it : )

The News Is Coming Too Fast Lately

3 deaths in one day that have the US talking & the internet straining at the seams:

The death of Farrah Fawcett
The death of Sanford's political career, dignity, & possibly his marriage
The death of Michael Jackson

There were so many searches for "Michael Jackson" on the internet last night between 5 & 7pm that Google's security systems thought they were being hit with a denial of service attack & activated the "capcha" feature. The News section of Google also thought they were having a DOS attack as well.

Perez Hilton screwed up yet again this week when he blogged that he doubted that Jackson had gone into cardiac arrest & speculated that Jackson was pulling a stunt. He told readers to ask for their ticket money back. Very nice, right on the heels of the whole Much Music award night debacle (I'm not eve going there--look it up)

When the news that Jackson had died was confirmed, the ill-timed respons on Hilton's blog was deleted--but not before he was showered with criticism by his readers. I wonder if this is the start of the end of his 15 minutes?

Twitter saw a doubled rate of twits for about 2 hours after the news of Jackson's death started spreading.

Information overload.

Here's A Good Deal For You

Boscov's has a 12 volt wet/dry auto vacuum for $9.97. Sure, it's not as strong as your real wet/dry vac, but this one is small enough to store in the trunk of your car & will run on your lighter plug. Sounds convenient.

Here's the link.

Thank You Blackberry

I wrote a review a while back about my new Blackberry Storm 9530. Basically I said that it would be perfect if they could just fix a couple of issues.

I'm happy to report that the latest firmware update has done just that.

I love it : )

Thank you !

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

2 cups pitted bing cherries
1 cup rice
4 cups water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 vanilla bean
2 tbs raw agave nector

Soak the rice and vanilla bean in water overnight.
Put the goop in the Vitamix & blend till smooth.
Strain.
Put rice milk mixture into ice trays & freeze,

Add ice cubes, vanilla extract, agave nector, cherries & blend till smooth.

This recipe is a bit high in carbs, but a good option for those avoiding dairy. Not to mention it tastes great!

Enjoy!

RIP Georgia Theater

The Georgia Theater is gone. I don't know what to say, it feels like an old friend that left too soon.

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful and good.

Hot Hot Hot!

It wouldn't be so bad if the humidity would just drop below 65%...

I may melt any minute...

Rockin Out

Tuesday night I got home about 9:30 as a storm was just getting rolling. We turned off all the lights in the house & went to the side porch with our respective glasses of tea. How relaxing. How awe-inspiring! The rain was loud on our big old trees, the lightening lit up Echo Mountain across the valley from us. That's what I call entertainment...

That's how I roll.

Another Raw Food Vitamix Recipe

Last week I posted a (gulp) failed recipe for chocolate coconut cherry candy. It didn't work because the coconut made it a little too runny. This week, no problem-->a real easy winner here!

1/2 fresh pineapple
milk & meat from one Thai coconut
1 tbs raw agave nector
3 cups ice


Blend till smooth then enjoy an incredibly refreshing drink. Simple but good.

Back In Town

I just got back from a trip to AdventureCon in Knoxville, TN. What fun! More to come in a later post.

The Kitty Says No Way!

Maybe this will only be amazing to me but...

I took the new kitty to the vet last week for the rabies shot required by the state when you adopt from a shelter. I felt really bad having to put her back into a cage when she was finally getting happy in her new home but I knew I had to do it. On the way there she meowed about every 5 seconds or so. She behaved really well at the vet's office & started occasionally meowing again when she was put back into the car. Then things got weird.

I had to stop at the shelter to turn in her rabies vaccine certificate. About 50 feet before I turned into the parking lot she went wild--cried like a baby, tried to get out of her cage, just went a bit insane. I hurried into the shelter & got out really fast--she was still doing it. I thought something might have gone wrong with her shot & as I was getting back into the car I was planning on going back to the vet. 50 feet away from the shelter parking lot she quieted right down & has been perfectly normal since then. Not happy we took her from her office mind you, but back to her old self.

