Even more signs

As I've watched the news about our economic crisis over the last year, one piece of information that I was anxiously awaiting - as a measure of my personal "economic" position - was Clark County's tax assesment value assigned to my home for 2009.  Vegas has been in the national spotlight for the top spot in the nation for foreclosures, as well as noted as one of the nation's communities with the most significant property value losses in 2008 - upwards of 30%.

I was prepared for this eventuality when, as I've recently posted, my HELOC was "restricted" due to the fall in my home's value. I was fully prepared to see the assessed value of my house  reduced over 2008, and logically assumed my taxes would be reduced proportionately.  

Ah - no - doesn't look like THAT'S gonna happen.   How silly of me.

The assessed value of my home (a 10 year old condo) fell a whopping 67%.  To be clear, the building value went up a few dollars ($29), but the land value was reduced by almost 70%.   

Here's the hard numbers:  I paid $220,000 for my house in 2005.  For 2008 the assessed value was $212,500.  For 2009, that value is now $126,600.   The TAX value is figured at 35% of assessed value, so my taxes for 2008 were figured on $74,400 and for 2009 will be figured on $44,300.  See?  Makes sense, then that the taxes I will pay in 2009 should be less.  

The problem arises when you factor in a tax cap which increased 2007 taxes by only 3%.  I don't have the actual tax numbers yet that I will pay for 2009, but here is their (the county's) example provided to prepare me for perhaps paying MORE in taxes despite a 67% drop in value.

A home valued in 2007 at $200,000 had an assessed value of $70,000 (that 35% thing) and taxes of $2,240 that with the 3% tax cap were actually $1,224.  For 2008, that same home was devalued to $150,000 with a 35% assessed value of $52,500 and taxes of $1,680 with a 3% tax cap were actually $1,261 - an INCREASE of $37 despite a 25% drop in value.  

Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture?  Stay tuned.

Snow Ice Cream

I grew up with snow.  It's no big deal to see snow.  But on Monday there was a storm that dumped a few inches of snow on the west side of the Vegas Valley.  And today everybody in the area is getting snow, and not just a few flurries.   It's a hoot to see the palm trees covered with snow.

It's a big deal here.  Hearing people talk about it, and of course the expected newsclips of children making snow angels, building snowmen, sledding (cardboard is just fine as a sled but cafeteria trays are better!) and having snowball battles.  And I'm reminded that while snow is not a big deal to me, it is a rare treat for the longtime residents of the Valley.  

I remember snow ice cream the best.  I passed that tradition down to my kids.  But you need alot of snow.  And part of the fun - to stretch out the excitement of the day - was to put a huge bowl outside and watch patiently for it fill up with snow.  From there, it's a blank pallet for making snow ice cream.  The basics were usually sugar, vanilla and milk (canned, condensed, cow's, half & half).  But we tried chocolate or maple syrup, soda, dry jello, maraschino cherry juice, chocolate chips - you get the idea.  And it's a treat to be made and eaten immediately but not too fast or brain freeze occurs!  Google it and you won't be disappointed in the variety of recipes, or watch this How To video.

It's not the best ice cream you'll ever eat, but I guarantee it will be the most memorable.

Lessons Learned

Funny how parental philosophies are passed down.  It turns out, in discussion with one of my younger brothers, that our father (a career car mechanic) passed down his philosophy on vehicular preparedness equally well to his six daughters and sons. If you had spare keys, jumper cables and an ice scraper always in the car, you were prepared.  

I've retained this lesson so well that 40 years after my Dad taught me to drive, I still have an ice scraper in my car, and I live in Las Vegas for pete's sake.  How funny is that?  Somehow I think it would be bad chi, or joo-joo, or luck to not have that ice scraper in the trunk.   

As for the jumper cables - they went in the storage room one day after suffering merciless harrassment from friends who thought the picture of me jumping my car battery too hilarious for words.  I could do it - but, besides the chance of it being needed about nil with a leased fairly-new vehicle - it's easier to call the free roadside service than worry about getting dirty.  And when the teen-age child of one of those friends was totally puzzled as to what the things were and what you used them for - well - that was just too insulting.  Hell, I know people that don't have a clue as to how to even open the hood of their car.

The spare keys are a little harder in today's world of keyless entry, but the two extra's that came with the car are in good places.

Thanks, Dad.   

Today?  You better have the cell phone charger, the credit card, and a roadside assistance contract.

So many signs

A couple of years ago I went through the exercise of applying for a Home Equity Line of Credit -HELOC for short.  Lots of paperwork, but a comfortable line of credit was extended.  I did this as a safety net of sorts, you know, "just in case" I should need some cash in a hurry.  HELOC's are based on the value of your home and the equity you have in it.  

Las Vegas has seen a drop of at least 30% in home values in the last year.  Yes, 30%.

Today I got a letter from the bank that my HELOC was "restricted"  since the value of my home has dropped so much and the equity is now not enough to qualify.  It doesn't matter what my credit score is, or how much money I'm making or how much I have in the bank, or even that I haven't used that line of credit even once and owe nothing on it - simply the drop in value of the home.  "Restricted" means I no longer have access to that account.   

So much for that safety net.  Amazing to me that so many bad sub-prime loans were made that the world economy has been brought to it's knees, but NOW they are paying attention to this kind of loan.    It seems as though not only is credit not being extended to people, but now they are actively taking back any credit that had been extended.   Yep, it's going to get much worse.  My car is leased through GMAC.  Hmmm......can they call that in?  What really bothers me is we are at the mercy of people making huge salaries, bonuses and now "retention fees" while my credit worthiness, lifestyle and peace of mind are trampled.

Can you say Dubai?

I'm like most people.  Really. Like, when something intrigues me, I pursue it on all fronts.  Dubai intrigues me.  You see specials on cable shows on the phenomenal developments being built there all the time.  They've got indoor snow skiing in the desert!  The tallest building in the world!  Five-star hotels up the ying yang.   The list goes on.  

Do a simple Google search and you'll be occupied for hours. Dubai is expanding off the charts along with it's fellow "emirates" in the United Arab Emirates.  It's not even the capital of UAE but is giving Abu Dhabi (the capital) a run for it's money in size and growth.  And I'll admit right now -- yes, I had to Google map it because I'm lousy at Middle East geography.  (Sad to say, when I last took a geography class (high school) alot of current Middle Eastern countries didn't even exist!)

In our getting-smaller-all-the-time world, a conversation I had last week with a friend was still a bit surreal.  I was sitting outside on my porch, enjoying 75º Vegas sunshine, when my cell chirped with an incoming call.  It was my friend Nick, calling from Dubai where he works for an American construction company.  Our time difference is exactly 12 hours, so while I'd just finished breakfast, he was headed home from after-work drinks with friends.  We chatted for some time about his work, and the sights he was seeing as he drove home.  He's from metro New York, and he describes Dubai as even more cosmopolitan than the Big Apple.   

The culture difference is sometimes small, sometimes big, but, he says, not hard to live with at all.  His biggest adjustment has been to a Friday/Saturday weekend, as Islam is the main religion and Friday is their holy day like our Sunday.   It can get confusing as some Middle Eastern countries recognize Thursday/Friday as the weekend.   Makes it interesting when you're doing business with companies around the world.  And, in a meeting with 30 other people, it's very possible they are all from different countries.  Thank goodness English is as common as Arabic.

I encourage you to expand your horizons.  I even found a link on the official Dubai government website where you can learn Arabic for free.  

A Hard Lesson Learned

I wasn't long out of bed this morning - Sunday - when the phone rang about 9 am.  It was an automated message from WaMu's Credit Fraud system, verifying if I'd made a particular transaction on my debit card this morning.   The answer was no, so I was hooked up to a live person.  After quite a bit of information was exchanged, she verified that a company in Malta had attempted to use my debit card number for a $105 charge.  WaMu shut down my card before that charge could go thru.  

So, I'm relieved that the fraud was stopped, but then learned that a new debit card will take 7-10 business days - the "business" word is the critical part here - to get to me, in other words, up to two weeks.   Going to a bank, during bank hours, and working with a teller to get cash & make deposits will be a harkening back to the old pre-ATM days.  Still, a small price of inconvenience to pay to stop the potential for fraud.  Fortunately, since I needed cash today when the banks are closed, my business account with a debit card came in very handy.

