Dollar Store on Patrol

(Click to view full-size.)

I'm not quite sure what all this does, but it's got "high lighting function with the music". It's also part of the "super series". Super what, I'm not sure.


And, for those who are interested, I'm now smoke-free for 1 month, 1 week, and 1 day. I've also recently joined Weight Watchers, and have been getting a lot out of it. More details to follow.

What's Wrong with This Picture???

Can you tell???

Check Out This Playlist Tool

One Addiction Down, One to Go

Well, according to the gizmo that I've installed on my computer, I've now been smoke-free (and nicotine free, since I did this cold turkey) for 2 weeks, 2 days, 7 hours, 50 minutes and 54 seconds.

So far, so good. Although I still get the occasional craving, and the occasional fleeting notion to go and buy a pack of cigarettes, both pass quickly and I've yet to succumb to either. Usually all I have to do is think of what it's going to taste like at this point, and that's enough to cure me of any desire to light up.

However, quitting smoking has brought another, older addiction of mine to the forefront. I'm talking about the "f-word" - FOOD. In the past few weeks, I've been paying more attention to my relationship with food, and realizing that it's more than slightly dysfunctional. I'm not entirely sure why though. This is something I'd like to investigate. I've come to the conclusion that I'm either a food addict, or a compulsive eater. I'm just not sure which.

So, I'm going to spend the next week or so doing some research, part of which is going to involve attending one or two Overeaters Anonymous meetings to see if that's what I need. There's one near my office that meets twice a week at lunchtime that I'm planning to try. I'm definitely a bit nervous about going, but I'll never know unless I go, right?

My goal for this week is to keep a food diary. Not so much to track every bite that crosses my lips, but to see if I start noticing any patterns in my eating. I also want to learn if certain foods are triggering my eating, particularly at night when I get home from work. That seems to be when it's at its worst.

The bottom line is that I'm tired of how much food runs my life, and I'm even more tired of being overweight. While it's true that I'm gorgeous, charming and wonderful (and modest, too), most people don't see anything past the fat.

Four Days Smoke-Free

That's right - I quit smoking this week, and, as of this second, I am now smoke-free for 4 days, 1 hour, 48 minutes and 16 seconds.

So far, so good.

I'm also trying to lose some weight, and, in the process, came across an excellent site, which is totally free to use. SparkPeople is:

a personalized online weight loss and wellness program. Acting as a virtual personal trainer, the SparkPeople program provides you with an individualized plan and the motivation you need to reach your unique health and fitness goals.

The program starts with a specific “prescribed” plan and, over time, it teaches and motivates you to integrate healthier habits into your life, helping you to stop "dieting” for good and start living a healthier lifestyle. With proven tools, successful motivation techniques and support that SparkPeople provides, we help people create healthier lifestyles every day!

Complete, 24-hour access to SparkPeople is now available to you FREE of charge! You get all of this with your membership:

• Personalized diet and exercise plan
• Daily meal plans, recipes and shopping lists
• Calorie and nutrition tracker
• Animated exercise demonstrations
• Answers and advice from RegisteredDieticians and Certified Personal Trainers
• Support, motivation and accountability from an active online community
• Hundreds of articles, tools and resources to educate and inspire healthy living
• Weekly motivation and tips from “The Weekly Spark” eMagazine
  

About the Articles Linked Below

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about the news below.

Some of you may know that a few years ago, I did some volunteer work for Scott's Bear Search and Rescue Foundation. So, this is disappointing news about someone I know personally. While I knew that Scott had a tendency to exaggerate his efforts post-9/11, I never imagined this. Some other things I've learned in the past few months are a bit unsettling as well. Some of these can be found in Nancy West's Author's Comments on Amazon.com.

9/11 'HERO' CHARGED IN 40G SCAM

9/11 'HERO' CHARGED IN 40G SCAM By BRAD HAMILTON and GINGER OTIS New York News New York City News NY News:

By BRAD HAMILTON and GINGER OTIS
July 15, 2007 -- A self-proclaimed Ground Zero hero who says he and his golden retriever rescued victims from the World Trace Center rubble has been charged with fraud for allegedly ripping off $40,000 in federal relief funds.

