You Know What I Hate??

Warning!  Big 'ol rant ahead!

Before I tell you what I hate, I am going to first say that I take full blame, because I *guess* it's my own fault for getting too invested in other people's lives.

When I follow a blog for a while, and have been reading someone's "life story", I become interested, and start to care about what is going on with that person.  Perhaps in some cases, even loosely consider myself a "friend" if I've commented a lot, and been responded to.  Perhaps that person has even been a reader of my blog, and has commented back as well.  Or, sometimes I've stayed completely anonymous and there's no relationship there, other than that I've been following what's going on in a person's life, as they have documented it on their blog.  In any event, I find that over time, I *care* about that person.

What I hate is when said person suddenly "drops off the face of the Earth".  Sometimes there's a warning - "hey folks, I need to take a little break from blogging, but I'll be back soon!".  And I check back, day after day, then week after week, and they never come back.  Sometimes there's no warning - suddenly there are no more updates, and no explanation.  Just leaves everyone hanging.  Did they die?  Did something terrible happen?  Did their computer break?  Did they just get tired of blogging?

Now I *used* to make an attempt to contact these people, because I cared!, and was wondering what happened - were they ok?  And it would turn out that it was just a case of, "Oh yeah, I just haven't felt like blogging...." or "Oh yeah, I just haven't had anything to say lately..." or "Oh yeah, I've been SO busy..." blah blah blah.  Some excuse.  Nothing tragic or terrible.  Nothing that would prevent them from having the courtesy to put up one last post to say goodbye or SOMETHING.

The WORST example is when a blogger is documenting some sort of medical crisis, either affecting themselves, or their child, husband, whatever.  And then posts some medical cliffhanger like, "Leaving for the hospital...doesn't look good...." and then DOESN'T UPDATE FOR THREE DAYS.  Only to come back and tell how wonderful everything has been going and all is fine.  Now on the one hand, I realize that in a medical crisis, updating your blog isn't first priority.  BUT, if you've purposely put your whole story out there, begged for prayers, been sharing your fears, been tweeting from the hospital, asking our opinions and our stories, and getting us all invested, COME ON!  Don't leave us hanging, fervently praying, checking back 30 times a day for an update!!  Post two stinkin' sentences, "Kid is going to be ok.  Will share all details later."    AUGH!!!!!!!

Again, it's all my fault - why do I care so much??

Well, I have given up hunting down missing bloggers, and I'm only going to check on medical "cliffhangers" once a day.  I just can't take it. 

And yes, I realize there are cases where there are really good reasons for bloggers "going missing" or people not coming back to update medical cliffhangers because something terrible really did happen.  For example, my cousin, Dr. Mom, has an autistic son, and lately she's lucky if she has time for a shower and a trip to the bathroom during the day.  I totally understand why she can't keep up her blog.  Another favorite blogger of mine, Wendy, when she's having a medical problem, sometimes really does end up in the hospital for days (once it was a stroke!).  Or her internet (which is not controlled by her) goes down for periods or time, or she is traveling and doesn't have a connection.  But she ALWAYS does post when she can - I know if she hasn't posted she hasn't flaked out - there's always a good reason.  But more often than not, in these other cases, it's been blogger fatigue, a trip to Timbuktu, a month's stay at a spa for pimple treatment with accutane...who knows.  Sometimes I never find out because they don't respond to an email or comment asking how they've been or are they coming back.  I just waste my time going to their site another 20 or 30 times to see if they've updated or added a comment.  (A little trick I learned is that at least if comments are still being approved, you know they're not dead.  That's comforting.)  And I'm sure the people in a medical crisis are just so relieved and happy when everything turns out ok, they forget about the 600 people they've got following their story, praying for them, refreshing their blog page 30 times a day waiting for an update....

I know some people truly have really good excuses, but ARGH!!!!!

It's like reading a good book, then suddenly without warning - poof!  No more pages!  You never get to find out what happened!  How AGGRAVATING!  I would never have started the book if I'd known!
 
Do you feel the same way?  Do I need to stop getting involved in the lives of people on the internet?  Are you guilty of flaking out on your blog? 

The end.

The Recliner With My Hubby Is Primo Real Estate

 

So, a little of this, a little of that today...