Now, the question begs to be asked - how the hell did this company get my debit card number?  WaMu said they couldn't discuss it with me for security reasons, but advised I not use my debit card for any online transactions.  Great - twice last week - for the first time in a long time - I broke down and used my debit card instead of my credit card for two different $20 online purchases - from known American companies.   Of course, I don't know if that's how they got it, but, as my sage daughter has advised me, never use your debit card online.

Hard lesson learned.  Even a little value purchase put me at risk.  And here I thought it always happened to somebody else.   

Cranberry sauce in the shape of a can

Not a Thanksgiving goes by but memories of "cranberry sauce in the shape of a can" come to mind.  And not just to my mind, but my kid's minds as well. For as long as I can remember, both Thanksgiving and Christmas meals included this delicacy.  It just wasn't acceptable not to have it.  Lively discussions ensued as to the proper way to serve it - standing up or lying down in the dish.  That would make a fun poll, huh?    And, yes, all agreed that the ridges and grooves are what makes it so cool. 

I even remember that stellar day when my mother entrusted to me the preparation of it for the table presentation.  (Our rule was dealer's choice on orientation of the presentation.)  Of course I'd watched her do it many times, but I was a nervous wreck that very first time.  How could I live with myself if I messed up the perfection of the can-shape and thereby destroy the entire ambiance of the meal?  I was the equivalent of a brain surgeon during the procedure with my mother standing over me, and literally didn't breathe to the point where I got light-headed.   All turned out well, thank god.

I dutifully passed along the tradition to my children, hopefully without the nerve-wracking sense of ultimate maternal disapproval and end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it feelings,  if they nicked an edge off the sauce as it slide out of the can.  But, as Thanksgiving together with all the trimmings has become a thing of the past, what with 2,500 miles separating some of us, and the realities of work responsibilities, we can still talk and remember the cranberry sauce.

Today I make my own whole cranberry sauce, year-round, because it's better than the jellied version and chock full of antioxidants.  Three ingredients to start - whole cranberries, liquid, sweetener.   I usually use a bag of frozen ones (so cheap - fresh on sale for $1 a bag around the holidays, freeze in the bag for up to a year) with one cup of orange juice and one cup of Splenda.  Just simmer for about 10 minutes while the berries burst open.  Cool then refrigerate.   I've used pomegrante, apple, and even lime juice, honey, cane sugar, persimmons, alcohol, herbs, orange sections, pecans, and a whole host of other things.  It's hard to mess up.

Memories are good, even if silly, like cranberry sauce in the shape of a can.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

You'll agree that we've been assaulted, literally saturated, with the word "change."  I've been mulling over things, just as everyone else, as to what will be changing in our very near future as a country.  A friend told me the other day that she just despises (her word) change and is very anxious of what is to come. 

This is the same person who reminded me it was time to pull out the down comforter and flannel sheets and coats, and put away the lightweight cottons and tank tops.

Isn't that change?  She so matter-of-factly accepts seasonal changes, in fact, to my chagrin, she embraces the changing of the seasons to the point she laments my move to the Mojave desert where it is - allegedly - always the same.  She loves the newness of spring, and colors of fall (which we still have here, it just happens very quickly).  But she despises change.  When I make this point to her, she says that seasonal changes are different.

I disagree.  She doesn't give herself enough credit for accepting changes.  She's just worried the changes will be for the worse.  They could be for the better.  She's comfortable with the seasonal changes as she thinks she knows what to expect, but even those can surprise you with better or worse temperatures or catastrophic weather events like blizzards, etc.

So, as the desert slowly approaches it's own version of winter (we've been blessedly above normal in temps for a month now but snow and cold is in our forecast for Thanksgiving), I've exchanged the linens, and moved the sweaters to the top drawers (but don't miss putting in the storm windows, or closing up the porch).  And I await the inevitable coming changes, as always, but with a positive eye.

Experiencing warped time

Today I roasted a whole turkey.  Yeah, exactly one week before the officially recognized day for turkey and thanksgiving.  I really didn't have a choice.  My daughter earned a free, frozen 10 lb. bird for ordering home-delivery groceries earlier this week.  She didn't have room in her freezer for it, and I didn't have room in mine, so I I let it thaw for a few days and cooked it up today.

It was fairly weird, standing in the kitchen without a bunch of other people around, or a bunch of pots and bowls around, and just a lonely but beautifully browned turkey on the counter.  It smelled kinda like Thanksgiving, but not exactly.  Even weirder was carving it, picking the bones, setting aside the wishbone and not fighting with anyone over the crispy, only-way-to-get-it skin.  Yum.  I didn't eat any turkey; it's all in the freezer, neatly packaged, labeled, dated for future meals.

Tomorrow will be strange, too, as I simmer the carcass with onions, celery and carrots to produce that one of a kind broth that you can only get by simmering an authentically roasted turkey carcass.  From the broth, I'll make the expected turkey noodle soup (I was wise enough to withhold from the freezer the picked white and dark meat earmarked for this) to be ladled into containers and frozen as well.

If you'd've told me it would feel like a major interruption of the time-space warp continuum to cook a turkey a week early, I'd tell you to see a shrink.  But, you know what?  It was weird.

Priceless

Plane ticket to Baltimore: $30 + $15 for one checked bag

            (thank goodness for frequent flier miles)

Rental car for a week:  $175 + $80 in gas 

   (for 1,300 miles driven thru 7 states)

Tony Bennett show at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ:  $75 

 

An evening with friends over margaritas and quesadillas at Pancho Villa's in Tannersville, NY: 

Priceless

Keeping it real

This whole "eat healthy, lose weight" thing is a challenge because every single day there is yet another study touting yet another philosophy of what's good or bad.  

Here's an article released just today in the prestigious  Wall Street Journal that finally has some credible weight (pun intended) to the results since the study group included over 360,000 men and women for ten years.   This one maintains they've shown that it's not just your total weight but where you carry that weight that can increase your risk of dying sooner than later.

So, now it's not just losing weight, but losing weight around my middle as a goal.  My problem is not motivation but rather trying to balance all the information without having to use a scientific calculator and notebook to track what I eat.   I need simple info to guide my daily choices and I found two ways.  

One is from the book "The Abs Diet Eat Right Every Time Guide" by David Zinczenko.   David promotes the Abs Diet Power 12.   He offers 12 food "groups" to help guide choices.  Each group comes from a letter in the name:

  

Almonds

Beans and legumes

Spinach and other green veggies

Dairy

Instant oatmeal

Eggs

Turkey and other lean meats

Peanut butter

Olive oil

Whole-grain breads and cereals

Extra-protein (whey) powder

Raspberries and other berries.  

Not only can I remember this one, but since I love to cook, I make a game of how many of these sometimes-called super foods I can include in one recipe.  I'll share my recipe for pancakes using 7  of them in a future post.

Another even simpler list contains only five items, taken from  several articles I've seen to help burn off belly fat.  Yogurt (and other calcium-rich foods); Veggies (fiber!); Nuts; Avocados; and Whole Grains.  

Throughout it all, water is the one element you always have on hand, and even a minimum amount of 48 oz. a day (six 8 oz glasses) will do wonders for weight loss.   Of course, studies abound that say more or less is needed, but I can easily down two 24 oz. bottles of water to get my 48, so it works for me.

I don't stress over all this too much.  I have this image in my mind of a tombstone saying "She was in great healthy shape when that bus hit her."   So, there's room in my diet for a few other necessary but fun food groups, like chocolate and adult beverages.  

Freeing the Airwaves

Another momentous decision was made on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 besides the overwhelming election of Barack Obama as our 44th President.  The Federal Communications Commission met and in a unanimous 5-0 decision, freed our airwaves.

I am not ashamed to admit I fall somewhere in the middle between "techie" and "non-techie."  Perhaps I'm even a touch above the average consumer in computer literacy, however it is that might be measured.  But, I am a total fan of all things Google, and when they asked for support to "Free the Airwaves" a few months ago, I gave it a hard look, then added my name to the petition.

In a nutshell, "Free the Airwaves" was a campaign Google, in cooperation with others, devised to solicit support of a favorable ruling from the FCC to open up the spectrum of unused airwaves known as "white spaces" for wireless broadband service for public use.  Up until now, broadcast TV channels used up some of the airwaves, but the airwaves spaces in-between channels - "white spaces" - were blocked for anybody else to use.  Here's an article from Google about it with the full history and explanation.   This story has been six years in the making, and for obvious reasons, the broadcasting industry was strongly against it.