How did she know?

Our Favorite Home Project

Without a doubt has been screening in the side porch. It's our favorite room now & the cats love spending the day watching Outdoor-O-Vision. We've feed the birds & squirrels close by & spend hours just hanging out there talking. That project cost about $650 for the supplies & about $600 for the furniture.

One more purchase we've been happy with has been denim-covered furniture. Yes, denim. Yes slip-covered, as in washable.

Ok Ken, any more questions?

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

A Bad Investment

Ok, Ken, part 2 of your many home-owner questions answered. What's the one home purchase we regret the most?

That would be the Ionic Breeze air purifier by Sharper Image. I'm not sure what we were thinking there! It just didn't do what the commercials promised & it makes an annoying sound when dust finally does start to stick to the electrostatic plates. Wasted money.

Things we've bought that we're disappointed in?

We bought new windows for the purpose of being more energy efficient but haven't been able to tell any difference at all. They look nice & are easy to clean though.

When the central air was installed they put in a unit that just didn't cool the whole house--not even close. We called them & instead of replacing it with a bigger unit they just added some fans to the vents. It's never really worked up to our expectations. Also every couple of years the drain pump quits working & Randy has to buy a new one & replace it (about $60). Either that or call somebody in & have it replaced for about $200. What a pain...

We had a privacy fence set up in our side yard. The first windstorm we had & the whole fence blew down. That was really disappointing considering what it cost in the first place.

Things we've bought we're happy about?

Definitely the bed. We have a king-sized Sleep Number bed. We originally bought it after much research & our main reason for buying it was that it has twice the warranty of any other bed out there--20 years. Also it is way more sanitary. Regular mattress's harbor dust mites--ecck! I have sinus/allergy problems & know that dust mites contribute to them. This bed doesn't have a mattress in it at all, just a mattress pad over it that is washable. So no dust mites! What we didn't expect was how dangerously comfortable it is. I could easily spend too much time in it if I let myself. Randy's sore back was history after about 3 weeks. Money well-spent.

Ken's Questions Finally Answered

My friend Ken (yes you) & his wife just bought a home & he is full of questions about saving money, home projects that are "worth it", etc. I thought I would answer some of them here.

First some background. Randy & I bought our house in 1995. It was built in 1963 & is brick. The couple we bought it from are the original owners. It is a typical ranch (think shoebox), oil heat, decent sized yard with lots of trees. No carpet--thankfully. When we bought the house it was in pretty good shape for the most part. The owners were in their 60's when they built it & their 90's when they sold it to us, so no children had ever lived there & the house pretty much had original everything--even down to the swag lamps (anybody remember those) & floor-model record player. There had only been one coat of paint ever on the walls.

Randy is a true fix-it guy & has really transformed this place into something that is very comfortable for us & truly easy to maintain.

Ken wanted to know which project has been the "best" one for us. With an industrious husband, many have been "best" for us. The one set of projects that has saved us the most $$ has been making the house more energy efficient. We use 80% less oil than the previous owners & believe me, we stay warm. We have their old records & are able to compare them to our current ones.

A couple of cheap projects did the trick.

One thing that made a dramatic difference to our heating bill was adding insulation to the attic (about $300) & sealing up cracks around the doors, windows, & attic space. (about $45 for sealer). Additionally we added vertical blinds to every window & keep them closed when we weren't home (about $300). Voila! Instant savings on the heating bill.

A few years down the road we actually replaced the single pane windows with more energy efficient ones but truthfully I didn't notice much of a difference in our energy consumption.

When our hot water tank broke down a couple of months after moving in, we replaced it with a more efficient one at a cost of about $150. That helped our electric bill to the tune of about $10 a month. Last year I started hanging out most of our laundry & we saved a little over $500 in one year. Also, keeping our trees makes the house cooler. We had central heat & air installed (don't use the heat) & cooling the house definitely costs a lot, so being able to wait before using it has been very nice. We just turned it on for the first time a few days ago. Again simple things like keeping the blinds closed during the day have enabled us to keep cooling costs to a minimum. And we monitor everything--every bill, all our consumption records, all of it.

