[My] Life in Wisconsin

TripAdvisor's 2010 Top 10 Dirtiest Hotels


http://www.tripadvisor.com/DirtyHotels
Good grossness!  These are really bad!
And probably not the best thing to be reading whilst I am living in a hotel room for the next 3 weeks.  hehehe


XOXO
Me

Click the links below, then read the reviews, if you dare.

************

Dirtiest Hotels --- United States

(based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews)



*** See more filthy hotels, worldwide





************

You've seen the worst. Now see the best.

You've seen the worst. Now see the best.

Check out the 2010 Travelers' Choice Awards – the world's best places to stay as chosen by our members.



* photos stolen from website

One Ticket. Wrong purse. No Valium.


ZZZZZZTPH!   Static! Picture and quote from here:  CLICK
"That static discharge was really no big deal to you or the door knob but WHOA it was a big deal to the small bacteria on that door knob!"


Thus far I have zapped the dog, the daughter, and myself- Countless times!
Happily I have also killed millions of bacteria doing so!
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Good Morning Everyone;
My two little charges are asleep... once more. (Casey brought Punk out about an hour ago, and they both came in more than a bit chilled).
Not sure what the temp is- (I miss my indoor/outdoor thermometer).  I just know it is cold enough.

Back to our westbound trip- the on again off again bad roads, and a few near misses with respect to the ice on the roads.

This is Hudson, WI- It is just before you cross over into Minnesota.

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Hudson, WI

If I remember correctly it was 23° at that point. The roads were clearly frozen over.
Traffic heading west was slowed to a crawl; the oncoming lights traveling a bit faster as those lanes had been salted.
We saw 3 salt trucks/road plows heading east. (With not a trace of salt on our lanes).

Storms like this, and at the sundown part of the day, can bring a few photo ops...

This taken off I-94 as the sun breaks through the cloud cover...

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Sun, thru Snowstorm 

Casey took this picture.  And I would have enjoyed it more if my hands would not have been gripping the wheel so hard. hehehe
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Again, we are here, and that is what counts!

Casey has been a godsend caring for Punk and taking her out for me.
She also loves Punks toys...
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Casey with Punks toy 

And teases the poor dog mercilessly.

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She also brushes Punk and plays with her...

But one should never brush a dog in jogging attire...
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Brooklyn Broccoli
One seems to grow hair on their chest by doing so!
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Not to mention what it does to the legs!
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Hairy legs 
Methinks a razor is called for?! 
hehehe
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Da Punk and Da Kid

Perpetually shedding or not, there is always love.
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Smooch!
 Sealed with a smooch!
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...and a hug!!
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KC and Punk 
(I was playing around with the edit feature at Picnik.com)
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Casey had her presurgical appointment yesterday. All went well for her.
(Unfortunately the same cannot be said for me).

As we waited for the nurses and such, I was treated to a royal attack of anxiety. Fighting with this for a while, I finally told Casey to call me, that I was going back to the hotel. It was that unrelenting and terrible.

I would pick her up when she was done.

After commandeering a seat in the ladies room for what seemed like an eternity, I hailed George... (George is the man with the electric golf cart that speeds happily on his way to collect those of us who prefer not to be walking a mile or two each way).
Ok. It's not a mile or two. It just feels like it.

Having gotten all the way back to the car, I felt a bit better. Punk had stayed behind at the hotel, due to the freezing weather; and I was not going to let her freeze to death while she waited patiently for us to return to the car.

I started the car and gave it a moment to warm up...
It was at that point that I remembered handing the parking ramp ticket to Casey when we'd pulled in.

*sigh*

Now I had a choice of paying $30.00 for not having a ticket, or going all the way back to the Transplant Clinic to retrieve said ticket.
I chose neither.
Instead choosing to do a few relaxation therapies while I waited in the car.
Don't think for one minute that I will again forget to take my diazepam (Valium), before heading out of here tomorrow. That was most awful...