Much more work has to be done now that the decision is final.  I'll be watching, and looking forward to the synergy created to further improve my fair-to-middlin' techie life.  I may not understand all of this airwaves business, but I get the gist of it - very similar to how I'm not completely sure how the refrigerator keeps food cold; I just know it does, so I use it.   

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I have to agree with most of the comments I've heard about the results of the 2008 Presidential election.  It seems that whether your candidate of choice won or not, it will definitely be, for most Americans, an extraordinary day and event, that you will mark in your memory as one to remember in relation to where you were, who you were with, how it went down and how you felt about it.  

I was lucky enough to be traveling, taking refuge with longtime friends and one of my sons, in my hometown of 30 years in Virginia, enjoying adult beverages and catching up on news, with one eye on CNN and C-Span on the bar TVs.   Hours of  watching, listening, sometimes discussing, were finally rewarded just after 11 pm ET.   A cheer went up from Obama supporters, almost immediately followed by a collective sigh.  It seems we all were as much relieved that it was all over as we were to see our candidate win.   While most of our conversation over the hours of watching was social, it was hard to keep the chatting light-hearted while hearing the reports of financial, housing, healthcare, and job problems and how they related to voting results across the country.

Some of my compatriots were ecstatic that our first black President was elected; some gloated a bit, saying they always pick the winner; and others were saying we are headed toward certain doom in a socialistic government with this new President-elect.  I was relieved, partly, yes, because the campaigning process was over, but mostly because I feel the leader with the most potential to earn consensus, and has the calm resolve that working together we can create a fair and equitable society, was elected.   

The history of our country continues with a clean, fresh, spanking-new page,  and the title of this chapter is "The First Term of our 44th President."  I will easily remember the who, what, where, when, and how.  Now, we'll see what happens.

Geeks bearing formulas, WMD's, and taxing the wealthy

Warren Buffet, bless his "world's richest person" heart.  If these three quotes don't get you to read this article, nothing will.

"As far back as 2003, Mr. Buffett had warned that the complex securities at the center of today’s troubles — once so profitable, but now toxic — were “financial weapons of mass destruction.”

"These securities were engineered by the math quants on Wall Street, and in the interview Mr. Buffett expressed his disdain: “Beware of geeks bearing formulas.”"

"To help pay for the rescue, the government should raise taxes on the wealthy, Mr. Buffett suggested. “I’m paying the lowest tax rate that I’ve ever paid in my life,” he said. “Now, that’s crazy.”"

Let me know what you think.

Author Unknown

I've tried, honestly, but I can't find the author to credit with the following, which is nicely framed and beautifully illustrated in hand calligraphy, perched in a place of honor on my mantle, a gift a few years ago from a still best friend:

"I want to be an outrageous old woman who never gets called old lady.  I want to get leaner and meaner, sharp-edged and earth-colored, till I fade away from pure joy." - Author Unknown

Yep.   That about says it.  

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Thanks to my good friend, Jody Miller, formerly of the swinging town of Feasterville, PA, the author is now known - L. Vaskuil Dutter.  

What's Your Top Three Dining Options?

I guess to answer the question "What's your top three dining options?" you'd have to spend a little time thinking.  Not me.  I'm very clear on my favorite ways to eat and they are all very social, an indication of my fondness for hanging out with peeps - and great, simple food.

I'll start with #3 on my list - Potluck.  This can be breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, supper - whatever - as long as it's a fairly unorganized gathering of folks contributing their own personal favorite dish for group consumption.  Generally there is a theme involved - holiday, birthday, sports event - but only loosely.  And, there may even be a general "grouping" of food to bring - guys the simple, store bought things; gals the homemade, cooked stuff.  Or, the host provides the “meat” and everyone brings whatever.    It's all based on the Chaos Theory, that the less you plan, the better the selection.  It is definitely a strong Southern tradition, and how I was raised.   If you have not experienced a church Potluck Supper, you have been seriously deprived in your cultural and culinary experiences.  The category of food recipes suitable for a Potluck could be a whole series on the Food Network.

For the simplest, easiest to prepare - which is ultimately the best - hands down dining option  #2 on my list is the old-fashioned clambake and/or shrimp boil.   I should have gills on my neck due to all the seafood I've eaten in my lifetime.   I've enjoyed it all kinds of ways, but you cannot beat with a stick the simple method of cooking everything together and letting those wonderful ocean flavors meld into one pile of deliciousness.  The clambake is typically t at the beach and takes a bit of work, but once the hole is dug, the fire built and banked, the layers of seaweed, seafood and veggies added, all that's left to do is enjoy an adult beverage whilst waiting patiently for it all to cook.  The shrimp boil is strikingly similar, and an ideal tailgate meal with a huge pot of water heated by a propane burner, and with a slight eye to timing, the intermittent additions of veggies, spices and seafood - shrimp the last 2 minutes only - and, voila! - a feast you don't need utensils other than fingers, or plates other than a paper-covered picnic table to enjoy.  To quote Rachael Ray - "Yumm-o."

I know by now you're anxious to hear my #1 dining option.  I again go back to my Southern country roots, to the mountains I lived in the first half of my life, and the good times visiting with neighbors and colleagues.   This dining option takes the most work and coordination, but the reward is oh, so sweet, and cannot be beat.  The Pig Roast.  I've hostessed for many, so I know first hand, up-close-and-personal how much work a Pig Roast is.  I also know it's the most fun, conversation-generating, good times sharing, mouth-watering pork you can experience.   My kids will remember the neighborhood block party pig roasts we had at our house that, within a few years, grew simply too big for the neighborhood so we graduated to holding them at the local community park.   When I moved to the gorgeous Catskill mountains of New York, it took some doing, but I had a pig roast at my house there.  I'm proud to say, some of my best Jewish and non-Jewish friends had a memorable time.  

The Pig Roast is #1 in my book most likely because, in essence, it combines Potluck with pork - an unbeatable combination.  What’s your top three?

 

Two Words

One of the joys of my life is reading.  All kinds of stuff.   I've finally read all of Clive Cussler's stuff and await his newest, Arctic Drift - A Dirk Pitt Novel, due out November 25th.

Now I'm working my way through the two dozen books (so far) of the "In Death" series written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, under the pen name J.D. Robb.   The Vegas public library system is awesome.

My two words?  Read more.   

A Halloween Story

As I rooted through my cooking utensils drawer, looking for my lemon zester, (how does the one thing you're looking for always manage to migrate to the back of the dang drawer?), and came across my pumpkin carving tools.   Oh, the memories came flooding back.   I'm going out in a few minutes to buy a pumpkin and carve it, just for the heck of it (Jenny - it'll end up at your house!), and to pay homage to some great Halloween memories with my kids.

One Halloween past, though, wasn't so great for my two boys.  But delicious for their sister.

The kids were old enough that I could sometimes still be at the office (a mere five minutes from the house) when they got off the bus from school.  The oldest was charged with the task to call me the minute they hit the door, if I wasn't there, to assure me they were home.   One particular day was Halloween and everyone was so excited - anticipating the that night's neighborhood trick-or-treating in homemade costumes, and a big junk-food-gorging finale party in a spooked-up neighbor's garage.  All was well until I got the "we're home" call.  The oldest was on the kitchen phone, the younger brother on the bedroom phone and they proceeded to have a screaming argument (over what I don't remember) with me listening.   My office co-workers could hear, and were laughing pretty hard, watching me trying to quietly stop them from arguing until I got home.  When I finally got them to stop and hang up, the peace lasted only a few minutes.  They called again, continuing the argument, yelling at each other and not listening to me.  That was the straw that broke this mother's back.

I quietly hung up the phone and headed out the door for home.  I'll spare the gory details, but the boys were sent to their room and grounded - effectively immediately.   Shock set in.  "But, it's Halloween night!  We have costumes!  All our friends will be there!" they cried.  Too bad.  Should have thought of that before.   Yes, they stayed home with their father while I took their angelic baby sister out trick-or-treating.  Of course everyone asked where her brothers were.  Of course, she took great delight in the telling of their punishment.   Of course, she took extra candy for them from the sympathetic.  

I must admit, it was very hard for me.  Most of the parents and kids openly looked at me like I was the Cruella de Vil of mothers, denying my boys the joys of Halloween Night for such a minor act of misbehavior.  I can tell you this, they never ever called me at work to argue with each other again, that's for sure.  

