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Irish Sinus Soup Recipe

2011-10-19T20:54:00.002-04:00

4 lbs beef stew or 2 cans chickpeas

4 cans spicy hot V8 juice (22oz)
2 cans diced tomatoes (16 - 20oz)
3 tablespoons Worchester sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
4 bay leaves
2 cups diced celery
2 cups sliced carrots
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cabbage head, shredded
Cayenne pepper or red hot chili pepper flakes to taste

Stovetop method:Cut up beef stew in bite-sized chunks: brown in hot oil or water.

As beef is browning, add onion, garlic, & seasonings.

Add V8 juice

Add diced tomatoes

Simmer 1 1/2 hrs

Add vegetables (may hold cabbage until last 15 min of cooking).

Simmer 1 hour longer. Remove before serving.

Crockpot method: Add all ingredients together except beef. Cook all night on low. Stir occasionally.

Add browned meat when soup is finished.

Add cayenne powder or red hot chili pepper flakes to taste

Cut up beef stew in bite-sized chunks: brown in hot oil or water.
As beef is browning, add onion, garlic, & seasonings.
Add V8 juice
Add diced tomatoes
Simmer 1 1/2 hrs
Add vegetables (may hold cabbage until last 15 min of cooking).

Simmer 1 hour longer. Remove before serving.

Amazon Kindle Fire Official Presentation

2011-09-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

I haven't been this excited about a tech product for a long time, but I was after doing some research on the new Amazon Kindle Fire. Start your own research process with some of this info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVsfLnMqOC4 Here's a link to the Amazon page about it:

Hurricane Irene - Oak Island, NC

2011-08-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

Friday evening:

Hurricane Irene - Myrtle Beach

2011-08-27T10:49:00.000-04:00

Found this on YouTube & thought I would share it. Sorry about the music!

Wish every bad movie night was this good...

2011-07-02T10:58:00.001-04:00

Went to the movies last night--3 of us. Paid for 1 ticket & used 2 earned free tickets. Got a free soda & popcorn from the Regal card. 10 minutes into it & the movie stops. Mgt came out & gave everybody in the theatre a free ticket. We left the auditorium & stood in line to turn turn our "free" tickets into the next showing. Cst. Service gave us 3 more tickets + 1 more (cause they said we were nice). Waited till the next showing & handed the attendant our newly earned free tickets-->he told us he didn't need them, only our stubs from the previous show. Final price for 10 tickets, 1 popcorn & 1 soda = $10. Thank you Biltmore Grande for making what could have been a lousy evening into a fun one with a good profit!

Tablet Computer Talk - Predicted in 1995?

2011-04-27T11:46:00.002-04:00

Raw Recipe - Holiday Pecans

2010-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

While everybody else is gorging on candy, treat yourself to this really nice (& sweet) treat.

1 cup agave nector
4 cups pecan halves
1 cup raw orange juice
1-2 cup raw cacao powder

Heat the agave & orange juice, stirring till it is thin. Don't get it too hot, keep it raw! Stir in pecans. Spread over wax paper. Shake cacao powder over pecans till coated. Let cool, then enjoy!

Whew!

2010-12-29T11:28:00.003-05:00

The holidays are almost over & it's going to be nice to get back to normal....whatever that is!

Saturday Night Special: Rest Stop

2010-11-30T07:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday Night Special: Rest Stop

Printable list of Holiday TV Shows

2010-11-19T09:00:00.011-05:00

Somebody sent this to me & I thought I would pass it on here...

CLICK HERE to print the list

Actually, don't print it. Go out & get a life instead of sitting in front of the TV every night. Oh, who am I kidding, I know you want it. So go ahead...print it.

*All times listed are Eastern.

November 19, 2010• Off Season – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Silver Bells- Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• The National Tree – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• Moonlight & Mistletoe – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 animated) – TBS, 8:00 p.m.
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 20, 2010
• Our First Christmas – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• The National Tree – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Fallen Angel – Hallmark, 10:00 a.m.
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Hallmark, 12:00 p.m.
• A Season for Miracles – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• Santa Jr. – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• The Night Before The Night Before Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

November 21, 2010
• Mr. St. Nick – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Ebbie – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Karroll’s Christmas – Hallmark, 10:00 a.m.
• The Christmas Wish – ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
• Santa Jr. – Hallmark, 12:00 p.m.
• Unlikely Angel – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• Mr. St. Nick – Hallmark, 2:00 p.m.
• Once Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• Naughty or Nice – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• Twice Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• Call Me Claus – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• Santa Baby – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) – TBS, 7:00 p.m.
• The Night Before The Night Before Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Holiday in Handcuffs – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• Elf – USA, 9:00 p.m.
• Finding John Christmas – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.
• Snowglobe – ABC Family, 10:00 p.m.