We have to be at the hospital by 5:30 tomorrow morning. Happy that Greg will be here by then to get her there in case the anxiety becomes another real issue for me at that point.

Her surgery is scheduled to begin at 7:30. It will take approximately 11 or 12 hours.

Special thanks for everyone that is keeping Casey in your thoughts and prayers. Your love, and these actions, mean the world to us all.

As we wait...

Love to all

XOXO
Me

The Definition of Gun Control

Rating:★★★
Category:Other

From Gritter, in my email...

Last Thursday Night Around Midnight, A Woman was Arrested, Jailed, And Charged With Manslaughter For Shooting A Man 6 Times In The Back

The Following Monday Morning, The Woman Was Called In Front Of The Arraignment Judge, Sworn In, And Asked To Explain Her Actions.

The Woman Replied, "I Was Standing At The Corner Bus Stop For About 15 Minutes, Waiting For The Bus To Take Me Home After Work.

I Am A Waitress At A Local Cafe....
I Was There Alone,
so I Had My Right Hand On My Pistol,
That Was In My Purse,
that Was Hung Over My Left Shoulder.

All Of A Sudden I Was Being Spun Around Hard To My Left.
As I Caught My Balance, I Saw A Man Running Away With My Purse.

I Looked Down At My Right Hand And I Saw That My Fingers Were still Wrapped Tightly Around My Pistol.

The Next Thing I Remember Is Saying Out Loud, "No Way Punk!  Your Not Stealing My Pay Check And Tips."

~ I Raised My Right Hand, Pointed My Pistol At The Man Running Away From Me With My Purse,

And I squeezed The Trigger Of My Pistol 6 Times!


When Asked By The Arraignment Judge, "Why Did You Shoot The Man 6 Times?


The Woman Replied Under Oath, "Because, When I Pulled The Trigger The 7th Time, It Only Went Click."

The Woman Was Acquitted Of All Charges, and Was Back At Work, At The Cafe, The Next Day!

Now that's Gun Control....

Rumor has it that this is a true story, out of Houston.
hehehe
Thank You Suzy Q.!

XOXO
Me




Happy Birthday Casey!


Good Morning All;
Yes, today is Casey's 23rd birthday. Time flies...

We have been celebrating Casey's birthday at The Olive Garden each year... I think she saw a commercial for it when she was about 5 and there's been no two ways around it ever since.
Only one year was postponed due to snow- About 5 years ago. So that's a fairly good non~percentage of cancellations.

You ask who came?  Take a peek below...
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Master Gabriel attached himself to the birthday girl, then charmed his way into everyone's hearts.
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Nephew Brandon, niece Brit, and sister Janet, wth Casey
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Good friends Chris Jaworski and Cheryl
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Friend Sarah, and son Andy
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Brandon with Tim, (Janet's husband)
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Ashley and Brandon,
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Jake Harkins, and his wife Jen too!
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Jesse Jasch and his kind and Sweet Shelley!
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Our special day would not have been complete without Kelli and Michelle
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Happy Hugo. Who had to leave wife Marsha at home due to illness.
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Greg, Master Gabriel, and our Birthday Girl
Gabriel was SO patient as he waited for his food! Such a wonderful young man- Mama Kristin has surely worked her magic, the love he has, the family is grand!
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Grampa Randy and Gabriel ~laughing at me taking pictures
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With our entrees came a choice of soup or salad. Cheryl chose soup.
She got about 4 bites of soup in this bowl too.

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Funny- And a bit shortchanged there. The picture does not do it justice.
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Our waitresses were more than capable; and awesome too!
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Ta~Da!

It was a grand birthday party!


We are in Minnesota-
We chose to leave a day early and drive through a bit of snow; than drive through worse weather today.


Raunchy I-94
Lord knows this was bad enough- The roads 'turned' about 50 miles into the trip.
(And knuckles really DO turn white).  As soon as I would think to pull over for the day, the roads would clear; so on we went.
But the 280 miles or so passed, little by little. At times we were able to go 70mph, and at others we were lucky to do 40 or so. I could just feel the tension between my shoulders.