I did my Weight Watchers weigh in, and I lost a pound.  Normally, I would be happy about that, but I had "cheated" earlier in the week and weighed myself and a couple of days ago, I had lost like 3 pounds!!  What happened??  Maybe I'm bloated or something.  Have you ever noticed that men never seem to complain of being "bloated"?  Why is that, I wonder.  Anyway, as tempted as I am by quick fix diet pills like atro phex, I'm sticking with slow and steady, the Weight Watchers way.

I have a post over at my other blog you might find amusing, which includes a picture of a tray with food from Thanksgiving that has grown some impressive mold.  Take a guess at what it once was, if you think you're up for it.  Can You Guess My Mold?

That other blog is a Wordpress blog.  They seem to come out with updates at an unreasonable pace.  When I logged in this morning and I was greeted with it's never ending plea for me to upgrade to the latest Wordpress, I told Wordpress it can update my butt.  So there.

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My Weight Watchers Update

You might think this is just a gratuitous picture of the very handsome Dale Earnhardt Jr., but it does actually relate to this post as I do mention NASCAR and the Daytona 500.   :-P

Ok, so I've been doing Weight Watchers since January 13th, and at last week's weigh in, I had lost 11 lbs.  I'm pretty happy with that, especially after surviving the Carnegie Deli and the Chinese Buffet a couple of weeks ago.  I did attend a Daytona 500 party this weekend, but I surprised myself by actually showing restraint and for once I was actually proud of myself for not totally overeating.  That pretty much never happens.

This is like, the 4th time I've done Weight Watchers.  You might say to yourself, "Well since you keep having to go back on it, it obviously doesn't work in the long term, so why do you keep doing it?"  Well, here are my reasons...  First of all, it's very effective.  I usually sign up for the 3 month "deal" and I usually lose about 30 lbs.  I think that's pretty good!  Secondly, I really feel that Weight Watchers does a really good job enlightening you about portion sizes and helping you realize what foods are good to eat more of, and what foods are good to eat less of.  Lastly, after doing this multiple times, for me, it's not really even a "diet" anymore.  I've truly made the "lifestyle" and "healthy eating" changes.  The last couple of times I've done Weight Watchers I've hardly had to change the food I was cooking or buying.  I KNOW what my problem is.

Portion control and mindless eating.

It is just so easy to sit with your hand in that bag of chips...or put more food on your plate than you're really hungry for.  I just don't commit to paying attention to portion sizes, and to just stop eating when I feel full.  Over time those extra calories just build up.  Now at least this time around it took me 2 years to put the weight back on instead of one, so I think there's some improvement there.  :-)  Maybe one of these times I'll stay focused.  But to me, I figure, if I have to pay $50 and go on Weight Watchers for 3 months every couple of years, to keep my weight from spiraling out of control, well, I can live with that I suppose.

Unless I want to try to find diet pills that really work, it's Weight Watchers for me I guess.

I have another weigh in tomorrow, and I have a feeling I am going to have a loss (some weeks you don't lose anything at all, sometimes just one pound, but sometimes 2 or 3).  I'll be honest and report back tomorrow.

How do you keep YOUR weight under control?  Do you have a "diet" or "lifestyle" that works for you?

The end.

Forget the Kindle or Nook - Read Books on the iPod Touch!

I just do not get all the excitement over e-book readers like the Kindle or Nook.  Did you know an iPod Touch or iPhone can be used as an e-reader?  The only drawback FOR SOME, is that it is small.  I actually LOVE that it fits in the palm of one hand.  It's so lightweight and I can quickly and easily turn pages with my thumb.  Major pros: YOU CAN READ KINDLE BOOKS, NOOK BOOKS, PDF BOOKS and OTHERS!!  You are NOT LIMITED like you are if you get the Nook or Kindle!  The iPod Touch has apps for both of those, plus many other apps that allow you to read nearly ANY book format!  I can even get books from the library!  The other MAJOR PRO is that, it's BACKLIT!  I cannot, for the life of me, understand how the Kindle and Nook tout how they have replicated the look of a printed page.  Big WHOOP!  Gee, I look at my computer screen ALL DAY and that's not like a printed page yet, gee, I survive just fine!  And I find it utterly LAUGHABLE that you have to buy a BOOK LIGHT to read on these ELECTRONIC DEVICES in the dark!  For Pete's sake, you may as well just read a paperback at that point!  With my iPod Touch I can snuggle down in the covers, with the lights off, and read a book that fits in the palm of one hand. 

I don't have an iPad but if the small size of the Touch or iPhone bothers you, that's probably the perfect solution.  I presume the iPad also has dozens of apps for reading e-books as well.

