myownplace

Two Showers In One Morning

2012-06-01T07:54:00.001-04:00

Welcome Summer! It's gambling season with the bike ride to work and I thought I had a window when I saw the rain on my weatherbug app. So, I packed up the bike and started my ride, noticing the clouds and wind - but the sky and road were dry. But as luck would have it, precipitation started falling out of the sky about halfway through my route. I figured its light, I can make it - but soon it was pouring. I pulled over and put the rain cover on my new Axiom pannier side that was holding my clothes and purse.

Well, I was totally drenched after a couple miles of riding in the downpour, but my luggage was dry! That rain cover works great. But, I've just had my second shower of the day, soaking and dripping a path of water down the hall and in my office. Right now my little desk fan is drying out my shorts and shirt, hopefully they'll be dry this afternoon. But then again it might not matter if its still raining.

How To Report Food Stamp or Disability Fraud

2012-05-31T13:49:00.001-04:00

I just read this article today about how Floridians are still receiving food stamps in record numbers despite the improved economic trends. In Florida, income decides who qualifies for food stamps. For example, a family of four can't earn more than $1,863 a month after standard deductions for utilities, shelter and child care, and then they can receive up to $668 a month in food stamps.

However, not all the people who are on food stamps are eligible. They may be committing fraud. If you suspect someone of receiving government food stamps fraudulently, you can anonymously report them by providing just their first and last name, and city. The Dept of Children and Families will do the rest by investigating and requesting the named party visit their offices with documentation of their allowable expenses. If they ignore the request, they may be sanctioned and the benefits will stop until they cooperate. You can report online HERE.

Maybe you don't know of abuse of food stamps, but you may know people who are claiming SSI or SSD disability. They seem capable and functioning, yet they get that government check every month that you and I don't. It seems that when a whole family with parents and kids are on disability there is a likelihood of fraud. Did you know you can report that person anonymously as well and the Social Security Administration has federal agents who will confirm the allegations and photograph or secretly video the person. They have contacts with merchants and can get video of shopping trips and other outings in public areas. The agents will handcuff and arrest violators once they have proof of fraud. It is not very hard to get the proof either because people who are getting that free government assistance check are generally quite talkative about it.

If you know someone who is committing government fraud, it is your social obligation to report it. There are thousands of new disability cases opened every day and the majority of them are denied. But some get through the system. They may eventually get caught by sharp, inquisitive employees who see a case discrepancy, but they need your help.

Report SSA disability fraud online HERE.

Southwest Air Rules The Sky

2012-05-30T13:42:00.001-04:00

Today I got an email from www.Southwest.com telling me that I can reserve my flights for less points now. Since we just booked our flights to MN a few weeks ago at what I thought was a kind of high value of 22,000 points which roughly equals $400 for a round trip flight. I had been saving points using my SWA credit card (remember The Affair??) and was finally able to scrape together enough to redeem for our flights.

Well, today when I got the email I went online and changed my flights with only a few clicks and was rewarded with 11,000 of my points back! That's enough to get over $100 in gift cards or other rewards I may want. How exciting, now I can go shopping!

I just wanted everyone to know that there are some great vendors out there who really do want your business, so its worth a little inconvenience or cost sometimes to get great service. I know that there is no other airline out there who would let me change flights without any change fees, and give me the points or cash back when the price is less.

Screw you Delta :(

Memorial Day

2012-05-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

We went to the Bubba Raceway Park for some late model dirt track racing this weekend and they did a nice little memorial ceremony for the troops that fought for our freedom. Hope you have a nice weekend and have a moment to pray for all the lost souls who bravely defended America, the best place to live in the world.

Final Friday

2012-05-25T19:51:00.001-04:00

So here we are at thre last Fri nite concert in Lowry pk. Its some horn band playing lots of oldie but sing along songs. Nice way to to start the long holiday weekend.

Shutterfly $10 OFF $10 Codes

2012-05-24T11:47:00.001-04:00

Did you get the email from Shutterfly this morning? This is a great way to order some FREE cards or photos for just the cost of shipping. I have some extra www.Shutterfly.com promo codes that expire May 30, 2012. Please be considerate and only redeem a code if you have a project ready or you know for sure you're going to have time this weekend to put together an order.