I'll dedicate the pumpkin to you, Joshua and Jason.  I hope you're not too scarred.  And I hope you all have a Happy Halloween.

A Sobering 10 Most Wanted

I'll admit that I'm somewhat out of my league when it comes to understanding what's happened to our credit markets.  It is complicated with a lot of players and took several years to actually reach the critical mass we are at right now.  I've been happily living my middle-class life, not completely oblivious to what was going on (I had a run-in with Countrywide myself!), but pretty darn close to it.  I am a taxpayer and a mortgage owner, so I have a vested interest in how this all plays out.

So, lately, I've been trying to catch what I can on the various news networks, checking out some hits on the internet for a search on "bailout reasons," and conversing with my brother who's better at keeping up with it than I am.  I've been most fascinated by a segment Anderson Cooper's been running for a couple of weeks now on his show 10 pm ET on CNN - Anderson Cooper 360º.    He's been slowly building the "10 Most Wanted Culprits of the Collapse."  It's an impressive list, and extremely educational.  Cooper is actually up to nine as of tonight, but the first six are in the link and I highly recommend you watch the videos. 

Sobering is the word that comes to my mind.  Frightening would be another one.

American pride in being part of the solution

My neighbor said an amazing thing yesterday.  He proudly declared, "I'm down to only buying 20 gallons of gas a month, about half what I used to buy.  It wasn't hard to do once I realized how much I wasted by not consolidating trips, driving above the speed limit, checking tire pressure, etc."  He told me his biggest savings, though, was his employer agreeing to a four-day work week, eliminating that fifth trip into the office.  When I asked him that since gas is down to $3 a gallon now, would he go back to his old ways, he laughed, and said, "No way.  I'm saving that money for "just in case," and I think the American people have proven we can have an impact on the price of gas if we're smart about what we use.  Plus, I really like the four-day week."

I whole-heartedly agree.  If it took ridiculous prices of $5 a gallon to slap us into the realization of how much we waste, then it was a good thing.  Here's a quote I read just today:  "The fall in demand was being driven by lower consumption in big markets like the US, with global demand having fallen by 3 million bpd, [OPEC chief Chakib Khelil] said."  So, let OPEC cut production.  I think Americans are actually taking pride in what we can do as a group, when each individual sees the worth of their contribution.  

As of this moment, oil prices hover about $71 a barrel.   If the speculators have been burned enough in our recent economic crisis, and they don't get greedy too soon before the regulators get distracted by something else, maybe we can get back to gas at $2.32 a gallon and oil at $57 a barrel where it was in January 2007 before it all started to go to hell in a hand basket.

I can only hope.

Quick and painless, like ripping off a band-aid

I feel I've been a good citizen following the presidential debates, reading hundreds of pages of other's opinions, participating in lively discussion with family and friends on both sides of the issues.   So, I'll make this relatively quick and painless.

Both candidates are extremely clear on what they hope to do the next four years.  The plain fact of it is that neither of them will do much without the support of the middle class (case in point: the first failed bailout plan) as well as the support of Congress.  So, for me, it comes down to who I think has the calm, steady, reasonable leadership we'll need to develop the compromises that will no doubt be needed to keep us moving forward.

Barack Obama/Joe Biden.  Done deal.

I'll vote this Saturday as Nevada has two weeks of early voting.  I implore you to exercise your privilege to vote as well.  

Can you say keen-wah?

I'm a foodie, amateur for sure, but a foodie no less.  I've promised a few recipes now and again, and today is more of a food nutrition lesson first, with a recipe thrown in. 

It's a challenge to eat healthy.  It's even more of a challenge to determine exactly what eating healthy is.   I'm a carb addict.  I was raised on biscuits and gravy, pancakes and homemade bread, and more potatoes and rice than I care to think about.  And let's not even mention the homemade cookies or pies or cakes with real sugar.  Those are the foods that helped my mother keep the bellies of six kids fairly full on a mechanic's salary.  My mission is to balance my diet, my favorite cravings, with what's good for me.  If I can satisfy both of those needs with one food, I'm a happy camper.

I've discovered quinoa, pronounced keen-wah.  At first look you'll think it's couscous, but couscous is a pasta made from flour.  Quinoa is a whole grain that's been traced all the way back to the Incas of South America.  Scientists tell us it's a "supergrain," meaning it's high in fiber, a good source of iron, has all eight essential amino acids, and is at the top of the list of all grains for complete protein content.   We're talking a home run food for vegetarians.  Simply put, it's the most nutritious of all grains.

It takes minutes to cook in plain water and doubles in volume, so I make small batches and keep it in the fridge to use when the mood strikes.  Besides a simple side dish just plain, you can add any number of veggies to it to perk it up flavor-wise.  I've added it to scrambled eggs.  And the cold salads you can make with it are as delicious as any you would make with pasta or rice.  I highly recommend cooking it in chicken broth or stock instead of plain water to really pump up the flavor.  My favorite use is to pile in those leftovers veggies from the last few meals to make a vegetarian main dish that's just chock full of taste and nutrition, not to mention economical.

Best of all - it's cheap because a little goes a long way.  Look in the rice/pasta or international foods section of your grocery store.  And keep an eye out for rice/beans mixes that include quinoa that are appearing on shelves.   Quinoa can be processed naturally so that it doesn't need to be rinsed or soaked, and I highly recommend Bob's Red Mill brand for that reason and their website has pretty cool recipes using it.

So, have fun practicing the name, and enjoy a new carb in your diet.  It's so easy to raise, digest and nutritious, NASA is thinking of using it as a crop on future long manned space flights!  

It's a Conspiracy I Tell Ya!

Others that know me will  readily confirm - I'm generally a positive, happy person.  Seriously, I'm a firm believer in the fact that I am the one who makes the choice every day to be either up or down, and a vast majority of the time, I'm up. 

 

But I gotta tell you, and I'm not being paranoid, I swear there's a conspiracy to drive me over the edge, into the depths of down, and it's a bunch of health care providers that are the conspirators.

Without the gory details, I'll just tell you this latest charade of "healthcaring" began when I made an unplanned visit to my local CICU - that's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit - in July 2007.   Though I was constantly reminded that I did the right thing, followed the right protocols for my symptoms, it turned out to be a lot less scary after 24 hours of tests and observation.   The little angel on my shoulder reminding me how lucky I am was counterbalanced by the devil on the other shoulder reminding me how the bills will really start rolling in.  And, oh, how right that devil was.

Over $20,000 for my short visit, officially not even a hospital stay as I was never admitted, just "observed" in the special unit.   The bills did start arriving in the mail box within days, funnily enough just shortly after the last of the morphine and other drugs had cleared out of my system.  And the bills kept on coming for a few months.  And then things settled down to no more bills for almost a year.  This month I got a significant bill with claims I alledgedly hadn't paid.  Research and multiple phone calls revealed the story.   Apparently, the doctor's group had a lousy biller, and this new biller just discovered my outstanding invoice.  Great.

Of course I have a new insurance company since then, so tracking it all down has been less than fun, but I'm determined to be sure it's a legitimate bill and that I'm not paying twice.  Sure enough, one charge was never sent to my insurance company, so now it starts all over again.

Here's the thing.  I think there should be a statute of limitations on things like this.  No way a person who thinks they are all paid up and debt-free should get a big bill 15 months later and be expected to pay it.  If the doctors can't monitor their own business, to know that their biller isn't doing their job sooner than over a year later, then they should eat the cost.  It's not that I don't want to be responsible for my bills, but this is ridiculous.

I took good care of myself, always have, but I surely hope I don't have to make another trip to the hospital any time soon, because the anxiety of knowing what I'll go through to get the bills paid could be overwhelming.  And I don't want to even think about the issues of a real hospital stay, for multiple days, and/or surgery, would take me.  

If that's not enough incentive to stay healthy out there, ya'll, nothing else will be.

Being the Iceberg

I’ve gotten a lot of advice over the last year or so about breaking into the small business world.  One of the most unusual catch phrases has been “be the iceberg.”  Hmmmm…….okaaaaay.

 

Sounds a little crazy at first, but – well – looking below the surface (pun intended), maybe not.

 

Scientists tell us that up to 90% of the iceberg we see placidly floating on the ocean surface is below the water.  Think Titanic.  So, how does that apply to small business?