Amazon and B&N and some other companies are constantly offering different e-books for free.  Anything from romances to best appetizer recipes, mysteries, books on parenting and how to product more breast milk, or how to do home repair - you'd be amazed what you can get for free!  In fact, I have a ton of books on my iPod Touch and I have hardly paid for any of them!  Here's a website I like to use to find free books, but there are others:  Books on the Knob.

Do you have a Kindle or Nook or other e-reader?  Can you convince me why it's so great?  Don't you mind having to use a booklight??

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What? Don't Your Cats Have Their Own Chairs??

That's Q-ee on the left, Angel on the right.

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More Thoughts Too Short For a Whole Blog Post

We had seats that were pretty high up and far back for the Carnegie Hall concert, however, I didn't mind one bit.  It was really cool to look down on the orchestra, the sound was fantastic despite our distance, and the concert itself was just truly fantabulous.  A real treat!

I am so sick of the Groupon ads everywhere.  Ok, ok already!!  I think everyone in the world now knows about Groupon!  And YES.  I signed up for the stupid thing!  My impression so far = meh.

I've lost 11 lbs. in my first month on Weight Watchers.  This is somehow despite the night of gluttony at the Carnegie Deli.  Oh I can't tell you though, how nice it is to not have "muffin top" any more.  (I must have had 11 lbs. of "muffin top", ha ha!)  I still have about 20 more pounds of blubber I'd like to lose.  Oh, and I like the new points plan.

You know you're getting old when out of all the programs on tv, you actually CHOOSE to watch the Ronald Reagan documentary and you find it very interesting.  :-O

I started a new blog using Wordpress in an effort to make more money blogging.  Apparently you have to use Wordpress to have enough "cred" for advertisers.  Let me just say that I hate Wordpress with a white hot inferno of hate just shy of how much I hate IBM.  (Do you know that my "I Hate IBM" post is one of my most popular posts??)  Anyway, it's new, and somewhat cobbled together, but if ya want to take a look, here is is:  The Practical Homemaker.  Did I mention I hate Wordpress??

Can't WAIT for NASCAR racing to start (Bud Shootout this weekend, Daytona 500 next weekend).  I'm a "Junior" fan - I'm still keepin' the faith!!  Also can't wait for the Iditarod to start - less than a month away - we just love to follow it.

We don't usually make a big deal of Valentine's Day.  In fact, as much as I would love my husband to send red roses for Valentine's Day I told him not to worry about it - right now we need to save our money.  I'll just take a hug and a kiss - those are free.  :-)  My daughter and I also made homemade Valentine's Day cards for my husband with our scrapbooking supplies.  Even to buy a store bought card is like $4-6!!  CRAZY.  Are you doing anything special for Valentine's Day?  Do you have any frugal ways to make Valentine's Day special?  (Let's keep it clean, folks.  LOL!!)

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We Have a Winner - We Went to the Carnegie Deli!

I wasn't surprised to see that it was North Country Rambler who very quickly guessed correctly that we went to the Carnegie Deli, in NYC!

I wasn't surprised because North Country Rambler is a "foodie", so no surprise he would instantly recognize such a famous eatery.  Interestingly, my friend also lives in the Hudson Valley but is also an Adirondack lover.  From his blog:

"Welcome to our list of favorite culinary destinations in upstate New York - restaurants and other places of interest that we think are worth visiting. We will offer a running commentary on our table adventures, from the Hudson Valley to the Adirondacks. We do sometimes get lost and end up in New York City or Montreal. We visit restaurants, wineries, barbecues, and a smattering of off the beaten path "foodie" hangouts. The locations we write about are our favorite destinations. The commentaries are not "reviews" in the classic sense. We offer only our picks, not pans. We will leave the criticism to others. We are a happy blog. We much prefer bistros to "haute cuisine". We prefer a cassoulet and a bottle of Beaujolais to just about anything else."

(I love the "We are a happy blog" part, LOL!)  You should go pay a visit! ----> North Country Rambler.

Anyhoo, we happened to be eating at the Carnegie Deli because afterward we were actually going to Carnegie Hall to hear the Cleveland Orchestra perform.  We had all been to the Carnegie Deli before, but not in a very long time.  However, my memories did not disappoint me for everything was as oversized and delicious as I remembered!

My Dad got a bowl of Matzah Ball Soup.