BD9U-953M-1X9H-6KJ27H

BD9U-77ZY-1PFN-J4EEC4

BD9U-44EH-X1EB-F48MXA

BD9U-9ZCX-C8JD-SX65MS

The Bike & the Bus, Part 5

2012-05-23T08:06:00.001-04:00

Once again, the @GoHART number 6 bus tried to knock me off the bike lane again. My last experience with the bus was only a short month ago when the driver passed me, cut over into the bike lane and let off a passenger and they stepped into my lane and we collided and both fell down.

Well the latest run in was yesterday 5/22/12 on my way home from work (Northbound 56th Street) just after crossing the railroad tracks north of Hillsborough Ave. It occurred about 4:10 pm and unfortunately I didn't have my mini helmet video cam on my bike that day otherwise you would be blessed with a short video of the event. Maybe you will some day since these stupid bus drivers can't seem to understand there is a law that they must give walkers and bikers a 3 foot space when passing. Even though the law is written on the back of the bus (see the picture).

Anyway, the bus passed me and pulled up to the bus stop where a young man was waiting for a ride. The bus was about 20 ft in front of me and could have just stopped in the traffic lane for the pickup, but no - the driver had to pull over the white line and stop in the bike lane. He didn't leave enough room for me to pass on the right unless I ran into the curb and sand. Needless to say, I was pissed. I stopped at the bus door and asked loudly for the Hispanic male driver to please stay on the other side of the the white line. He is not doing the cars behind him any favors by pulling over into my bike lane, since he still is obstructing 3/4 of the traffic lane. He says to me "I saw you, and I didn't hit you". Gee, how could you miss my bright neon hi vis shirt? That was nice of you. I yelled at him now, just stay on the other side of the white line. (Actually since the @myfdot recently repaved the road there is a 3" drop off at the white line making it very obvious when a driver crosses the white line). My bike ride has become more dangerous because of that lip on the road and I'm trying to find something positive about it because my contacts at FDOT have told me they won't do anything to change it.

So, I vented a little. Not very satisfying and certainly not going to fix the problem. I have been bicycle commuting on 56th Street for eight years and my only incidents have been with buses coming into the bike lane. There have been more than five incidents I lost track, I just started counting in the last 2 years. I've contacted Hartline each time, and actually wrote to the President of Hartline and he wrote me back after investigating the problem last year. But he has since been fired and now whoever runs the place is probably who I need to contact. The twitter contact @GoHART seems to want to help me, but really its an uphill battle.

For now, I will continue to try to avoid the #6 bus. He'll probably try to hit me next time.

Groupon Class Action Lawsuit

2012-05-22T08:19:00.001-04:00

Apparently there is nothing to do right now until a settlement is determined; but if you purchased or received a Groupon Voucher issued for redemption in the United States between November 1, 2008 and December 1, 2011, then you are a member of the class ("Class Member") for purposes of this class action settlement, and may be entitled to receive settlement benefits, unless you are one of the following: (1) an employee of Groupon, Inc.; (2) a business with whom Groupon has partnered to offer Groupon vouchers ("Merchant Partners"); or (3) a parent company, subsidiary, affiliate or director or officer of Groupon or a Merchant Partner.

This website was established to provide information to you about the proposed settlement of certain litigation relating to the marketing and sales practices of Groupon, Inc. The litigation is currently pending in the United States District Court, Southern District of California.

Following are important dates and deadlines relating to the settlement, which are explained more fully in the sections below:

Deadline to opt-out of settlement: July 6, 2012
Deadline to object to settlement: July 6, 2012
Deadline to submit claim form to obtain Settlement Voucher permitting redemption of voucher(s) past expiration date(s): [to be determined pursuant to court order]
Deadline to use Settlement Voucher: [to be determined pursuant to court order]
Deadline to submit Settlement Fund Refund Claim Form if Merchant is unwilling or unable to redeem Settlement Voucher [to be determined pursuant to court order]
Deadline to submit claim form to obtain refund of vouchers purchased after December 1, 2011: [to be determined pursuant to court order]

GO HERE for more information.