 

Simple.  We all know the principle caveat religiously drilled into our heads - that we only have one shot at that first impression.  If that gets you in the door, then you have the chance to show what else you’ve got.  The first impression is all show.  The clothes, speech, smile, body language, business card, presentation package, wit – makes an immediate impression, hopefully a favorable one.  But, that’s only 10% of your business.  The rest of the “iceberg” comes from everything else – the communication techniques, real-world savvy, response to challenge, innovative ideas, follow-up that separate you from everyone else in your line of business.

 

As a newbie small business owner, I’m going to ‘be the iceberg’ and make sure my energies are directed not just at the first impression, but at the subsequent impressions that will ensure my continued relationship with the client, and the sweet opportunity to build through networking to the next client.

 

The Adventures of Harriet Homeowner

Owning a home could be seen as a thrill a minute (current mortgage crisis not withstanding!), as long as you keep a healthy, humorous attitude about the almost-daily issues.  It almost seems like the house is laying down a gauntlet for me, just to keep life interesting.

The latest recalcitrant piece of machinery was the garbage disposal.  I've had one for years since my first home in 1978, and occasionally had issues like too much food or the wrong food jamming it.  But after returning from a long trip recently, when I hit the switch for the disposal, it just quietly hummed.  There was no food in it, and I know it worked fine just before I left, so what the heck was wrong now?

Several queries to friends resulted in total agreement on defining the issue -- NOT being used had caused the problem.  Seems the very dry desert air reaches even the innards of the garbage disposer, so that it's not unusual for whatever is around the blades, even just a thin film of food, will dry to a glue consistency, which is apparently enough to freeze the motor up.

The solutions offered, from using two screw drivers pressed against the blades to dislodge them, or the sturdy handle of a plunger or broom, still made me nervous to try on my own.   Sure enough, a handyman friend told me that there's a tool - similar to an allen wrench - to use on the bottom of the disposal to start the blades turning.  My son's allen wrench set was tapped, and it took about 1 second of effort to take care of it.  My garbage disposal is grinding happily again, and I now am the proud owner - thanks to my handyman friend - of the special tool for this task.  It's duct-taped to the side of the disposer which almost guarantees it will never be needed again. 

 

So, in the adventures of Harriet Homeowner, this one was  a minor tale.  A good ending, especially since no cost was involved, but also good since I appreciate the plain ol' fun of discussing the latest item added to any homeowner's ever-growing "honey-do" list.

I hope it'll be awhile before I report the next adventure.  But who knows.......

Dad was watching

I was blessed with the chance to visit Islamorada in the Florida Keys twice this year with family for fishing, visiting, and generally having a ball.  My siblings have been doing this for close to 20 years!  It's always a mishmash of assorted siblings (I have 6) with in-laws, out-laws, nephews, etc. mixed in.   Distance, money and work frequently prevented me from joining them.  I just returned from a trip there, and the strangest thing happened this time.

We were hours into our second day on the water, in a lull from successfully landing a few fish, and lazily trolling on the way to another favorite waypoint on the GPS.   I was gazing at the cloud-filled sky as it was spitting rain on us, but noting how warm the air felt.  Suddenly I got the funniest tingling down my spine, and the hairs stood up on my neck like a cool breeze had blown, and an image popped into my head of my Dad - with a big grin on  his face.   That image made me smile as I got a very clear feeling that Dad was happy to see me on the water with two of my brothers, one sister and a nephew.  I didn't say anything to anyone, but later that day one of my siblings commented, "I hope Dad's watching us and is happy."

You see, Dad died in 1988, but our love of the water, boats and fishing was started with him.   I can imagine he would be happy to see us together, doing something he enjoyed and had planned to pursue full time until his heart gave out on him just days short of his retirement.

Here's the pics of the trip.   It's very cool to feel he was with us, no matter how crazy it sounds.

Tight lines.

Paying attention

When the Bailout bill failed to pass the House vote on Monday 9/29/08, I was so proud of my fellow citizens.  I'm not debating the ins-and-outs of this incredibly complicated credit market mess, as I simply do not have the expertise.

What I do have is a logical mind with a very simplistic, basic understanding of how our world works.  Even if I'm not completely clear on that, or may have a principle here and there confused, I am clear on when something smells fishy.  Apparently, so are many of my fellow Americans.  The power of the people - and I don't mean a few loud-mouthed, nothing-better-to-do-but-clog-the-airwaves types - was exhibited thru pressure on their elected representatives to think twice about their vote on the Bailout because their re-election is up in just over a month.   

The Bailout plan - 110 pages!  Yikes.  Who can read all that - and not end up with mushy brains?  I've been on vacation, but was barely able to keep up with events with limited internet access, and considerable distraction from Florida blue skies and catching blackfin tuna and dolphin (mahi mahi to you Hawaiians).   I'm doing my best not to become addicted to CNN or C-Span or MSNBC or any of the rest of the news services, but things are so complicated and changing so lightning fast, that I may have to spend more time than usual being "tuned in."  Hey - whatever happens will have a direct impact on me, and if I have a chance to voice my opinion/vote, I don't want to miss it.

Plus - I don't want my diehard Republican brother who supports John McCain to get a leg up on me (the mostly Democratic-sometimes-Independent supporter of Barack Obama) in our philosophical "discussions" on politics and the economy. 

Heaven help us all as the future unfolds.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Over the years I've held positions with the responsibility of hiring manager.  Trial and error, along with do's and don'ts from the HR folks, helped me develop a technique that can applied to more than just hiring a new employee.  It's a fast way to drill down to the core of an individual's personality, can also be used in performance evaluation, and it's a neat way to just get to know someone.

It's a hard lesson to learn, but your strengths are your weaknesses.

I would ask the inevitable question of most any interview process:  "So, tell me, what are your strengths?"  The classic elevator speech ensues - that 10 second timeframe to show up your best assets.  I'd hear: "I really enjoy working with people and I'm extremely detailed oriented and always, always on-time."  Applying my theory of your strengths are your weaknesses, I would reply:  "Oh, so you enjoy gabbing, drive your co-workers crazy with inane pickiness, and have high-blood pressure trying to control the minutes in the day."  That usually wins me the "deer in the headlights" look.   Now, it's too late for them to re-state their strengths, but it's interesting to see how the candidate "rebuts" the analogy.  

Example: "I tend to carefully analyze all  options" could be "I delay making a decision as long as possible."  Or, "I give full support to an idea and carry it through" could be "I'm a pit bull on an idea and won't listen to other viewpoints."  One more, "I love to teach others new processes" could be "I love to expound on my proficiency to elevate my sense of self- importance."  

Here's the thing - it's kind of cool to think of yourself this way.   What it tells me is whether or not the individual's strengths will fit in the job/team, and if those strengths could be mitigated or exacerbated by other team member's strengths.  I apply this philosophy to myself.   It's an effective way to keep  grounded and focused on the "weaknesses" that need work.  And if you're improving your weaknesses, your improving your strengths, right?

Just my two cents.

Gadgets

As a long-time member of the household kitchen - aka chief cook and bottle-washer - I've developed an affinity for gadgets, especially gadgets that save time.  There have been some new ones lately that are outstanding.  

At what point does the proliferation of gadgets make the process less satisfying?

To go back to the kitchen analogy (and the seed that started this post) - today I bought a package of 2 already shucked ears of corn, which I brought home, washed, and stuffed into a microwavable bag.  Three minutes of nuking, and - voila! - corn on the cob.  

Used to be a couple of us kids were commandeered to go out to the backyard garden to pull ripe ears off the stalks (the result of months of tilling, sowing, weeding and praying for rain), and drop them into a old peach basket (after picking off the worms, of course).  Then, we stood by the fence line shucking the ears and throwing the shucks and silk to the cows for a snack, making sure to get as much ON the cows as possible (which for some reason was hilariously funny).  After bringing a huge pot of water boil, adding the ears to cook for awhile, then draining, we could spread on the butter and feast.  

Yeah - gadgets save us time but it was kinda quiet cooking my ears of corn today.    Just not the same.  

What do you do when lightning strikes? Invoke Bob-A-Louie?

Rain is rare enough in Vegas, but when it does rain, it's usually a fairly violent affair.   Fortunately, it doesn't last long - 15 minutes or so - but Mother Nature's special effects in the desert are - well - Vegas-style over the top.