So Ken since you've asked (repeatedly) my advice to you is to make your first project winterizing your home. The money we've saved on our bills have already covered the cost of the central air & the new windows.

DejaVu - Tomorrow's The Day For Morris Communications

The folks at Morris have received another extension on their 9.7 million dollar interest payment. This latest extension is due tomorrow.

Let's hope something worked out soon.

Click here for the article.

Raw Food Vitamix Recipe - A Failed One!

I would sure appreciate it if somebody out there could help me make this one better--it has a lot of potential! We were trying to make a healthy version of a Mounds candy bar with this one but the filling was too runny.

We blended fresh coconut, a cup of bing cherries & a tsp of raw agave nectar for about 10 seconds & it tasted great!

The original plan was to dip this mixture into raw chocolate powder but we ended up just adding the chocolate into it & eating it out of a bowl. It was really sweet tasting & altogether a bit too...something, I'm just not sure. It was so sweet that a little went a looooooong way.

Hard to believe that something that decadent can actually be good to you : ) Tom was a bit surprised to learn that raw coconut is considered by some to be a "superfood". Here are some articles for you:

Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4

Fresh coconut meat is addicting!

Rough Survey - Blogger

10 sites at a time I checked 100 Blogger blogs through the day yesterday using the "Next" button at the top. Here are my findings:

33 written in English
68 less than 10 posts in 2009
75% had something to do with the bloggers family

Maybe the NYT article had some merit...

Concerning Blogging - Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest Article

The NYT recently asked the why blogs so often fail. Evidently a lot of people are asking the same question because the article made it to the top of the Technorati site on Sunday. It seems that many blogs fail, often due to writer boredom or expectations of large amounts of traffic that never happens, so the writer becomes disillusioned with the whole process & quits because of that. That means there are a lot of dead blogs floating around in the nether regions of cyberspace. I think I'm going to try to find a few & post them in links from time to time. Who knows what I'll find?

Click here for the NYT article

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

My New Kitty Has Betrayed Me!

After I fought for 7 years to get a cat for the office, picked her from literally dozens of others at the shelter, paid for her, spent time brushing & talking to her, after all that (not to mention keeping her litter box clean, who's desk does she hang out on?

Vitamix Raw Recipe

I do love my Vitamix!

Here's what has to be the simplest recipe yet.

2 cups ripe local strawberries
1/4 cup raw honey

Blend for about 10 seconds.

Pour over ice cream, strawberry shortcake, or anything else that you want to see disappear when you serve it.

Enjoy!

If Groundhogs Could Fly

Last Saturday was so relaxing. We hung out on our side porch alot. At one point Randy saw something just over our fence he couldn't figure out & after a walking over there we realized that it was a groundhog stuck about 10 feet up in a tree! It was seriously stuck, not even trying to hold on, but letting the branches hold him. I guess the neighbor's dog must have chased him up there?

After calling various numbers that were no help at all (sorry ma'am, we don't work in Henderson county, sorry ma'am, we don't work after 4pm, etc.), we decided to get him out ourselves. Our fence is 6 feet high & the groundhog was higher than that. We can't really go into the neighbor's yard--their dog is big & mean. They had been gone since Friday. We got a ladder & a snow shovel & pulled down the branches that held the groundhog, caught him with the snow shovel, & gently put him in a pile of leaves. Ta Da!

The best part was when he shuffled off towards the woods & then stopped, stood up, turned around & looked at us. It was like he was thanking Randy for catching him.

Good Deal

Cloggens are 90% off right now-most of them are $3.50 or less. Here's the link.

I Did It

Six months with at least one post on this blog every day.

Kicking And Screaming To Twitter

I don't want to do it, but I think I may have to. I have a client & an organization that are going to make me. Dang it, I don't need another social network!