November 22, 2010
• Ebbie – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Angel of Pennsylvania – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• The Christmas Choir – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• A Carol Christmas – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Holiday in Handcuffs – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• When Angels Come to Town – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 23, 2010
• The Christmas Choir – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• The Three Gifts – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
• Anne Tyler’s Saint Maybe- Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• A Grandpa for Christmas – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Our First Christmas – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 24, 2010
• A Christmas Carol (2004) – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Our First Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Silver Bells – Hallmark Channel, 4:00 p.m.
• Christmas in Canaan – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• A Season for Miracles – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Merry Madagascar – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
• Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special – NBC, 8:30 p.m.
• Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 25, 2010
• A Season for Miracles – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• 2010 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – NBC, 9:00 a.m.
• CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade – CBS, 9:00 a.m.
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – NBC, 2:00 p.m.
• The Town Christmas Forgot – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• Taylor Swift – Speak Now Thanksgiving Special – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
• Elf – USA, 9:00 p.m.

November 26, 2010
• Naughty or Nice – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• To Grandmother’s House We Go – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Call me Claus – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Naughty or Nice – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• All I Want for Christmas – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• TV’s Greatest Holiday Moments – FOX, 8:00 p.m.
• The Night Before the Night Before Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Elf – USA, 8:00 p.m.
• Moonlight & Mistletoe – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 27, 2010
• Off Season – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure – ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• Ebbie – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Moonlight & Mistletoe –Hallmark, 10:00 a.m.
• What I Did for Love – Hallmark, 12:00 p.m.
• Once Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 12:30 p.m.
• The Night Before the Night Before Christmas – Hallmark, 2:00 p.m.
• Twice Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 2:30 p.m.
• An Accidental Christmas – Lifetime, 3:00 p.m.
• The Christmas Choir – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 4 – ABC Family, 4:30 p.m.
• Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle 2 – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 8:30PM
• Elf – USA, 9:00 p.m.

November 28, 2010
• One Magic Christmas- Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Christmas in Canaan – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m.
• Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish – ABC Family, 9:30 a.m.
• The Christmas Card – Hallmark, 10:00 a.m.
• On the Second Day of Christmas – Lifetime, 11:00 a.m.
• Home Alone 4 – ABC Family, 11:30 a.m.
• The National Tree – Hallmark, 12:00 p.m.
• The Ultimate Gift – Hallmark, 2:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York – ABC Family, 3:30 p.m.
• A Christmas Visitor – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• A Different Kind of Christmas- Lifetime, 5:00 p.m.
• The Christmas Card – Hallmark, 6:00 p.m.
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle 2 – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• The November Christmas – CBS, 9:00 p.m.
• The National Tree – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 29, 2010
• A Christmas Visitor – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• The Ultimate Gift – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
• The Note – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Christmas in Canaan – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• CMA Country Christmas – ABC, 9:30 p.m.
• The Christmas Choir – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

November 30, 2010
• The Night They Saved Christmas – Hallmark, 6:00 a.m.
• Ebbie – Hallmark, 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
• Ms. Scrooge – Hallmark, 4:00 p.m.
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – CBS, 8:00 p.m.
• Christmas in Rockefeller Center 2010 – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 animated) – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
• All I Want for Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.
• It’s A Wonderful Life – NBC, 9:00 p.m.
• 2010 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – CBS, 10:00 p.m.
• What I Did for Love – Hallmark, 10:00 p.m.

December 1, 2010
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
• Scrooged – AMC, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
December 2, 2010
• A Flinstones Christmas – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
• The Santa Suit – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Scrooged – AMC, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

December 3, 2010
• The Polar Express – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
• It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947) – TCM, 10:00 p.m.
• Disney’s A Night Before Christmas- ABC Family, 10:51 p.m.
December 4, 2010
• The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• A Christmas Carol (1938) – TCM, 9:00 a.m.
• Surviving Christmas – TBS, 1:30 p.m.
• Holiday in Your Heart – Lifetime, 5:00 p.m.
• The Thin Man – TCM, 6:15 p.m.
• Farewell, Mr. Kringle – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Merry Madagascar – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
• Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special – NBC, 8:30 p.m.