Last evening we had a quickie storm with some vicious lightning.  A neighbor was visiting me at the time and she murmured a few words every time a bright flash of light hit.  Turns out she's afraid of lightning since a bad childhood experience, and she's in her 60's.  What she says is a Korean phrase that she tells me simply doesn't translate into English because it's pretty much nonsense.

Oh, I can relate.  My sister and I shared an attic-level bedroom of a two-story house growing up in Virginia.  We were always afraid of the lightning outside our window as it seemed we were so much closer to it.  For the life of me I can't tell you how the ritual started, but I distinctly remember we would say "Bob-A-Louie" three times - had to be three times - when we saw lightning.   

How's that for nonsense?  

Putting lipstick on a pig

I bet you think the theme of this post is political.  Nope, it isn't.  Though, it is interesting to note that all is well with the world when every day phrases are catapulted into fame as easily as ever by the media and good old fashioned exposure.

No - today's topic is pretty boring, so I thought a spiced up headline would be just the ticket.  Just call me the spin doctor.

I have dragged my eyes away from disturbing pictures of destruction on the TV and the internet in post-Ike times, just long enough to do some introspective thinking on my answer to the question "Are you prepared?"   I'm not.  Not in the least.   If my power went off for days, my water stopped running, and/or my house was invaded by water, dust, noxious fumes, dirt whatever - I am most certainly not prepared.   Food? Water? Roof over head? First Aid?  Safety?  News?  Connection to family?  

I'd like to be, so I fired up Google and here's what I got - a fine example of our tax dollars at work: Ready America.   I plowed thru it to learned that September - go figure - is National Preparedness Month.  I'm right on time!  There are helpful checklists - seriously helpful as I never would have thought of some of this stuff - as well as reasons to be prepared.  Here in Vegas, my disaster to worry about is earthquake.  Little ones happen all the time here, and of course "they" say, a big one could happen at any moment.  And it doesn't have to happen here, as a ripple effect of something in SoCal just hours away could be just as disastrous.  And I don't want to even think about the potential disaster of toxic nuclear waste trucking/training across Nevada into Yucca Mountain, just north of Vegas.

So, I've printed out the checklists and moved this project to get at least marginally prepared for disaster a little further up my "to do" list.  

I just hope I never have to use it.  My preparedness kit just sitting in the garage and gathering dust forever will be just fine with me.

On second thought....maybe the headline was perfect.  

A rose by any other name.....

A popular old saying:  "A rose by any other name is still a rose."  Actually, it goes like this - and Juliet said it (via Shakespeare):

   

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet." 

 

 Romeo and Juliet - now there's a story!

And it's appropriate as an introduction to the topic of this post.  I've always had a great deal of respect for anyone with the talent for storytelling.  It is indeed a talent.  I can tell a story, but oh my, a storyteller can TELL a story.  Well, it seems that there's a fairly new field in psychology called "narrative psychology" and it studies, yep, storytelling, and how that ability impacts our identity, and indeed, explains our mental health.

It makes perfect sense, now that I think about it.  Too often stories, and the telling of those stories, are invaluable to the teller in making sense of them, of defining the way the event of the story fits into our lives - or not.  We write blogs, we meet for coffee, we stroll in parks, we play with kids - and inevitably a story is told - long or short, funny or sad, sensical or non-sensical - that helps fill in the picture of what we are all about.   When my family is together, oh my, the stories flow.  Funny ones, silly ones, serious ones.  Is that perhaps why we are all productive, mentally sound (at least most of us!) citizens?  Because we readily and freely share stories?

Apparently, we're learning that we each have a style of storytelling, and that style can speak volumes about how we handle things in our lives - or  not.  I know this - when I can tell someone a story about a negative event, it usually help me understand it, and then helps me so I can put it away and move on with my life.  Make the "epilogue" that it is rather than "the never-ending story."  Others tell a negative story to hold on to it, almost to revel in it to seek attention, and the negativity that smolders defines their world viewpoint, and they don't move on.  

Isn't that ultimately what "therapy" is?  Albeit, we tell a shrink, a therapist our "story" - at least our side of it -  but mostly "going for counseling" is when we can talk freely about something, and that opportunity to verbalize does wonders.   And if we can't talk about it, we can't verbalize it, well, it appears it's not a good thing.  I don't have a link, but a great article on this was in the July 2008 issue of Good Housekeeping in the Good Advice section, pages 119-125; ”The Story That Can Change Your Life” by Louisa Kamps.

This also, in part, points out a sadly lacking part of our society that I lament - the nearly virtual disappearance of the "art of conversation."  No TV, no blaring music, no sport games - just conversing, sharing stories.  That was how we got to know each other when I was growing up.  We need to work to bring it back.

So, what's your story?

All I want is five minutes!

I've said it before, but I believe it warrants repeating:  All I want is five minutes with a spammer!

Seriously.  Spamming is out of control.  No one is immune.  It used to be just the big companies like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, etc.   Today these companies have entire departments dedicated to keeping the spammers at bay.  What spamming costs the business world is outrageous, and yes, brothers and sisters, that cost is passed down to you and me in one way or the other.

But what makes me want that five minutes with a spammer is that now even the little ol' average everyday folks - like my group of friends who have had a private message board to discuss topics related to their love of  snow skiing - have to enter unique codes just to post a message.   I want those five minutes with a spammer so they have a chance to explain the worthiness of their work.  I seriously doubt they will have a reason that will prevent the bodily harm I so fervently wish to exact on them.  What the heck are they thinking?

And now this news from last Friday.   Gag me with a spoon - they are serious!  Jeremy Jaynes gets off in deference to his First Amendment right to free and anonymous speech.  I am embarassed to say I am a citizen of the Commonwealth of Virginia.   

I can only hope the US Supreme Court is smarter than my fellow Virginians.  ARGGHHH!!

Yikes - Ike!

I am amazed by the power and size of Ike - and like watching an accident happen on the freeway - can't seem to stop linking to the National Hurricane Center for updates.  Ike is going to chew up Texas and spit it out before making a right turn and drowning the midwest.

I'm not waiting.  I've already made a donation to the American Red Cross to help with Gustav, but just did again for Ike.  I am blessed to be where I am, high and dry, and not evacuating my home, business and daily life, not knowing what I will find when I return.

Mother Nature.  Wow.

Today - 9/11/2008

So I'm walking with a neighbor this morning...she's a lifetime Vegas resident...a little older than me...she says, so how are you?...I say, well, thinking about today, still sad...she says, why?...I say, it's 9/11...she says, And?...I say, you know, 9/11, World Trade Center, New York, Pennsylvania, DC, people died...she says, are you sure it's today?.....I just stared at her. It's dawned on me over three years of living here, that to some, it was something that happened in a far away place, to far away people, and not meaningful or emotional to them. I get, I don't know, pissed, really, really pissed about that. Then I think - hell, that's how some people think about Iraq, and South Africa and Afganistan, and...well. Enough about that.

So, yes, I remember today. Alot about today, the where, what, who, when of today. I was living and working in upstate New York on this day in 2001, and I'd mentioned to my kids off in college in the deep South that I'd be gone for several days of meetings and they assumed that meant I was in New York City where I usually went for multiple day meetings. I was in actuality on the other side of the state. I vividly recall the overwhelming need to connect with them after hearing the first horrendous reports, and all the meetings were instantly cancelled. I was in a car, driving toward home, in a very mountainous area, with no cell service. I almost wore out the re-dial button on the phone. When my cell suddenly rang, it was my secretary who'd been frantically trying to get me, to tell me the kids had called the office because they couldn't find me, and she'd re-assured them that I was NOT in the city. For once, I'm at a loss.....words fail to describe the emotion of that moment.

And the funny thing is, tomorrow I will think about what happened the next day on 9/12, when I learned that one of my employee's brothers - he was the Chief of NY Fire Department - survived the first building collapse, but his fellow firefighters saw him crushed and killed instantly in the second tower collapse. And the next day, 9/13, I will think about when I learned of firefighters I knew that died, and, well, so many others. And the days after that, learning who had survived, and how. It takes awhile for the memories to fade a bit. 

Not to put the fine folks of Vegas in any kind of bad light, I want to tell you that the firefighters and police here did a tribute this morning at 9:55 am PT, standing for 1 second of silence for each life lost, and tonight they have a memorial service planned, because they, like some of us, will never forget. And I saw on TV today the AWESOMELY beautiful memorial dedicated to those lost at the Pentagon. Gotta see that for sure next trip East.  