Ok, enough whining. I signed up (hopefully not for long). I sure hope this dies on the vine...

Nothing Like Carolina Skies

This is a picture I took with my cell phone back on May 22nd. I am always struck by how beautiful the skies are in the Carolina's.

That Was Fun

Went to a Tourist ballgame Sunday afternoon. It's been years (literally) since I've been there. It sure has changed. $5 parking, lots of corporate sponsors, etc. It was still all kinds of fun though!

I find it somewhat ironic that with as many rock concerts as I've been to, this was the first place to ever search my bag before they let me in.

What A Weekend

What a weekend...There's a new cat, Shakespeare in the park, a ballgame, & an elevated groundhog. Couldn't ask for much more...

Click here for pics

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good : )

Hello New Kitty

Thursday my plans to foster a cat for the office fell through at the very last minute. Afterwards I stopped by the local animal shelter. I wish I could help them all! Too heartbreaking. I left, not knowing what to do. There was one kitty there--a 7 year old female, that had records showing she had been to the same vet that I use. I went to the vet's & they told me the whole sad story. This kitty belonged to an older couple. When the wife died their daughter moved in & brought her own cats. For some reason the daughter then took this cat to the shelter. Maybe it's because she's front paw de-clawed? I don't know. At any rate, my vet said she was in good health. I decided to pick her up on Saturday. I found myself with a few extra minutes Friday & stopped by to get her & boy am I glad I did...I am pretty sure they were getting ready to euthanize her.

Man, the whole subject is depressing. On the bright side, there is a new kitty to keep me company at the office now. She seems to have a very quiet gentle nature. She was scared to death when I first picked her up (I would have been scared too). Taken out of her home & put in a cage for six weeks is enough to freak any animal out. Even though she was scared, at the vets offce she didn't try to bite or fight at all. She's been here about two hours now & is starting to walk around the office exploring.

I'll keep you posted on her progress.

Oh, the name on her adoption card is "Patches" but she hasn't confirmed that with me yet...

De-nied!

My new office kitty that I was going to be the foster parent of was adopted before I even got to take her to her new home. I'm both happy & sad right now.

Another Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

This is the time of year when bing cherries are so good, & I can tell you for sure that it is worth the time it takes to pit them. This smoothie is so refreshing & good! We use cashews that we have soaked in pure water overnight--somehow it adds to the general sweetness of the drink. Don't know how to explain that other than to say that we've tried almonds, flax, rice, etc., & the cashews are the definite winner.

1/2 cup cashews (soaked)
3/4 cup raw chocolate powder
1 cup bing cherries
1 glass (about 12 oz) pure water
1 cup ice
3 tbs raw agave nector or local honey

Blend cashews in water till smooth then add the rest of the ingredients, leaving the ice for last.

If you want a really intense taste, try adding a bit of cold coffee this--no more than a tbs or so. I also like this one with a bit of vanilla too if you're wanting something sweet.

Enjoy!

RIP Jay Bennett

The world lost a great talent over the weekend. Untertow Music Collective announced yesterday that Jay Bennett died in his sleep this past Saturday. Jay was best known for working with the band Wilco, but he also collaborated with Edward Burch & a little bit with Blues Traveler. Jay released five solo albums after leaving Wilco in 2001.

Decisions

I'm really considering applying to be a foster home for animals at my office but I don't know what it entails. Can anybody help out here?

Movie Night

I Redboxed (is that a word?) "Hotel for Dogs" last night. Now I've got to figure out how to open my own doggie shelter. Right this very minute!

Seriously, it tears me up to think about all the stray animals out there. I just wish I could do more. I can't even look at Petfinder anymore, I get too torn up.

But I was talking about movies right? Ok, there were two this weekend--both from Redbox. The other one was called "The Last Templar". Do yourself a favor & don't waste your time with it. It was seriously one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I kept waiting for the story to happen & it never did. No wonder I had never heard of it. That's two hours (seemed more like four or five) of my life I'll never get back...