December 5, 2010
• Holiday Affair- TCM, 12:30 p.m.
• The Christmas Child – Lifetime, 3:00 p.m.
• A Dad for Christmas – Lifetime, 5:00 p.m.

December 6, 2010
• Jack Frost – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Martha Stewart’s Holiday Open House – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.

December 7, 2010
• Mickey’s Christmas Special – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Cranberry Christmas – ABC Family, 7:30 p.m.
• Frosty’s Winter Wonderland – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.

December 8, 2010
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – ABC Family, 8: 30 p.m.

December 9, 2010
• Rudolph’s Shiny New Year – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• The Gruffalo – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• The Santa Incident – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• Shrek the Halls – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
• Disney Prep & Landing – ABC, 8:30 p.m.
• The Santa Incident – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Scrooged – AMC, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• A Miser Brothers’ Christmas – ABC Family, 10:00 p.m.

December 10, 2010
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• A Christmas Carol (1938) – TCM, 8:00 p.m.
• Scrooge (1970) – TCM, 9:30 p.m.
• The Santa Clause 2 – ABC Family, 10:00 p.m.
• The Man Who Came to Dinner – TCM, 11:30 p.m.

December 11, 2010
• Santa Claus (1960) – TCM, 3:30 a.m.
• Bells Are Ringing – TCM, 6:00 a.m.
• I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Snow – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Snow 2: Brain Freeze – ABC Family, 11:00 a.m.
• Unaccompanied Minors – ABC Family, 1:00 p.m.
• Jack Frost – ABC Family, 3:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.
• A Very Married Christmas – Lifetime, 5:00 p.m.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – TV Land, 5:30 p.m.
• The Santa Clause 2 – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Meet Me In St. Louis – TCM, 8:00 p.m.
• An Old-Fashioned Christmas – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Frosty the Snowman – CBS, 8:00 p.m.
• Frosty Returns – CBS, 8:30 p.m.
• The Santa Clause 3 – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• The Flight Before Christmas – CBS, 9:00 p.m.

December 12, 2010
• Surviving Christmas – TBS, 8:00 a.m.
• Frosty’s Winter Wonderland – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Twas the Night Before Christmas – ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• Once Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• Twice Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
• The Shop Around the Corner (1940) – TCM, 10:15 a.m.
• All She Wants for Christmas – Lifetime, 11:00 a.m.
• The Bishop’s Wife – TCM, 12:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause 3 – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• Santa Baby – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• Santa Baby 2 – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• Holiday in Handcuffs – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Christmas Cupid – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

December 13, 2010
• A Flinstones Christmas – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Christmas Cupid – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Holiday in Handcuffs – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You special – ABC, 9:00 p.m.

December 14, 2010
• I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown – ABC, 8:00 p.m.
• Three Wise Women – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (movie) – ABC Family, 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
December 15, 2010
• Disney Prep & Landing – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.

December 16, 2010
• Three Days – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Meet the Santas – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Gift of the Magi – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas – ABC, 8:00 p.m.

December 17, 2010
• Sons of Mistletoe- ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• A Very Brady Christmas – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Holiday Affair (1950) – TCM, 8:00 p.m.
• Yes, Virginia – CBS, 8:00 p.m.
• Christmas in Paradise – Lifetime, 8:00 p.m.
• In The Good Old Summertime- TCM, 9:20 p.m.
• Mickey’s Christmas Special – ABC Family, 10:30 p.m.
• Little Women (1949) – TCM, 11:30 p.m.

December 18, 2010
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) – TCM, 3:45 a.m.
• The Little Drummer Boy – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• The Little Drummer Boy Book II – ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – ABC Family, 8:30 a.m.
• Pinocchio’s Christmas – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Jack Frost (1979) – ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
• Frosty’s Winter Wonderland – ABC Family, 11:00 a.m.
• Cranberry Christmas – ABC Family, 11:30 a.m.
• Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• Rudolph’s Shiny New Year – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 3:00 p.m.
• A Miser Brothers’ Christmas – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.
• Battle of the Bulbs – Hallmark, 8:00 p.m.
• Meet John Doe – TCM, 8:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town- ABC Family, 10:00 p.m.