And - be sure to click on the NASA remembers pics on the right - and read the words under the pic. Inspiring. For the future...here's the link.

Peace to all, and, please, never forget.

Recipe Time!

This will no doubt become a semi-regular feature here as I do love to be in the kitchen.   But, I promise nothing gourmet, and certainly no complicated techniques.    But, tried and true for sure, and of course a little story for interest.  

This weekend I had a craving for a treat I hadn't made since the kids lived at home.  In their growing up years, I was SuperMom, and made so much of what we ate from scratch.  It was also cheaper.  But, mostly I was being SuperMom.  I made yogurt, breads, soup, cakes, pies, cookies, etc. all from scratch.  We had a garden and I canned stuff.  Dad hunted deer so we had ground venison for chili, etc.  We lived a ways from the grocery store, so I was always looking for things I could make quickly from a few ingredients I could always keep on the shelf or in the freezer.  Ice cream sandwiches was one of those things.

Where I got this recipe from has been lost forever in the deep recesses of my mind, but the adult children sitting at my counter this past Saturday didn't care about origin.  They remembered the treat for sure.  Simple to make substitute for Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Cool Whip-iches

Graham crackers, broken in half.  A big spoonful of still-half-frozen Cool Whip on one half, then add the other half, to make a sandwich.   Wrap each sandwich in saran, and keep in the freezer.  It's best to give them a day or more as frozen, so the moisture in the Cool Whip eventually softens the graham cracker but we usually had a hard time being patient - and still do!

Variations, of course:   Add a package of dry hot chocolate mix to the Cool Whip to get chocolate Cool Whip;  Add mini-chocolate chips to the Cool Whip first;  Dip the sides of the sandwich into mini-chocolate chips before wrapping; use fat-free Cool Whip to shave off calories; use chocolate graham crackers (a family favorite); never tried cinnamon grahams, but couldn't hurt!

I'd venture to say I've made thousands (talk about cheap ice cream sandwiches, portion control, etc.) and eaten hundreds of these.    I hope you enjoy!

Spooky....seriously

This afternoon I was enjoying a little quiet time on the side porch with a glass of iced tea and a Nora Roberts book, Hidden Star.  Honest to god - there's a line "She thought of honeysuckle burying a chainlink fence, perfuming the evening air while the night bird called for his mate."  

Spooky, if you read my last blog.  Never have I read of honeysuckle and chainlink fences.

Honeysuckle Lessons

While taking a walk with a neighbor yesterday, we passed a mass of thick green growth overwhelming a cinderblock wall, and she wondered what it was.  I told her it was honeysuckle.  And, bam - my brain shot backwards in time and a stream of childhood memories  erupted about my Uncle Louie and what I now call his "honeysuckle lessons."

Uncle Louie was one of those quiet characters in my big-chaotic-Irish-Catholic family childhood whose impact was subtle but memorable even these 50 years later.  Uncle Louie has epilepsy - for which treatments did not exist in the mid-50's to 60's.  He's still alive at a ripe old age in the 90's, a credit to the care and loving attention he's received all that time (not to mention his Irish genes!).  But, I'm thinking Uncle Louie gave more than got.

As an adult, he would be shunted around the families of his seven siblings, spending weeks or months at a time at their homes, doing odd chores, as no one would hire an epileptic and he certainly couldn't drive.  When he came to our house in the summer times, his "odd chore" was usually pulling honeysuckle from the fence.  Yes, it's as nasty a job as it sounds.  We had a big full acre yard in the relatively rural suburbs of Washington DC, completely surrounded by chainlink fence about 4 feet tall.  Honeysuckle loved growing on that chainlink, wrapping it's thin stems tenaciously around the wire, and left unchecked could bring a fence down in just a few years.  So, it was an ongoing battle to control it.  The best method was to cut the stems at the ground or spray now-banned chemicals, but you couldn't just rip the stems off the fence as they were wrapped so tightly around the links.  Patient unwinding of the thousands of stems was the only way to get rid of them without bringing the fence down.

Uncle Louie was a tall man, and would sit on a short stool beside the fence, patiently unwinding the honeysuckle from the chainlink, all day, for days on end, with a smile on his face.  His fingers never rushed, and there was never any anger or sulking about the chore.  I'm sure he wished more than once that I would go away, because I'd stand next to him while he worked and ask five million questions like any young girl would.  But his patience, I now know, was extraordinary, as he quietly answered my questions and gave me little nuggets of life lessons to ponder down the road, whilst endlessly unwinding honeysuckle.  And usually, the sneaky guy would get me to first hold a stem for him and then soon my fingers were drawn to unwinding them as we talked.  It's not as much about the words he actually said, but the way he handled himself and his life and the chore.  I guess it's all about time ultimately.  I spent alot of time with Uncle Louie at that chainlink fence seemingly just chatting the day away.

Everybody should have an Uncle Louie.  I hope you did.   I'm so glad I did.  Those honeysuckle lessons will be with me long past any book learning or adult lectures.  

Half-Empty Days

I was IMing with a friend today and it didn't take long to get the feeling he was not his usual chipper self, though he was valiantly trying to be.  

"So," I asked, "are you having a half-empty day?"

It made him laugh, but it got me thinking.  There are some people in the world who manage to have mostly "the glass is half full" days all the time.  It's wonderful, and in fact, I am one of those people.

But - those are the people who fall the hardest when something happens to change their perspective to "the glass is half empty."   I know if worries bring me to that outlook, it's a tough climb out of the hole, so I empathized with him, and we laughed together.  He's still having a half-empty day as of half an hour ago, but the laughter was good to hear when I told him I see a big ol'  pitcher in his future that will fill up his glass - to at least a little over half full -  very soon.   And he said, "As long as it pours into the glass instead of over my head!"

I like that visual.  I hope I remember it when I have my next half-empty day.  

Credit Reports/Credit Scores

It was probably one of the more painful things I've done recently, but well worth it.

I spent an afternoon researching credit reports and credit scores to get the FACTS about them and then looked for info on how to best MANAGE mine. I knew bits and pieces, enough to be dangerous, but not the whole picture.

My story is classic: never gave a thought to credit since I was married in college in the early 70's subsisting on cash until then. (Imagine that!!) Everything credit-wise was in my husband's name. I didn't exist in the credit world and knew very little about managing finances since he was a banker and conveniently took care of it. Until 23 years later, mid-90's, we divorced, and I have no credit history or the financial wherewithal to deal with it.

It's taken 10 years, and a lot of hard work - my score is 802 and all is well. However, I learned - hell, was actually scared to death to learn! -that critical number can crash in a hurry without thorough attention and proper management. I've got a reminder in my calendar now to review my credit report every quarter to make sure it stays "well." The three credit bureaus that prepare your credit report and determine your credit score are run by people, after all, and people still make mistakes.

Word to the wise - this is one task NOT to put off.

Time

Everyone has said it, and/or heard it - at least some version: "Where does the time go?" or "Time is just flying!" or "I never have enough time!"

Is it possible that we don't have enough time, or the time flies, because we're doing too much?

I hear or see stories about people accomplishing amazing things, juggling multiple balls in the air (there is a juggling smilie that is becoming very popular!), and in the next breath, complaining that they don't have enough time. I wonder - will mis-use, or abuse, of time be the ban of our current society?

If time is flying for you, it's probably because you're not living in the moment, the now. Either you're stuck in the past, or always, always, always, focused on the future. What about now? Have you had a two hour meal lately? Did you have a great conversation with a friend where you lost track of time? When was the last time you just hung out and not do anything? These are not guilty pleasures!! They are how you can slow down time, so it won't fly by so fast. TAKE the time. Have you ever regretted "taking the time" for something? Probably not. But I'll bet dimes to donuts you've regretted NOT taking the time for something.

Think about it. Give yourself a gift.

Saving $50......

Like everything else is doing, my auto insurance just went up. (Not because of any accidents or claims!) Not very much, as the increase was somewhat ameliorated by the decrease caused by my change to "work from home" status and my renewal discount for my second year with them. I called the insurance company to ask if there was anything else I could do to lower my bill - just for the sake of seeing what they would say.