So what did you watch over the weekend?

Happy Sunday

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I Spy

With my South Carolina eye...

• 2 turtles (about a foot long each)
• bee
• shoe
• buzzard
• butterfly
• goose
• 3 dogs
• a bee-yu-ti-fal sky
• Randy playing volleyball with himself & an imaginary team & ball (the net was real)
  

Where am I?

Another Raw Vitamix Recipe

Tom made this one last night & it was so good!

Veggie Soup

1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 cup spinach
full glass water - 16 oz
1 tbs Braggs Liquid Amino

Add to Vitamix & set to High till warm (or hot if you don't want raw)

This is the best tasting cream of veggie soup I've ever had.

Enjoy!

Is It Really Too Early?

I like Christmas all the time. Seriously. Here's a deal offered by Perpetual Kid. It's a USB do-it-yourself Christmas computer set. They were selling it for $19.99, now just $8.99. Plan ahead, don't go through the drive-thru, get this for yourself instead : )



You know you want to drive your co-workers crazy by putting this up in July...

Here's the link.

Vitamix Recipe - Make Your Own Raw Veggie V8

3 really ripe tomatoes
1 stick celery
1 cup pure water or ice
1-2 carrot
dash ground coriander

Add it all to the Vitamix & blend with variable setting till smooth. Strain it if you can't handle the pulp--don't strain it if you want all the fiber.

Enjoy!

Something I'm Looking For

I'm looking for Kelloggs or Keebler packages marked with the various Star Trek promotions. If any of you have any of these packages you could part with I would appreciate it : )

Too Many Birds To Count

Yesterday morning in about a half hour while I was having my morning cuppa, I counted from my porch:

2 Robins
Some Finches
1 Unknown type of brown bird
2 Doves
3 Woodpeckers-2 different species
2 Cardinals
2 Blue Jays
1 Chipmonk
1 Baby grey squirrel
1 Grey squirrel
3 white squirrels! : )

It was raining while I sat there & that didn't seem to slow down traffic at all. Soon the hummingbirds will be out & that will be fun as usual to watch. It's funny watching the cats being totally oblivious to the traffic a few feet away from where they're sleeping...

Happy Sunday

Hope you're staying dry today.

Wow, Thanks NASA

This image was made before Atlantis and the crew of STS-125 had grappled the Hubble Space Telescope.

The two tiny little dots on the lower left-hand side of the sun are the shuttle Atlantis & the Hubble telescope. I did not enhance the image at all. Incredible...

Mooris Publishing Group Obtains Forbearance

From the Morris Website:
"Morris Publishing Group, LLC announced today that it has obtained forbearance until May 28, 2009 with respect to its failure to make a $9.7 million interest payment on its senior subordinated notes.

The interest payment originally was due Feb. 1, 2009. Holders of more than 80 percent of the outstanding amount of senior subordinated notes agreed to the forbearance.

Morris Publishing.s senior bank group also agreed to waive until May 28, 2009 the cross default arising from the overdue interest payment on the senior subordinated notes."

So the story continues...

Here's Are Some Good Deals

Shop World Kitchen has select Pyrex Cobalt Blue baking dishes on clearance starting at $2 each.
Shipping starts at $6.95.Coupon A20350 gives you 20% Off.
If you used this code before, then you may need to sign in differently.http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/inde...=cobalt%20blue

PYREX® Cobalt Blue 3-qt Oblong Baking Dish
Was: $7.99
Now: $1.99
Final: $1.59 Plus shipping.http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/inde...34715&brandID=

Here's another one, this from Holland Bulbs:

$100 in Hardy Perennial Lilies, Dahlias, Cannas, Gladiolus and Calla Lilies for $19.95
Coupon "SAVEON1" to take 50% any one single item.