Scott Shields could face up to 35 years in jail after a Manhattan grand jury indicted him and his sister last month for allegedly swiping rental-assistance money from FEMA and other agencies.

Shields showed up in the days after the attack, accompanied by Bear, his cancer-stricken canine, but the dog was too sick to do any real work, and the two were on hand only for 'a couple of days,' according to a former NYPD officer.

'There's something wrong with the guy,' said Lt. Dan Denadio, who as head of the NYPD's K-9 unit spent nine months at Ground Zero. 'I don't know how he got so far.'

Shields claims he and Bear 'made the only live finds' at the site.

'Nonsense,' Denadio said.

The rest of the article can be found here.

N.Y. indicts 9/11 responder- NJ.com

N.Y. indicts 9/11 responder- NJ.com:

W. Windsor man is accused of bilking FEMA out of nearly $40,000
Thursday, July 19, 2007

BY DARRYL R. ISHERWOOD
A West Windsor man who rose to prominence with stories of his dog's heroic exploits while searching for victims of the World Trade Center collapse has been indicted in New York for allegedly stealing federal Sept. 11 relief money.

Scott Shields, who has claimed that his Golden retriever Bear was responsible for finding the most victims of any search and rescue dog working the World Trade Center debris known as the pile, allegedly bilked the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of some $38,906 in rental assistance funds, according to the indictment from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The rest of the article can be found here.

Adventures in Job-Hunting

Since I lost my job last month after my hospitalizations, I've been in the middle of a job search lately. After reading ads posted on craigslist until my eyeballs rolled back in my head, I decided to try posting my rèsumé there as well.

So far, I've received two or three legitimate inquiries. However most of the responses I've received have sounded more like this:

From: jeff employer (yes, it really did come from the name "jeff employer)
Date: 6/11/2007 12:56:46 PM
To: easywork002@hot...com
Subject: EASY JOB FOR YOU...

Hello ,

I am Jeff last name omitted ,i am a staff of a sales company in new york and work and make transaction nationwide , So we are needing a respresentative who will be mailing out of mails for us nationwide the work will be done from your home and it is a very easy job and we pay good salary , the job can only involve you in 3 to 4 hours daily and we pay $1000-$1500 monthly .

So let me know if you are interested . i want you to reply me and i want you to add me to your yahoo ms with : last name omitted_jeff ,you should download yahoo ms in messenger.yahoo.com so our work can be more easy and understandable .

I will you to get back to me with which of the item below got

colour Printer
Check paper
personal
computer

Wait to hear from you .

Jeff

What the heck??? What the heck is a yahoo ms??? A yahoo with Multiple Sclerosis??? Do you think maybe he means IMs??? "More easy and understandable???" I can hardly understand this!

I like "i am a staff of a sales company" and "mailing out of mails for us". "I will you to get back to me with which of the item below got" I think I have a personal, but that's, well... personal.

Jeff can sit around and will me all he wants, I ain't going to reply him tellin' him which of the item below got.

This Week's Theme: Shoes

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Shoes":

These were in the "clearance" section of one of the local designer shoe outlets. Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because they're UGLY??? I'm old enough to remember when platform shoes were popular the first time around. They were just as ugly back then. Why would anyone want to bring them back??? I mean really, there are some fads and fashions that, no matter how "retro" they are, were just plain bad ideas that shouldn't be brought back - ever.

What's next??? Mall hair??? Huge, over-moussed, hairspray-hardened, shelf-like bangs that can poke your eyes out??? Shag haircuts??? The Jheri Curl??? The possibilities are endless!

Strange Stuff on Amazon

We all know that Amazon.com sells books, DVDs, electronics and other useful items. But, what you might not know is that it also hosts a treasure trove of truly strange and bizarre items like the ones below.

Pull My Finger Farting Baby Plush Toy - Freddy Jr.

Boudreaux's Butt Paste

Answer Me Jesus

Like a Magic 8-Ball, with a holy twist.

Pope John Paul II Talking Action Figure

(Pope-mobile not included.)