Being that the end always justifies the means, I am happy that we are here, safe and sound.
It is cold.  A few degrees (8) on the plus side of zero, with the wind chills being about 10 below zero.
Nasty.  (Canada's fault I'm sure). hehehe

Time to close for now and adjust my position a bit.

Hope you are all well, and warm.
Love to all

XOXO
Me


100. ~And a Half...

Rating:★★★★★
Category:Other
I have seen this many times, but it always bears repeating.
Thank you Sweet Kristin for sending this on...

XOXO
Me

PS
This is attributed to George Carlin- Not sure if that is true or not so will omit that attribution for now.


             
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to
get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so
excited about aging that you think in fractions.

            
 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!'
You're never
thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

            
You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back.
You
  jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.          
'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' (You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16)!

And then the greatest day of your life .... .
You become 21.
Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YES!

             
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there?
Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out.
There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling.  hehehe

What's wrong?

What's changed?
             
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30...
Then you're PUSHING 40.
Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away.


Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!!
You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!


So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day~by~day thing;  you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle...
You HIT lunch.
You TURN 4:30.
You REACH bedtime.

And it doesn't end there
Into the 90s, you start going backwards;  'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens.
If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again.
'I'm 100 and a half!'


May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!


             
HOW TO STAY YOUNG

             
1. Throw out ALL nonessential numbers.
This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them.
That is why you pay 'them'

             
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches will pull you down.

            
3. Keep learning.
Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.
Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

             
4. Enjoy the simple things.

             
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

             
6. The tears happen.
 Endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.
Be ALIVE while you are alive.

            
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.
Your home is your refuge.


8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don't take guilt trips.
Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; or to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.


10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every given opportunity.

             
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.


Whoops!



Good Morning All;
I hope your weekend was "wunnaful" !
Great football games yesterday too.  With Minnesota's loss, I do not know who to root for come Super Bowl Sunday? (I just SO wanted to root against the Vikings in the Super Bowl). hehehe
How much ya wanna bet that poor Brett will retire... again? 

Life goes on...

Freezing drizzle today, more snow, and the like...
Tomorrow to be colder. And that darn Canada is already gearing up for us to be in Minnesota. It will be below zero by the time we get there.
Of course it will. Why am I not surprised? hehehe

These are not the birthday party pictures you are waiting for.
But they do tell their own story.



   Casey....*´`*♥....Greg 
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And what, you ask, would cause such looks?
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001    
  REEEEE-LEEE STINKY
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Just some nincompoop that turned the wrong burner on.

  • Very special thanks to Greg for getting my security system all hooked up and running all over again!
    • Ya gotta love a geek like this!
      • YAY!

Love to all
!

XOXO
Me


Dammitallanyway...



This is not a great case scenario...

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Weather, Uh~Oh
Stolen from here  http://weather.yahoo.com/united-states/


Good Morning!
Yes, we are to leave on Tuesday.
But am going to try to alter those plans a bit, as I would like to be driving inbetween these two frontal systems.

There are blizzard warnings in the Dakotas- Yet for us, (and for now), it is raining.

Time to go upload my pics from yesterday, and to keep rolling with my wash...
Will post the "birthday blog" when I can.

Love to all.

XOXO
Me


Another Earthquake Hits Haiti...

6.0 magnitude-
I think they are calling it a 'new' earthquake, and not an aftershock, because it was so strong.
This is so sad.

Praying for SoCal too. Sweet Pea, are you ok?
Knowing that the last time they had all this rain, it was ultimately responsible for our Blizzard Allison.

I do have another earthquake related question too. 
How come some earthquakes are responsible for causing tsunami's and others are not?

XOXO
Me


Impeckable

Rating:★★★
Category:Other
Thank You Barbie Doll!

*****
A Mexican woodpecker and a Canadian woodpecker were in Mexico arguing about which country had the toughest trees.
The Mexican woodpecker claimed Mexico had a tree that no woodpecker could peck.