December 19, 2010
• Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish- ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• A Dennis the Menace Christmas – ABC Family, 9:30 a.m.
• It Happened on 5th Avenue – TCM, 10:00 a.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 11:30 a.m.
• Scrooge (1970) – TCM, 12:00 p.m.
• Home Alone 4 – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.

December 20, 2010
• The King of Kings (1927) – TCM, 12:15 a.m.
• Christmas Do-Over – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – TV Land, 10:30 a.m.
• A Carol Christmas – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• Snow – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• Snow 2: Brain Freeze – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too – ABC Family, 6:30 p.m.
• Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• Disney Prep & Landing – ABC Family, 7:30 p.m.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – TV Land, 8 p.m.
• Santa Buddies – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• The Shop Around the Corner (1940) – TCM, 10:00 p.m.

December 21, 2010
• Santa Baby – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• Santa Baby 2 Christmas Maybe – ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
• Holiday in Handcuffs – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• Christmas Cupid – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• The Polar Express – ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.
• The Thin Man – TCM, 11:30 p.m.

December 22, 2010
• The Story of the First Christmas Snow – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold – ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• Unaccompanied Minors – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• Richie Rich’s Christmas Wish – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• A Dennis the Menace Christmas – ABC Family, 2:00 p.m.
• Santa Buddies – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause – ABC Family, 10 p.m.

December 23, 2010
• Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Once Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 7:30 a.m.
• Twice Upon a Christmas – ABC Family, 9:30 a.m.
• The Polar Express – ABC Family, 4:00 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 6:30 p.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.

December 24, 2010
• Beyond Tomorrow – TCM, 6:00 a.m.
• The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• Bundle of Joy – TCM, 7:30 a.m.
• The Little Drummer Boy – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey – ABC Family, 8:30 a.m.
• Cranberry Christmas – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Tenth Avenue Angel – TCM, 9:15 a.m.
• Holiday Affair (1950) – TCM, 10:30 a.m.
• A Flintstone Christmas – ABC Family, 11:00 a.m.
• Pinocchio’s Christmas – ABC Family, 12:00 p.m.
• It Happened on 5th Avenue – TCM, 12:00 p.m.
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – ABC Family, 1:00 p.m.
• Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July – ABC Family, 1:30 p.m.
• The Man Who Came to Dinner – TCM, 2:00 p.m.
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys – ABC Family, 3:30 p.m.
• Mickey’s Christmas Special – ABC Family, 5:00 p.m.
• Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too – ABC Family, 5:30 p.m.
• Scrooge (1970) – TCM, 6:00 p.m.
• Jack Frost (1979) – ABC Family, 6:00 p.m.
• Frosty’s Winter Wonderland – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m.
• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – ABC Family, 7:30 p.m.
• It’s a Wonderful Life – NBC, 8:00 p.m.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – TV Land, 8:00 p.m.
• The Bishop’s Wife – TCM, 8:00 p.m.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 9:00 p.m.
• Rudolph’s Shiny New Year – ABC Family, 10:00 p.m.

December 25, 2010
• Meet Me in St. Louis – TCM, 2:00 a.m.
• A Flintstone Christmas – ABC Family, 7:00 a.m.
• The Shop Around The Corner – TCM, 8:00 a.m.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town – ABC Family, 8:00 a.m.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – TV Land, 8:00 a.m.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus – ABC Family, 9:00 a.m.
• Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – ABC Family, 10:00 a.m.
• A Christmas Carol (1938) – TCM, 11:45 a.m.
• Santa Buddies – ABC Family, 12:30 p.m.
• The Santa Clause – ABC Family, 2:30 p.m.
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – ABC Family, 4:30 p.m.
• King of Kings – TCM, 5:00 p.m.
• Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (movie) – ABC Family, 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
• Surviving Christmas – TBS, 10:15 p.m.

Help needed

2010-09-11T11:56:00.001-04:00

Does anyone know of anyone that would donate lumber to a needy family for a handicap ramp? My friend Norm, that hit the dump truck head o n will hopefully get out of rehab around the 28th. They desperately are in need of a ramp so he can get in and out of the house.Surely there is someone out there that could donate some lumber.....that's not asking for much at all. Eblen and 2 others turned them down because Tiff is still working and they own their own house. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Please pray that this family gets the help they need. For a family that has lost so much due to this accident, they haven't asked for much..