This Week's Theme: Art

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Art":


My first thought when I saw this painting was that this chick is in serious need of some mousse. Talk about a bad home perm! This woman is probably rolling over in her grave right now. Can you imagine not only having a really bad hair day immortalized on canvas for a few hundred years, but having it displayed publicly for people like me to make fun of centuries later?

To read more about my love and appreciation of fine art, click here.

This Week's Theme: Colorful

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Colorful":

(click the photo to see it larger)

This shot was taken during a trip to the St. Louis Zoo in 2004.

This peacock was walking freely around the zoo strutting his stuff. As you can see from the picture, he was definitely not camera-shy!

Here's a full-length view:

(click the photo to see it larger)

And here's a different peacock, this time at Grant's Farm in St. Louis, in all his glory.

(click the photo to see it larger)

My Newest Toy

Since I've had my current cell phone for two years, under my plan, I was entitled to a free upgrade on my phone. I had a really good experience with my existing LG phone (which is still in great shape, but I wanted a new toy to play with). So, I decided once again to go with LG, and decided on the LG VX8300.

The LG VX8300 offers several improvements and added features over my previous model, including a 1.3 megapixel camera, color front screen display and Bluetooth capability - something my previous phone did not have. I must admit that I'm enjoying using my Bluetooth headset, as opposed to dealing with an earpiece with a wire. It also has a music player and an SD card expansion slot, so you can store additional photos and music. Since I already have an iPod which I love, I doubt I'll make full use of the music player, but it's a nice added feature.

Verizon also offers a "Backup Assistant" online service free with Verizon Wireless online accounts, where you can store and update contacts on your phone.

On the downside, the selection of ringtones that come with the phone is pretty lousy. However, you can add your own ringtones either through Verizon's GetItNow services, recording your own through the built-in voice recorder, or by e-mailing wav files and midis to your phone from your computer, and using the "Set as Ringtone" option.

The camera is a big improvement over my last phone. My earlier phone took pictures like this:

My new phone takes much better pictures, as you can see here:

All in all, so far, I'm really pleased with the LG VX8300.

This Week's Theme: Cooked/Cooking

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Cooked/Cooking":

(click the photo to see it larger)

A close-up of one of the stuffed artichokes my sister made for Easter dinner last year. I took this photo because I had recently bought a new digital camera, and was experimenting with it by taking pictures of our meal.

An Update...

After 40+ years of never having to spend a night in the hospital, I've been there twice within the past month. Seems somehow I ended up with a case of cellulitis (a bacterial infection of the deep layers of skin) first in one leg, and then about 3 weeks later in the other leg. Both required a few days of IV antibiotics. So, I had 2 relaxing weekend getaways at the luxurious New York Hospital Queens, complete with deluxe accommodations and fabulous cuisine.
I learned a few things while I was there:

1. IVs don't actually hurt. Thanks to advances in technology, IVs don't require an actual needle sticking in your arm. They use a very comfortable piece of flexible plastic of some sort. Aside from the few occasions where I bent my elbow a bit too far, I hardly knew it was there.
2. Likewise for getting shots in one's stomach. While I was there, they decided I needed daily shots of Heparin to avoid the possibility of developing blood clots. I thought for sure it was going to hurt like hell. Surprisingly, I didn't feel a thing. So, if you ever find yourself in a similar position, rest assured that getting injections in your stomach doesn't hurt at all, unless someone screws up.
3. Hospital TV is BORING!!! If you're lucky, you'll get a few basic cable channels in addition to regular network TV. I couldn't wait to get home to my 6,000 channels, premium channels, and "on-demand" cable services!
4. There is no such thing as getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. Someone's always coming in either to change your IV, check your blood pressure and temperature at each change of shift, or give you a shot of something. Forget sleeping past 6am! First the night shift will come in to check your stats before going off-duty at 7am. Then, the morning shift will come in to check those same stats about an hour later. This is followed by morning rounds, where several doctors will appear at the foot of your bed to examine you, discuss your case and your progress, and make small talk. If you're lucky, about an hour after they leave, your breakfast will arrive.
5. Hospital food isn't as horrible as people make it sound, unless you're on some sort of restricted diet. I wasn't, and I actually ate pretty well while I was there. Except for the 2 occasions where someone messed up and lost my lunch menu, and I almost ended up without any food.
6. When choosing your meals from the daily menus, be sure to circle a few extra items to stash away, in case you get hungry later on. You'd be amazed at how hungry you can get between meals. This is especially true between lunch and dinner, and between dinner and breakfast the following morning. If it hadn't been for my stash, my growling stomach would've kept everyone on the floor awake at night!
7. Be very nice to your nurses, nursing assistants and anyone else responsible for your care while you're there. A little kindness goes a long way, especially if you find yourself having to go back to the hospital again. I was very fortunate to have some of the nicest and best nurses and nursing assistants taking care of me during both of my hospital stays. Some remembered me from my first visit, and took extra special care of me. I'm glad I was nice to them the first time around! Seriously, though, the nurses and nursing assistants work long, hard shifts and have to care for a lot of people in that time. I don't think I could do it all as well as they do.