The Canadian woodpecker accepted his challenge and promptly pecked a hole in the tree with no problem. The Mexican woodpecker was amazed.

The Canadian woodpecker then challenged the Mexican woodpecker to peck a tree in Canada that was absolutely 'impeckable' (a term frequently used by woodpeckers ).
The Mexican woodpecker expressed confidence that he could do it and accepted the challenge.

The two of them flew to Canada where the Mexican woodpecker successfully pecked the so-called 'impeckable' tree almost without breaking a sweat.

Both woodpeckers were now terribly confused.

How is it that the Canadian woodpecker was able to peck the Mexican tree, and the Mexican woodpecker was able to peck the Canadian tree, yet neither was able to peck the tree in their own country?

After much woodpecker pondering, they both came to the same conclusion:
Apparently,Tiger Woods was right, when he said, your pecker gets harder when you're away from home.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Have a great evening- My TV is holding Jeopardy on pause right now. Time for my daily dose of Alex.

XOXO
Me

CSI has Nothing on these Guys!

Link
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan10/rescued_011210.html

TWO SISTERS RESCUED
Through a Unique Set of Clues
 
01/12/10  

Child porn

The pornographic images spotted online by Canadian authorities in 2007 were new—and they were disturbing. They showed a young girl, perhaps only 6 years old, being sexually abused by an adult male.

But the images also contained clues to the girl’s identity—a beer can and a distinctive pair of eyeglasses. Ultimately, those clues helped a dedicated team of investigators rescue the girl, along with her 4-year-old sister, and send their abusers to prison for a very long time.

Here’s what happened:

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  • The Royal Canadian Mounted Police first noticed the pictures online and compiled them for other law enforcement agencies. Members of the Toronto Police Services analyzing the images discovered a blurry beer can in the background of one picture and, after identifying the brand, learned that it was only manufactured in a handful of states in the northeastern United States. This information was shared with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
  • Independent of their Canadian colleagues, officers of the Belfast Police Department in Maine and later the Maine State Police were also studying the images and discovered that the victim had distinctive eyeglasses. This detail was also relayed to NCMEC, and a cooperative effort began among the various law enforcement agencies involved.
  • As the investigation continued, the eyeglasses were identified by manufacturer and model number, and the beer manufacturer said that the can in question was only distributed in six states, including New York and Maryland.
  • On August 1, 2008, a special agent from our New York office with our Innocent Images National Initiative program opened a case and began canvassing ophthalmologists in the six-state area to see who sold that brand of eyeglasses. Three weeks later, that painstaking investigative work paid off when a Maryland doctor recognized a picture of the victim.

At this point, events in the case accelerated.

  • On Monday, August 25, 2008, the Maryland doctor called FBI Agent Michael Sabric in New York to say that not only was the victim his patient, but she had come into his office that very morning—the first day of school—to replace a pair of broken glasses.
  • Sabric immediately contacted our Baltimore office cyber squad, which handles child pornography cases as part of our Innocent Images program.
  • A surveillance team was mobilized within hours, and when the girl got home from first grade that afternoon, investigators positively identified her as the online victim.
  • Around 9 o’clock that night, Special Agent Rachel Corn—a member of the Baltimore cyber squad—had secured a search warrant for the victim’s home. By 10 p.m., a forensic child interviewer, victim assistance representatives, and members of the cyber squad and evidence response team were knocking on the front door of the house.
  • Soon, the girl identified her two abusers. Forensic evidence later revealed her younger sister had also been abused.

In October, one of the men involved was sentenced to 45 years in prison for sexually exploiting a minor and producing child pornography. His accomplice had already received a 36-year sentence.

“This is the outcome you always hope for,” Agent Corn said. “Rescue the victims and put the abusers away.”

Agent Sabric added that this case “is a great example of local, state, and federal authorities working together toward a common goal. Every piece of information along the way was critical to solving the case.”