Restaurant.com deal thru 8-23

2010-08-18T12:06:00.000-04:00

It's back!

At Restaurant.com through August 23rd, use coupon code STEAK to save 70% on dining certificates. Get $25 certificates for just $3!

This is the second year in a row I've used these & so far I've had pretty good luck with them.

Found Dog

2010-08-02T17:30:00.002-04:00

IMG00084-20100802-1656.jpg, originally uploaded by gtfoi.

Found in Mills River on 8-2. She is very sweet, obviously older, & had no problem hopping into a car. No tags, but there is a chain around her neck. Let me know if she could be yours or if she could belong to someone you know. Thanks for spreading the word!

Ouch

2010-08-02T17:29:00.001-04:00

image, originally uploaded by gtfoi.

Seen on the corner of Fifth & Justice in Hendersonville this morning

June 11th is coming soon--can you help these kitties find a home?

2010-06-07T11:55:00.000-04:00

These gorgeous babies are looking for a new home, as their current owner is moving far away & can't keep them anymore. Please pass this link along to responsible pet-friendly people who might be able to help. June 11th is the deadline. Thanks ahead of time for your help. Email me at : wncwebgrl@gmail.com & I'll make sure to get your message to the owner.

All cats are neutered/spayed and they are presently outdoor animals but would adapt well to being indoors too. Any help you can give would be much appreciated. Tux, the black cat, is a male, always purring; Face, the female in the tree is the mother. Torti-Cat likes to sit in laps, & is very friendly.

Can you help these kitties find a new home?

2010-06-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

These gorgeous babies are looking for a new home, as their current owner is moving far away & can't keep them anymore. Please pass this link along to responsible pet-friendly people who might be able to help. Thanks!

All cats are neutered/spayed and they are presently outdoor animals but would adapt well to being indoors too. Any help you can give would be much appreciated. Tux, the black cat, is a male, always purring; Face, the female in the tree is the mother. Torti-Cat likes to sit in laps, & is very friendly.

Robot conducts wedding in Tokyo

2010-05-16T08:07:00.000-04:00

Here's the link

OMG

2010-05-13T14:13:00.002-04:00

Ever seen something then didn't really believe you saw it? That would be me at right about the 24 second mark...

Is It The Future Yet?

2010-05-06T10:03:00.000-04:00

Am I finally gonna get the jetpack I've been whining about for so long?

Click here for more info

Spokeo

2010-05-05T08:08:00.002-04:00

Lots of questions in my email this morning about Spokeo. I'll try to answer some questions here.

Spokeo was created by some students at Stanford. Consistently self-billed as a "search engine", Spokeo uses an algorithm to collect data that is already out there & create a searcheable profile. Some of the information might not be totally accurate or up to date either, since Spokeo does not use humans to make decisions about profiles. (Click here to read what they have to say about that).

For instance, when searching my own profile, I learned that I have 2 children. When did that happen? I sure wasn't aware of it... I was also able to find out how long I've lived in my home, what my home might be worth, who my husband was (like I could forget that), what our street name was, what my interests were, etc. I was a bit surprised to find out that one of my interests was cooking. Actually it was Randy who was surprised ...

Spokeo uses info from social sites, real estate records, magazine subscriptions, census data, & who knows what else. The info has been out there all along. If you are on MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Picassa, LinkedIn, public message boards, newsletter subscriptions, etc., you could potentially have that info aggregated into a profile.

Spokeo makes money by selling subscriptions to people/companies trying to collect consolidated information on a certain profile or profiles. This could include: loan companies, bill collectors, private investigators, psycho ex-boyfriends, & the like.

Then the psycho ex-boyfriend (or whoever) can use GoogleMaps to get a photo of your house & exact driving directions from the jail to your neighborhood. Now the folks you paid a penny to in the 70's to get your record collection started from can find you & repossess all your Peter Frampton & Bay City Roller vinyl.

I find it interesting & disturbing that Spokeo protects those searching for you, but won't protect you from the searchers if you request it. So you'll never know who is looking for you!

Click here to read what they have to say about that.

The thing that is bothering folks emailing me today is that:

no one was asked ahead of time if they could be included in this database of information
the information is only partially accurate
the information includes income, credit scores, personal photos (including children) & overall wealth in the same listing.
personal data is now public & connected to a real name. In other words a personal email address can be connected to a name which is connected to a phone number & address & spouse, etc.
you can't control who sees your data

Supposedly you can have your name removed from this database but so far the 2 people I've talked to who have tried have had no success at all with it.