My Dad also got a pastrami sandwich and my husband got a corned beef sandwich.  These are enormous sandwiches, but these are actually just the "regular" size sandwiches - you can get bigger sandwiches than this - you can get the gargantuan size.

This is what I got.  Not pictured was a side order of fries my daughter and I shared, and my daughter got chicken tenders.

Everything was absolutely, incredibly delicious.  And honestly, the prices are not bad for Manhattan.

Now hold on to your seats folks for the best part.............

A piece of world famous cheesecake big enough to feed three people!!!  Heavenly.

The only thing that could have been better would have been a little cot in the back with a heated blanket to sleep off this feast, LOL!  

If you are ever in Manhattan and nearby, the Carnegie Deli is well worth a visit!  They are located at: 
854 7th Avenue at 55th Street, New York, New York.

I wonder how I will ever lose any weight on Weight Watchers after eating all that??  :-P

Have you ever been to the Carnegie Deli?  What's your favorite restaurant in NYC (or any city)?

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Can You Guess From This Picture Where We Went?

So, the first person to correctly guess where we ate last week wins "fame and glory" forever for being so smart, LOL....(and "link love" if you have a "family friendly" blog/website)

I'll tell you one thing - this place where we ate should have a vending machine on the way in (or the way out?) of the best diet pills, LOL, cause pretty much anything you order is "super sized"!  I have a feeling that someone is going to guess the answer right away, but I'll throw out just a couple of clues anyhow:

- This NYC landmark was founded in 1937
- They have "world famous" cheescake
- In 1979 this establishment's Pastrami Sandwich was named the #1 pastrami in New York City (and I am certain it would still retain that title today!)

So, who knows where we ate?

The end.

"Hooooo" Watches Over Our Cabin

This was another thing we brought up with us last weekend to our cabin.  I bought this little owl family two years ago at the awesome World's Largest Garage Sale in Warrensburg, NY (one of my posts about it here), just for our place, which of course was still just a dream at that time.  (Though we owned the property by then.)

We have decided that the owl in the middle is my husband, I am the owl on the right, and our daughter wants to be the little white owl on the left.  The windowsill at the cabin seemed the perfect place to put them, and now they can watch over our place while we're not there!  :-)

And with this crazy winter we're having, I don't think we'll be up there 'till the spring thaw.  Speaking of that, depending on which weather forecast you listen too, I'll either need snow boots or kamik rain boots this weekend.  Or maybe YakTrax for ice - who knows!!!!!

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We Moved In! Well a Little... :-P

 

So on this latest trip up, we thought we might as well bring up some things...

The very first thing we brought in was a bible, and we stood and prayed and gave God much thanks for all His help, guidance, and all that He did to make this possible.  

The little Welcome To Our Cabin sign seemed like a good thing to bring up as one of the "first" things.  It's from some very dear friends (Mommy and Daddy "F"!).

 My Cozy Cabin candle also seemed like it should be one of the first things to bring up.  :-)

We were able to fit the full mattress and box spring we had in the bed of the truck, so that arrived as well.  How do you like the swanky 70s afghan?  Nice, eh?  My grandma made it.  :-)

Here are our table and chairs, thanks to our sister-in-law and brother "C" and "D".  We have the chairs that go with it, but we could only fit the folding chairs this trip.  Yeah, that's Mountain Brew Beer Ice from Stewart's on the table to "celebrate", hehe...

Well, as I warned you, the furnishings are not like staying at like the setai new york luxury hotel, but, we have plenty of time to get better furnishings.  At least it'll be "homey".  And friends and family can come visit their old furniture, LOL!

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Can You Guess What This is For????

Well, it's not the key to my heart....  We're not buying a franchise....  It's not to a storage unit...  Aw come on, you know what it is!  :-D

WE GOT THE C.O.!!!!  THE CABIN IS DONE!!!!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!

We traveled up there (yet again!) last weekend to check on the punch list items that needed to be checked off, and we also brought up a "truck bed" full of some of the larger items we wanted to get up there.  So we actually got to "move in" a little bit, which was awesome because with some of our stuff in there, it actually seemed like it was OUR place!!  I have to warn you though - for as nice as the cabin turned out, nearly everything we have to furnish it with is cast-offs from friends and family, hand-me-downs, or stuff from Freecycle.  You'll quickly see we spent all our money on the building - nice furnishings will have to come later. :-P  I took some pics, which I'll post probably later today.

The end.