Resources:
- Innocent Images National Initiative

Headline Archives home


History. My Home.


John Yusvak, my grandfather

Good Morning!

This blog is in answer to RT's comment in my last blog about what the heck was on my staircase in that picture... I have decided to reply here as my grandchildren may one day be interested in it all.

RT asks, "Were your parents the ones who originally built the house? I don't know where I got the impression that it was older than that."

You are right. Many parts of my house ARE older than what you might think.
Read on.

My grandfather bought the land in the early 1920's.
The land east of the house- where my garden is, and beyond, was an old dump. (Cool)!
Mom found many artifacts, and even arrowheads, in that garden.
There are still Indian kilns in the woods down by the river. (Native American Indian).

Anyhow, there was no home on the property when Grandma and Grandpa bought it.
Grandpa, working for the railroad, moved the 'house' that had been abandoned, from on the hill (just west off what is Pittco Road now), to here.
The well pump is still up there, and last I knew, still worked. Oddly enough I do not know where the original well was here. I believe it was just north of the home, but am unsure.

That 'house' that my fathers father 'moved' is what my kitchen area is now. This part of my house is over 200 years old; and, as you can guess is very, very, solid.

Throughout the years, my grandfather built their own kitchen for Grandma- This is now the east end of my living room, as mom and dad remodeled just after they got married in 1949.

When Dad remodeled in 49-50, he added the back room.
This room is off to the left at the bottom of the staircase in the pictures.
~ When I was growing up, we always called this room "Grandma's Room". This is where Grandma stayed and prayed.
Incidentally, this also became my mothers room in her last few years as climbing the steps was out of the question for her to do.
Once again it became "Grandma's Room"
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Stairwell


Grandpa also had built the upstairs, but it remained unused, never finished until mom and dad got married.
My Dad slept up there before he married, and used a ladder to climb up there every night.

This ladder was located about halfway up the living room wall.
When Mom and Dad remodeled in 1949-50, he added the staircase, thus removing that ladder.

In 1956 came the bathroom, which in the pictures is the doorway at the bottom of the stairwell. He also dug out the basement (by hand), and added the back entrance that same year.
The door that comes into the kitchen (from the back entrance), is original to the 1920's, perhaps before. The glass is handblown.
This was their 'outside' door for many years.

My grandfather, John Yusvak, died in 1934, having a heart attack at his work.
My grandmother, Katherine (Radetsky)-Yusvak died here when I was 4/5, in 1962/1963.
I believe that both of them were laid out in the living room for their wakes, about where I am seated now. This was the custom of the day.
My mother passed away here also.

The history of the 'house' that Grandpa relocated to this plot is basically unknown. I know for sure there was a schoolteacher that lived in it.
The old schoolhouse was about 1/4 of a mile away from here, right in Flintville; and was used until the mid~1950's (to the best of my knowledge).

I also think the schoolmarms name was "Cook" but am unsure. She would have been teaching during the turn of the last century (1900's).

What happened "in" the kitchen when it was first built, (and "when" it was first built), is unknown to me.

I still have all of Mama's journals stored in the attic.
I have not touched them. Ever.
Perhaps one day I will. I have not yet felt comfortable enough to do so.


And so Sweet RT, you have asked... I hope this has clarified a bit of it for you.

More questions anyone? Ask away. I promise to try to answer them all.

XOXO
Me



You Figure it Out?


Sputty says "hi"!
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Good Evening-

I was going to wait to post this second blog of the day...
But I am happy to report that I can eat and think at the same time.

Both fuses were replaced in the water pit yesterday, and I had no water still. Nothing would turn on anywhere out there. Suffice to say I was more than frustrated at that point.

After supper, I went outside with Punk. As I walked, I ended up out by the pumphouse, and went back inside the little building.
As I opened the door to the darkness, the system kicked in and everything started running once more.

This is not the only weird thing that has happened of late, and mighty often for the past few weeks. (OK, more often than normal for here).

Add to all that, these pictures.
And then let me know what you think.