So now what? Well, as I've said all along, there's no such thing as a free lunch. When you sign up for something & it doesn't cost you money, there's a good chance that your privacy is going bye bye.

I don't know how to erase data from sites like this. I wish I did, but I don't. I'm not sure it's possible at all. I'll keep checking & will let you know what I find out. Till then take a few deep breaths & go read some George Orwell.

Ron Popeil is 75

2010-05-03T08:17:00.003-04:00

Without him we would have never had any of these amazing products:
Chop-O-Matic
Dial-O-Matic
Pocket Fisherman
Mr. Microphone
Inside-The-Shell Egg Scrambler
Six Star 20-Piece Cutlery Set
Solid Flavor Injector
GLH-9 Hair in a Can Spray
Drain Buster
Electric Food Dehydrator
Automatic Pasta Maker
Showtime Rotisserie
The Cap Snaffler

And here's my guess for the product you want but haven't ordered:

Rollup Laptop, Wow!

2010-04-26T08:33:00.003-04:00

Pretty cool!

Air Force One Has Landed

2010-04-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

And this is what it looked like to me:

New blog coming soon

2010-04-22T14:30:00.001-04:00

New topic, new layout, all that jazz.

Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

2010-04-14T11:11:00.001-04:00

This is how I get my caffeine nowdays...

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 heaping teaspoon raw chocolate
1 serving green superfood of your choice
shot of coffee
shot of agave

Blend in Vitamix on low setting for a minute, gradually turn up to medium/high for another 30 seconds or so. Sit in the sunshine & enjoy.
mmmmm...

It's So Yellow Out Here

2010-04-08T09:20:00.000-04:00

A perfect pollen storm today in my backyard...

A Weather Channel tweet yesterday put the pollen count in Atlanta at 5063. "Extremely High" is anything over 150.

Hendersonville is usually about 2-3 weeks behind Atlanta so we probably haven't seen the worst of it yet.

Raw Chocolate Vitamix Recipe

2010-04-07T07:41:00.001-04:00

Here's a variation of one I posted a while back. I'm bringing it back because it is so good & still one of my favorites!

Raw Chocolate Pudding-ish Dessert
•1 ripe avocado
•3 tbs raw cacao (powder woks best with this)
•1 tsp vanilla
•3 pitted dates
•1 cup of pure water
Add all the ingredients to the Vitamix, blend with water to your desired consistency. *note--using the water you soaked the dates in will add flavor. I call it pudding-ish because it doesn't taste like Jello pudding--which is what you might expect. It tastes far better! Very intense chocolate flavor.

For variety you could add strawberries or bing cherries to the mix.

We also occasionally lower the water content on the mixture so it's doughy then roll it in crushed pecans. I like this recipe because it's so quick & so versatile. Hope you enjoy as well!

Good Deal

2010-04-06T19:06:00.000-04:00

GoDaddy is selling .info domains for .89 a year.

Go get some! Or email me & I'll do it for you *for a small fee of course ; )

Raw Chocolate Recipes

2010-03-23T08:55:00.006-04:00

My daily staple:

1 Gala Apple
freshly ground peanut butter
raw chocolate (powder works best with this recipe)
raw honey or agave--your choice!

Slice the apple then mix the rest of the ingredients together. Smear the apple slices with the mixture, go outside on your porch & make the squirrels jealous!

One note--it's really easy to over-do the sweet taste so go easy on the honey/agave in the beginning. You really only need it if the peanut butter is too thick to mix well.

Simple pleasure...

Happy Birthday Bill!

2010-03-22T09:02:00.001-04:00

Captain Kirk is grown up? No way! He may be 79 today but he is forever at his prime to me...

A Riddle For You

2010-03-08T19:49:00.001-05:00

How do you sand built-in cabinets in one evening without moving them or getting dust all over your house?

Answer below:

Thank you Randy--your inventivness has once again saved the day : )

The Creepy IHOP Commercial

2010-03-04T15:22:00.004-05:00

"This is what IHOP looks like in your nightmares! Back in 1969, this IHOP commercial aired just like this. Why does this look like it was produced by John Wayne Gacy?