The 88 Car

2012-05-21T09:48:00.001-04:00

Lucky for us, Dale Jr was wondering around fan fest at the Darlington racetrack and he was nice enough to pose with DH for this photo.

10,000 miles

2012-05-19T21:27:00.000-04:00

Today we went for a nice motorcycle ride and DH was so excited when his 2007 Honda turned over 10,000 miles! My 2009 Honda Rebel actually is not far behind at 8500 miles.

The Cost of Free Firewood

2012-05-18T08:54:00.001-04:00

Yesterday on the way to Busch Gardens for our afternoon walk around the park, we drove past a pile of cut oak wood with the sign "free firewood". As you know, we are always scouting for our next load of wood for backyard fires. We have the 22 ton Husky log splitter and the Stihl chainsaw so it doesn't matter how big or hard the wood is, we still want it. And since we have several stacks of wood of various ages, it doesn't really matter if the wood is green and needs to age a year, because we'll need it then.

So, of course we stopped and cleared out the vehicle and put on our garden gloves we carry just for this reason. But we weren't really prepared to haul wood and I didn't want to get my Tshirt all dirty from the fresh cut wood. So, as we were loading the vehicle I didn't do proper lifting technique. I didn't lift with my knees and keep my back straight, I bent over and carried the large pieces away from my body. The fresh cut wood was also pretty heavy. We loaded and unloaded the wood and we were sweaty and tired when it was all over.

But as with some free things, there are hidden costs. It may not be monetary, but other consequences. In this case it was health. We are not as young and spry as we once were. Lifting those heavy chunks of green oak wood is bad for our backs, especially when you don't do it right. I also dropped a piece of wood on DH's foot and he was hollering about that too. Anyway, I developed a pinched sciatic nerve on my left side and could not work it out. I was in pain and was trying to think of how I could fix it.

So, I did the usual things - took an Aleve to relax my muscles. Hang by the monkey bars to stretch my backbone. I had DH crack my back by giving me a bear hug and lifting me off the ground. Still there was pain. So, I sat in the hot tub for a while to warm up my muscles. Then I laid on the floor on top of a vertical pool foam noodle under my backbone. This usually works to stretch out my back bones. Still there was pain. Finally, what worked was to lay on the floor on my stomach and have DH straddle sit over me and push down simultaneously on each side of my back bone to "crack my back". After a few cracks, the pain was gone. Finally.

TGIF. Careful out there weekend warriors.

Another Annoying Facebook Change

2012-05-17T09:58:00.001-04:00

Have you noticed in your facebook news feed all those Trending Articles? How about all the times people watch a stupid video on Socialcam? The unfortunate dissatisfier is that unless you want to use Firefox or Chrome internet browsers and install some script, you can NOT stop the madness. Yup, FB has done it again to annoy their millions of users by cluttering up the news feed with meaningless clutter. So, maybe as they get ready for their IPO this week, they'll annoy millions of users who may quit wasting their time on FB. The average user spends twenty minutes a day on FB, but I can tell you my time will go down substantially until they give us an option to stop the clutter.

Things to do When You're Retired

2012-05-16T09:09:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to our brother in law Bill who just retired after 26 years serving the citizens of Minneapolis as a Police Officer! This post is for Billy and has some great ideas of what to do with yourself now that you're retired. I didn't write it, I'm just sharing it.

Top 10 Retirement to-do's

By Susan Saunders,

For many people, retiring from work can be almost as life-altering as having children or getting married, and it can require just as much personal adjustment. After all, that last day of work means more than just a dramatic shift in your daily schedule; it also represents a significant change in your role. Retirement is a chance to redefine yourself, and these ten tips will help.

Keep Moving

Remember the image of a retiree sitting back in their rocking chairs and watching the world go by from the comfort of their front porch? While that might be how your grandfather spent his retirement, it's not the life today's seniors have in mind. These days, people in their 60s, 70s, 80′s and beyond are more active than ever. According to the Mayo Clinic, the health benefits of getting regular exercise include everything from managing weight to controlling health conditions like Type II Diabetes. What's more, getting regular exercise, especially with friends or a spouse, can build your endurance and dramatically improve your state of mind and energy level. Great activities to consider include walking, swimming, or even cross-country skiing.