Turns out, there is! For $16 I took an online Driver Safety Course from AARP. (It's $20 if you are not an AARP member). They say it's an 8 hour course (and available in classroom format as well). I did it in 7 hours. In a few days I should receive a certificate in the mail. Then I can tell the insurance company about it, and mail them a copy for my file. That'll save me $50 on my insurance for each of the next three years. Nice!

A total side bonus was how much I learned from the course! Seriously. And, you can stop it and come back to it whenever you want which made it very easy to do. If you're age 50 or more, just get over it and join AARP, if you haven't. (Yeah, I threw out those mailers for three years until I gave up and joined and saved $600 in insurance!!!) Besides, it's good to be supportive of your fellow Baby Boomers. WE RULE!

Live long, and drive safely.

Tis a Portentious Day!

This morning I went out for a bike ride. I know that doesn't sound like much; certainly doesn't seem on the surface to make for a "portentious day" - so let me explain. My last bike ride was June 15 at 5 am. See, in Vegas, the sun is up by 5 am in June, and baby, when that sun gets up, the heat turns on. So while the low temp. just before sunrise may be 85º, by 5:30 it's 90º, by 7 am it's easily 100º. Now, I can ride in 85º with 5% humidity no problem. But getting up at 4:30 am to ride my bike is just not something I want to do. So, I resort to indoor workouts at 78º (keeping the AC bill down!). I MUCH prefer 15 miles on a bike outside than 3 miles on a treadmill inside.

But - TODAY - the gorgeous sunrise was at 6:05 am, with a lovely temp of 80º and 4% humidity and no wind. By 7:30 am when I returned home it was only 84º. Now that's nice! Not that 5:30 am is a great time to rise, but worth it to get back in the groove of early morning, quiet, peaceful bike rides. And as the days continue to get shorter, I can get up later. Makes me happy, and that's a good thing.

The portentious part? It's the sign that summer, and it's gawdawful heat is almost over. I'm ready for the change of season and the spectacular fall weather of Vegas. You snowbirds can think of it this way - July/August in Vegas compares to the cabin-fever months of January/February in the north.

I like today's quote!

Make it a good one today, ya'll!

Carnac the Magnificent - Now HE was good!

Watching the ever-changing forecasts for Fay, and emailing with a friend about predicting business levels, created a thread that begin to interweave in my mind until it became one idea - and voila - Carnac the Magnificent popped into my head. Now, he was good.

You young things out there born before the great years of Johnny Carson need to read this on Carnac. You will be cheating yourself if you don't read the whole thing, as you will miss the best laugh of your day. And if you are old enough to remember Johnny, read it anyway to see the great examples of Carnac lines.

Now then, Fay is doing what she pleases, and besides attempting to drown Florida, those nasty tornadoes are doing some serious damage on the northeast side of the storm. Can a weather event thumb it's nose at weather forecasters? Appears so.

As to predicting business levels - hell - your guess is as good as anybody else's, including mine. I'm a middle-class, mortgage-paying, average-joe consumer. I predict we are in serious trouble for a while - a long while. So does my IRA investment balance. :(

Stay tuned.

Five minutes, that's all I ask!

A couple of things....

First....I want five minutes alone with a spammer. It probably won't do much for spamming, but it will sure make me feel better. I will NOT be gentle.

Second.....let's keep fingers, eyes, legs, etc. crossed that Fay does NOT become a hurricane and instead just attempts to drown Florida.

Third....If you haven't looked at the Quote of the Day to the right, you should. If you know me, and you know what issue is currently a big part of my life right now, then you'll agree it's a damn fine quote, and appropro. If you don't know me, well, just take my word for it.

Live long, and pro$per!

No, Sir, I don't like it! Not one bit....

As I watch the Weather Channel, and follow a link for the National Hurricane Center my brother has sent me, I am anxious about Fay heading towards Florida. I can't imagine what it is like to see this freight train heading your way - watching it for DAYS - and there's not a thing you can do about it but batten down the hatches and cross your fingers. And worse yet, the thousands, literally thousands, of dollars in premiums that individual homeowners have dutifully paid annually to insurance companies for potential "wind" damage - with benefits that will be a long time in coming, if, and only if, every "i" was dotted and every "t" crossed so you're not tripped up and turn out not to be covered. The stories I've heard!

With six siblings living all over Florida there's a good shot that somebody is going to be in the path of a hurricane at some point.

We have alot of fishing left to do - so ya'll be careful out there, ya here?

Can't win for losing....

I was all excited when I learned last month that my auto and home insurance would both be reduced since I worked from home now. Yippee, I thought, an unexpected bonus.

HA! I got my auto insurance bill today, and it was $40 higher. I called them to find out why. No big surprise - with no advance warning - their liability rates have gone up. Good news is that my increase would have been even more if I didn't have the work from home discount, as well as the no accident claim and renewal discounts, AND that their deductible rates were a bit lower. Great.

The nice customer service lady did point out to me that I could lower my bill about $50 if I took the online Defensive Driving Course offered through AARP's site. Of course, that costs $10! (EDIT NOTE: She said it cost $10; website says $15.95!!) But, I'd be even with last year's actual insurance cost, and that discount is good for 3 years.

Oy vey! I shouldn't complain, though. When I switched over a year ago from American Family to AARP/The Hartford for both house and auto, my rates dropped $670!

Be well, all!

I know it's good for me, BUT....

If I had a nickel for every time I've said that - "I know it's good for me, BUT...." - I'd be independently wealthy. One thing "they" tell me IS good for me is exercise, but lord I HATE doing it! I'm not sure why exactly. It could be the icky sweating, or maybe the extra laundry it produces, or the fact that I'd rather be doing (almost) anything else, or that I'm terrified of hurting myself, or the unanswered questions of "is it REALLY good for me?" Peanut butter, and eggs, and wine used to all be "bad" and now they're "good." So, I daily do "something" - run, walk, hike steps, weights, - for about an hour. Yippee. Why do I really do it? Because I have accepted the fact that it allows me to eat food and not weigh 200 pounds. I have tough Irish genes that always make my body think I need to have fat in reserve for some disaster. Pair that fact with a thyroid working at half-capacity, and my metabolism is slower than molasses in January. So, it's exercise and eat pretty well, or no-exercise, eat very little and and be fat. It is what it is.

Yes, yes - I've dug in to tackling the MAJOR project - but needed a break, so lunch and a little blogging can't be considered procrastination!

Take a walk. Breathe some fresh air.

And so it goes....

The one issue I'm having with this blogging thing - I can't decide on ONE thing to write about - and instead, I think of a bunch of things. Too much will clutter. So, the answer was not to write anything yesterday. lol Today, I elected to spruce up the ol' blog with a few new "gadgets," and make sure the email list works. Several new gadgets on Google's list are "broken" but I'll keep an eye out for when they are fixed. One is a gadget that shows you the marine observations for wherever you want - a bonus for Doug! - so I'll watch for that one for sure. I like the NASA pic of the day. If you think it would be better to add the info on what the hell it is a picture of - well - send me a comment. I just think the pics are pretty and remind me/you of how small we are in the universe.

If you figured out I'm actually procrastinating, you are right! I have a MAJOR project I need to do, and I'm avoiding it. Not usually my style, but I've learned that if I'm not ready to do something, then it's okay to let it stew for awhile. When I am ready, I'm in a much better mood to tackle it. And this one's a doozy, so I may put it off for another couple of hours by having some lunch, and reading a few chapters in my latest Clive Cussler book. (omg - I actually did the link thingy!!) If you haven't read him - JOSH!! - you should. Lots o' historical stuff.

Live long and pro$per. :)

Taking the Leap (feeling like a lemming)

I'm glad I waited these last *%&!~# years to start this blogging thing. It was intentional. Honest. You know they had to work the kinks out of it and I'm not a good guinea pig. I hate struggling to accomplish something. I want to to flow smoothly, easily, and not look a two year old designed it. If I knew a 5 year old, I'd have asked for help! :) I am quite proud that I've done it without help from my adult kids - though I'm sure they'll have plenty of comment to make. Minutes, I'm telling ya, minutes - to set this up. Amazing. I can see this would be a great forum for a group of folks with a common interest.

All kidding aside, my intentions are multi-purpose: to learn another skill; to practice my writing; to share thoughts; to revert to my childhood favorite pasttime of writing down whatever thoughts come to mind (to fine-tune them before verbal expression, aka putting foot into mouth); to reveal my occasional life mileposts.

Thanks for checking in. Stay tuned.