Did this commercial actually bring in new customers? Because after watching this nightmare-inducer, I'm assuming that as soon as you finished enjoying a delicious stack of pancakes (laced with something, of course) a laughing clown in an orange waitress uniform bludgeoned you to death with a coffee carafe."

Thanks to Michael K
Dlisted.com

Oh Spring, Where Art Thou?

2010-03-04T15:08:00.002-05:00

I am sure that I echo my peers in asking the question. Can it really be that I'll soon feel a warm breeze? Ah hope...

Happy Sunday

2010-01-31T21:18:00.001-05:00

Hope your day was peaceful & good.

Snow!

2010-01-30T18:41:00.002-05:00

How fun to listen to everyone (and I do mean everyone) talking about the snow that we got. We have about 7 inches here, with a nice shiny coat of ice on top.

Help Find This Kitty's Home!

2010-01-07T21:06:00.005-05:00

He showed up this afternoon--he would show up on the coldest day we've had in a long time, right before a snowstorm...

We can't keep him & have him kenneled right now, but can't afford to do that for very long.

Here's a link with more information.

Today's Favorite Thing

2010-01-06T20:51:00.004-05:00

I have never been so cold in my life as I have been the last week or so. It makes me realize how lucky I have been because I know now that I've never really experienced cold--real cold, the kind that goes right through you as soon as you step outside.

Lately I've been looking longingly on Amazon for a warm hat (which I don't need because I've already got several). Then on to a few shoe sites to gaze at lined boots (of which I would probably never wear).

My only purchase in the last week were the slippers on the left. Marked down to $6.50 at Bed Bath and Beyond in the Hendersonville mall, I just couldn't resist.

And yes, they are really warm!

Hello

2010-01-05T07:10:00.000-05:00

I'm back & for what it's worth, I've missed the discipline of daily blogging. I'm looking forward to hearing about everybody's holidays : )

Cyber Monday

2009-11-30T07:53:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-15T16:02:00.001-05:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Good Deal

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

New week, new month, new office.

Happy Sunday

2009-11-01T07:40:00.001-05:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Are You Scared?

2009-10-31T07:32:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-30T07:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-29T09:37:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-28T08:24:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-27T07:51:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-26T07:36:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-25T00:03:00.000-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Good Deal

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-22T06:00:00.007-04:00

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

2009-10-21T08:24:00.009-04:00

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

2009-10-20T08:39:00.003-04:00

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...

2009-10-16T07:28:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-10-15T14:49:00.001-04:00

Me neither.

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

Book Reccomendation

2009-10-14T08:48:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-13T16:34:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

After I repeatedly say "No thanks, we're not ready to buy yet", ask me what my husband does.
Ask for my husband's business card because you "have a laptop that really needs some repair work".
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

2009-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I'm So Classy

2009-10-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-10-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-10-08T07:15:00.003-04:00

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

2009-10-08T06:52:00.004-04:00

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

2009-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-06T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

Warning! Not for the squeamish.

Where's a Good Crowbar When You Need One?

2009-10-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-04T16:37:00.001-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Morris Broadband - More Issues

2009-10-02T07:00:00.002-04:00

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

2009-10-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-10-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

Morris Broadband Delivers...

2009-09-29T07:13:00.007-04:00

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

2009-09-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-28T15:54:00.003-04:00

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...

2009-09-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

Friday! Yeah

2009-09-25T07:34:00.002-04:00

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

Test Posting at BRCC

2009-09-22T19:11:00.001-04:00

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

Good Deal

2009-09-21T14:39:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-17T19:59:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-16T18:50:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-09-14T08:21:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-10T07:53:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-09T07:54:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-08T10:54:00.005-04:00

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?

2009-09-07T08:42:00.000-04:00

Hellish weekend.

Happy Sunday

2009-09-06T13:38:00.001-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful and good.

Vitamix Raw Food Recipe

2009-08-28T06:54:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-27T09:51:00.002-04:00

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...

2009-07-28T07:00:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-27T07:52:00.002-04:00

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

Good Article

2009-07-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

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

Baby Squirrel

2009-07-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-21T21:32:00.000-04:00

Get a $25 gift certificate for $2!

Ends 7/28/09.

To redeem, use code: NAPKIN

Enjoy!

Real or SciFi?

2009-07-20T07:52:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-12T21:22:00.000-04:00

Hope your day is peaceful & good.

I'm Glad It's Friday

2009-07-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

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