Continue Learning

You know that old saying about learning something new every day? That still holds true, no matter what your age. Stretching your mind, whether through crossword puzzles, library books, or community education classes, is a great way to stay sharp well into the future. Set the goal of trying something new every day, week, or month and enjoy checking it off your list. Have you always wanted to make pottery on the wheel, learn French or practice watercolors? Now is the time to expand those skills. You're free from the responsibilities of work and child-rearing, so you can focus on doing (and learning) exactly what you want. Some seniors even go back to school to finish their college degrees. To find out about classes near you, contact your local community center, college or university.

Share Your Wisdom

You've spent a lifetime accumulating great lessons and a valuable perspective, and retirement is the perfect time to share those gems with others. Young people, whether they're neighborhood kids or your own children or grandchildren, can benefit from the lessons you've learned over the years. One great way to pass on your wisdom is to make a book of life lessons. You can cover a specific topic, like raising kids or managing your finances, or you can make it general. Recording these lessons also helps to keep them fresh in your mind.

Find a Support Group

Any time of great change can be bittersweet. While you may enjoy your new freedom, retirement can also bring a sense of loss. In addition to your changing role, you may be dealing with financial stress, aging, illness, and loss of loved ones. You don't have to face these challenges alone. Care.com, a site for seniors and their families, says that joining a support group can help seniors cope with challenging situations by sharing their feelings with others. A support group can even provide a social outlet if you're feeling isolated.

Stay Social

Did you know that recent research indicates that seniors who have an extensive network of friends are healthier and longer-lived than those who simply have a close family? While family relationships are very important, they aren't a substitute for having friends. You can make friends by attending classes and events at your local senior center, getting out in the community through a church or school, or by starting a weekly card game or book club. While they shouldn't replace "real life" friendships, virtual friends can also be a great joy. Get active on social networking sites or start a blog to share your experiences with friends around the world.

Record Your Story

Sharing your life story can also be a great way to enjoy your retirement. Reviewing the events of your life allows you to reflect on all you've learned and experienced over the years. In addition, recording the your story and family history lets you share those important memories with those you love the most. You can record your life story in a variety of ways. It might be as simple as sitting down in your favorite chair with a tape recorder and just telling the tales you remember. Alternatively, you can write a memoir or hire a professional to do your Video Biography to share with your children, grandchildren, and their descendants. No matter what format you choose, you'll be giving future generations a priceless gift.

Volunteer Your Skills

Volunteering is another important part of a healthy retirement. Whether you help out in the local elementary school or dish up food at a soup kitchen downtown, you're giving the gift of your time. Mentoring others is an excellent way to make a difference in the world. Sites like 'Micro Mentor' can help you connect with new entrepreneurs who might benefit from your expertise. Perhaps you will even volunteer to teach a course at a community center. You can also speak to local hospitals, nursing homes, schools, churches, and daycare centers about how you can help.

See the World

Now that you don't have the set schedule that comes with work, every day is a vacation day. Make the most of all that time by doing the traveling you put off during the busier years. Whether you trek to the other side of the globe or the other side of town, this is a great time to see new places. Organizations like Seniors Home Exchange give you a chance to trade houses with others who might enjoy staying in your home. Another great option is Elder Treks which features exotic adventures for active people over age 50.

Take a Moment to Enjoy Life

You're not rushing off to work in the morning to putting the kids to bed at night, so take a few minutes to just enjoy life. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee out on the patio or relaxing in front of a fire in the evening, one of the great joys of retirement is the slower pace and the chance to really appreciate all that you have. Keeping a journal can help you focus on those moments as you record them for the day. Another option is carrying a digital camera. You'll be surprised at what might inspire a photograph, and in the moment it takes you to pull the camera out and turn it on, you can remember to stop and smell the roses you're about to photograph.