Casey looked at them this afternoon, and had two words. "Oh, my!"



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3.

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4.

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1. What my upstairs looks like
2. Two orbs
3. One orb
4. What the hey?!?

I do love my little camera. Know that I had taken a dozen or so pictures in the meantime, (all with the infrared setting on), but the rest were all "normal"

Like I said, you figure it out...

G'Night All.

XOXO
Me




H~2~Uh-Oh


hehehe



Good Evening All;
It sure was a "day" yesterday... (And OMG, I hate days like that).
With Casey's surgeries next week already, I do not seem to be dealing with anything decently anymore.
The water s(h)ituation seemed to be that proverbial straw for me.

I am happy to report I do have water today. The washer has been running almost all day, and the dishes are almost all done. (Too lazy last night).

Not that I didn't have water yesterday-
As soon as I had called, Kelli was over in a flash with 7 gallons for me to use; (which made me very happy- And a bit calmer too).

She also brought CocoBean and Mr. Miller. (Which made Punk very happy, although NOT any calmer). hehehe


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CocoBean ran around like a fool- Punk just kept gnawing snow and crying about it all the while.
(Guess ice cream headaches aren't that bad to a dog).
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Mr. Miller was unhappy, given the fact that no matter where he stepped, he broke through that crusty top layer of snow...
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He came up by me then.  Too funny!

While Beaners and Punk vied for Kelli's attention...
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Then they have to wrestle!
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Shortly thereafter, that 'wunnaful' Minnesota/Dallas game came on.  I was rooting for Minnesota ya know; and will continue to do so until they are finished for the season...

Then it was high time for a bit of running water.

Randy crawled down in the pit...
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... And YIKES!  I haven't seen him since.


Punk had had a very rough day eating all that snow, and playing in the sunshine.
She slept like a baby all night long!
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Know that she is a great foot warmer when I fall asleep too!

Just took my pizza out of the oven- I left the onions big so I can pull them off for Punk. She likes pizza too! hehehe

Be back later! (I have a ghostie blog to share).
Love to all

XOXO
Me


And So...


hehehe
(It really IS a bubbler ya know)!

Good Morning All;
I hope all is well in your little corner of the world?
All was well in mine until I took my shower. Almost zero water pressure. Not sure what is going on with that. It isn't frozen because we have been having temps over 32 for the past 5 days. So why would it freeze up now, as compared to 2 weeks ago when the temps hovered around zero?
Randy said he will go out and check it out for me at some point...

Am thinking that perhaps the fuse is shot down in the pit. (No, I am hoping that is all it is)...

Not too much news- Casey and Greg will be getting back this afternoon from Milwaukee- They will stop at my birthmothers place before they leave there.

She, (Donna), has been sick for quite a while. She has skin cancer, and a few other ailments too. But hangs in there quite well! Wish I could go visit too. But my car seems only to travel to Minnesota for the past few years... What the heck?

I'd better close for now; and go rattle some pans in the kitchen. The boy will be wanting some hot food if he has to play in the water in January.

Have a "wunnaful" Sunday!

XOXO
me

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund  | And a Word From The FBI (in comments)


http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org/
Support the Earthquake Recovery Efforts in Haiti

On January 12, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti just outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The devastation – in lives lost, property destroyed, and families displaced – is immense.

At the request of President Obama, we are partnering to help the Haitian people reclaim their country and rebuild their lives.

Our immediate priority is to save lives. The critical needs in Haiti are great, but they are also simple: food, water, shelter, and first-aid supplies. The best way concerned citizens can help is to donate funds that will go directly to supplying these material needs.

Through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, we will work to provide immediate relief and long-term support to earthquake survivors. We will channel the collective goodwill around the globe to help the people of Haiti rebuild their cities, their neighborhoods, and their families.

We ask each of you to give what you can to help ensure the people of Haiti can build back stronger and better than ever.