2007 Walk for Autism Research

Autism Speaks is getting ready for its annual signature event, Walk for Autism Research. My 6 year old nephew is autistic, and I'm planning to be a part of that Walk as a "virtual walker". I'm asking you to join me in raising critically-needed funds for autism research by making a contribution in support of my Walk.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that often inhibits a person's ability to communicate, respond to surroundings, or form relationships with others. First identified more than 50 years ago, autism is typically diagnosed by the age of two or three. Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Few disorders are as devastating to a child and his or her family. While some people with autism are mildly affected, most people with the condition will require lifelong supervision and care and have significant language impairments. Many children with autism will never be able to tell their parents they love them.

Currently, the causes of autism are unknown and there are no specific medical treatments or cure. Physicians have no blood test or scan that can definitively diagnose the disorder. As such, the diagnosis of autism is based solely upon observations of behavior. Despite increasing national interest and high prevalence, autism research is one of the lowest funded areas of medical research by both public and private sources.

Whatever you can give will help! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Thanks!

This Week's Theme: Rare

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Rare":

(click the photo to see it larger)

Be the envy of all your friends! For just $5.00, you, too can own a rare Last Supper tablecloth!

This Week's Theme: Steps

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Steps":

 (click the photo to see it larger)

 (click the photo to see it larger)

These were taken in my favorite place in the world - Walt Disney World. Here we have the Green Army Men from the movie "Toy Story" showing off some of their fancy marching steps during a parade at Disney MGM.

To see more of my Disney World photos, click here.

A Quick Update

I’ve been out of commission for the past week or so due to a bacterial infection in my leg, which required spending the weekend in the hospital. I’m still on antibiotics and need to keep my leg elevated, so I haven’t been spending much time on the computer.

If all goes well and according to plan, I should be back in action within the next few days!

This Week's Theme: Water

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Water":

 

(click the photo to see it larger)

No Swimming!

This was taken during a weekend reunion of 9/11 volunteers and workers in the winter of 2004. For some strange reason, none of us thought to pack our bathing suits for a quick dip in the lake.

Here's another shot of the same lake:

 

(click the photo to see it larger)

This Week's Theme: Empty

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Empty":

Going on a trip? Take along an "empty bottle of journey"!

I spotted this one in one of my local discount drug stores.

Somehow, I get the feeling that something got lost in translation.

For some hilarious English translations, visit Engrish.com, now also available in book form in The Joys of Engrish.

This Week's Theme: Drink

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Drink":

 

(click the photo to see it larger)

Grass Jelly Drink - the preferred beverage of "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters"!

This Week's Theme: Architecture

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Architecture":

(click the photo to see it larger)

This photo was taken in Lower Manhattan, during the 2004 MS Walk. I'm not sure which building it is, but it's one of the older buildings found in New York City.

This Week's Theme: Soft

This week's Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme is "Soft":

(click the photo to see it larger)

This photo was taken in the Queens Zoo here in New York City. He looks so soft and cuddly, but I sure wouldn't want to mess with him! I think I'll stick with his smaller relatives, like my cat Theo. He only takes up half the bed!

For an added treat, click here.