60% OFF $100 + coupon 50% = $19.95 (2 for $38)

60+ Flower Bulb & Perennial Variety Pack

You get the following flowers
(6) Dahlias - Size No.1 or No.2
(6) Cannas - Size 2 to 3 eyes
(10) Hardy Perennial Lilies - Size 12/14cm or 14/16cm
(30) Gladiolus - Size 10/12cm
(10) Calla Lilies - Size 1 3/4" to 2"

Another Raw Vitamix Recipe

I had this yesterday--it was delicious!

1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 tbs raw agave nector
2 cups pure water

Add the sunflower seeds to water & set vitamix to variable. Blend till smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients.

Enjoy!

A variation to this (if you drink dairy) is to add about a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt and/or some ice.

Good Job Morris Communications or MediaCom or Whoever You Are

I don't know who decided to change the website: MediaCom or Morris Communications but I was happy to be able to easily access the local office info, including physical address, hours, & a support phone number.

Just type your zip code into the "local zip" search box for customized info.

Star Trek Movie

After seeing Star Trek twice this weekend (instead of posting a review like I promised, I went to see it again), I still want to see it one more time. It was that good. Yes, I'm a Star Trek fan from way back but if anything, that makes me more picky about the fare I'm served at the theater.

This movie had alot of action from the very beginning, excellent special effects, & a storyline that matched the pace of the movie. I was entertained & that says alot. An additional benefit has been the intense conversations with other trek fans via email, in person, & on the I-boards.

There were only a few moments that something didn't exactly feel right for me during the film--the skydiving scene, Scotty's alien sidekick, & the whole Spock-Uhura relationship were a bit...questionable.

As of Sunday afternoon there were over 8000 user reviews posted on Yahoo! it was graded "A" by overwhelming majority. The Critics were also pretty kind, giving it a B+ (probably would have been an A if Roger Ebert hadn't tried to pick apart the science presented in the film).

The audience was as enthralled as I was & seemed reluctant to leave when the credits finally rolled at the end.

I want one of those motorcycles!

Happy Sunday

Star Trek Movie Review

Coming later today.

TGIF

The past 3 weeks have been intense! I am going to the movies, maybe for the whole day if I'm lucky...

Today Is The Day

That Star Trek trekkers, trekkies, nerds, fans, super-fans, whatever will collectively....well, you know. It's preview day for the movie. Epic has it showing tonight at 7pm--don't know about the rest of them (I haven't checked)

I love love love sci-fi events. A big part of what I love is the conversation that takes place before & after the events. The only thing that compares to it in my mind could be tech events & the conversations they create, & that is a pale shadow as far as I'm concerned.

When the second round of Star Wars movies came out a few years back it provided hours of conversation in the computer shop/ISP I was working at. Folks made their plans to go see the movie weeks ahead of time--there was much anticipation beforehand & much celebrating afterwards. It didn't matter so much whether they liked it or not--either way was cause for conversations.

A good sci-fi movie will have minds engaged for weeks at a time, full of "what-if's" & "why did they" & "why didn't they". Instead of focusing on the economy or politics or other current events, the minds (& mouths) will open to ideas of space travel, society without prejudice, new technology that allows people to transport anywhere instantly, big adventures, doing the right thing, & the like. And it wouldn't be accurate to talk about what makes sci-fi fun without mentioning the "cool factor", which is basically anything somebody likes.

I still haven't quite put my finger on what I love so much about it. Maybe it's this--sci-fi makes us all 11 years old again. We don't care what other people think about our shameless optimism, our enthusiasm for weird costumes, or outdated beliefs in right & wrong. We're just having fun--laughing shamelessly, whooping it up when the good guy wins (by the way, the good guy could easily be a gal in a sci-fi movie), & rooting for the underdog.

I love watching my friends & I love being an old school sci-fi geek.

Here's a contest for you. Below is an image. The first one of you from Hendersonville or Asheville that I know who can email me & tell me what it is will get a free ticket to see the new Star Trek movie at Hollywood Theaters. Put the phrase "Star Trek Movie" in the subject line please. Send it to me at: wncwebgrl@gmail.com

Good luck!