Both of us have personally witnessed the tremendous generosity and goodwill of the American people and of our friends around the world to help in times of great need. There is no greater rallying cry for our common humanity than witnessing our neighbors in distress. And, like any good neighbor, we have an obligation and desire to come to their aid.

Thank you for taking the time to visit, and we hope you will donate to this worthwhile cause. The people of Haiti now need our assistance more than ever.

President William J. Clinton
President George W. Bush


Photo from site.
"President Barack Obama announces the joint fundraising effort for Haiti earthquake relief led by President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush – the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund".

*****

I imagine that if you are the giving type, then you have already done so.
I heard about this on the news this morning.
I believe it is very much worth posting, especially with respect to the political unrest that is permeating our own society here in America.

XOXO
Anne

Tylenol, Motrin, Rolaids (and others) Recall

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Safety/Recalls/UCM197813.pdf
And and and...
Simply Sleep
St Joseph Aspirin
Childrens Tylenol
Childrens Motrin

And the list grows exponentially each day...
Click the link at the top for lot numbers etc...

*****

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain Over-The-Counter (OTC) Products in the Americas, UAE, and Fiji



Consumer Contact:
1-888-222-6036
Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, and Sat-Sun 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Media Contact:
Marc Boston
215-273-7649 (office)
215-429-7034 (mobile)
Bonnie Jacobs
215-273-8994 (office)
856-912-9965 (mobile)
Teresa Panas
908-904-3198 (office)
973-216-8118 (mobile)



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 15, 2010 - Fort Washington, PA – In consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., is voluntarily recalling certain lots of OTC products in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Fiji (FULL RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW). The company is initiating this recall following an investigation of consumer reports of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that, in a small number of cases, was associated with temporary and non-serious gastrointestinal events. These include nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. This precautionary action is voluntary and has been taken in consultation with the FDA.

Based on this investigation, McNeil Consumer Healthcare has determined that the reported uncharacteristic smell is caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). This can result from the breakdown of a chemical that is sometimes applied to wood that is used to build wood pallets that transport and store product packaging materials. The health effects of this chemical have not been well studied but no serious events have been documented in the medical literature. A small number of the product lots being recalled were associated with the complaints of an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor, and some of these lots were found to contain trace amounts of TBA. In December 2009, McNeil Consumer Healthcare also recalled all lots of TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain 100 count with EZ-OPEN CAP related to this issue. McNeil Consumer Healthcare has now applied broader criteria to identify and remove all product lots that it believes may have the potential to be affected, even if they have not been the subject of consumer complaints.

In addition to the product recall, McNeil Consumer Healthcare is continuing their investigation into this issue and is taking further actions that include ceasing shipment of products produced using materials shipped on these wood pallets and requiring suppliers who ship materials to our plants to discontinue the use of these pallets. We will continue to closely monitor and evaluate the situation and consult with the FDA.

Consumers who purchased product from the lots included in this recall should stop using the product and contact McNeil Consumer Healthcare for instructions on a refund or replacement. For these instructions or information regarding how to return or dispose of the product, consumers should log on to the internet at www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time). Consumers who have medical concerns or questions should contact their healthcare provider. Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

The affected product lot numbers for the recalled products can be found on the side of the bottle label.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known and trusted over-the-counter (OTC) products.


*****

Methinks that last statement is pretty darn false right about now...

*****
The FDA said McNeil knew of the problem in early 2008 but made only a limited investigation.

"McNeil should have acted faster," said Deborah Autor, the director of the FDA's Office of Compliance of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "When something smells bad, literally or figuratively, companies must aggressively investigate and take all necessary action to solve the problem."

The FDA sent McNeil a warning letter for violating manufacturing standards and failing to report and investigate the problem in a timely way, Autor said.

Johnson & Johnson has 15 days to respond. The FDA says it wants an explanation as to why the problem was not made public sooner.

The company said it is working with the FDA.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9578485
*****

Methinks that last statement is pretty darn false right about now...

Sheesh, do I have to keep repeating myself?

XOXO
Anne