Identify Activities You Love

Overwhelmed with all the options of activities you might enjoy? Let your life inspire you! What did you enjoy doing over the years? Perhaps you loved building model cars as a teenager. Maybe you enjoyed quilting with your mother. List as many favorite activities as you can, then sit back and analyze your list. What do those activities have in common? Perhaps they are all creative or adventure-oriented or social. These common threads can guide you toward the perfect new hobby or experience.

However you choose to spend your time, retirement is a major life change and your outlook will determine a great deal. Attitude is everything. Stay focused on the positive, continue to set goals, and explore. Keeping a good attitude is one the most important ways you can improve your quality of life.

Susan preserves life stories and family history in video biographies and family Documentaries. She is the owner and production manager at Family Line Studios.

2days Kids Kant Rite

2012-05-15T13:50:00.001-04:00

Recent FCAT skills test results are in and today's kids can't write or do math. Only 27% of the states students had passing grades in writing. The State Board of Education met in emergency session yesterday to lower passing grades on the state's FCAT Writing Assessment after preliminary scores show that nearly four out of five students failed to make the grade, reports the News Service of Florida. Instead of figuring out what went wrong, the board unanimously decided to lower the passing grade on the writing assessment. But even with the lower passing standard, more students did not pass.

I'm not really surprised at these results after seeing how young people write so terribly on facebook and other online outlets. They are growing up with cell phones and texting is their main form of communication - they can blame their spelling errors on their efforts to text succinctly and fit within 140 characters on twitter. But, really it makes them look stupid. I text frequently and try to use correct grammar, punctuation and sentence structure to demonstrate that I'm not an idiot. But when kids spell "skool" it says "I'm dumb".

Above the graphic has a test question that half of the 4th graders couldn't do correctly. Can you? Don't cheat and look at the answer. Do it now.

But after you've figured it out, I can tell you the correct answer is the first letter of this sentence.

And if you're educated and do know how to spell and do math; show the world you're not lazy or an idiot, just do it correctly - otherwise we'll assume you can't.

Happy Birthday Jonathan

2012-05-14T14:26:00.001-04:00

Happy 1st birthday to Jonathan, Rachel's baby. We saw the little guy last year when he was just a pup, so I'm not really sure of all the amazing things he's accomplished in his first year of life outside the womb. From what I've heard though I think he basically just sits around and poops.

The Little Dissatisfiers

2012-05-14T10:58:00.001-04:00

I just got done taking a break at work with a nice walk around outside. My friend was asking about our trip and we ended up discussing how little dissatisfiers can affect your perception of events. We've been going to Darlington for ten years and I think this was our last year. Little things that used to be cool and special, are no longer within our reach and we have been relegated back to being regular old peons. At Fan Fest, they've eliminated our favorite plinko game to win VIP events and now only have one opportunity to win VIP each day, but the number of opportunities are down to one or two instead of a dozen. The choice of prizes is slimmer too, no more driver meetings or rides around the track. For the Nationwide race, they've eliminated the driver introduction ride around the track, and the flyover during the anthem is a forgotten perk of the past.

Another dissatisfier is the hotel availability on race weekends - we used to stay at Marriot, Hilton and Hampton Inns which were nice and had amenities we valued like refrigerator, microwave and free full breakfast and newspapers daily. Now the race teams and corporate types have the rooms at all the nice places blocked out every year so regular folks like us can't book a room on race weekends. So we had to stay at the stupid Red Roof Inn. The tripled their normal rate for the race weekend. So understandably, we were upset when we pulled back our sheets the first night only to find dozens of strands of hair all over the bed, in the pillows. DH was pissed and went to the front office to have them change our sheets, but in his anger he frightened the clerk and she locked the door and refused to come out. The manager called the room and when I answered she said she would only come change the sheets because I was there (a woman) otherwise it might not be safe. Geez.

Our cell phone provider @sprint used to be okay, but now I have to say that almost everyday I am dissatisfied with the range of service, with no bars of reception, and dropped calls, or picture emails that fail in sending. I pay a premium rate for unlimited use and data, but I'm not convinced that I'm not being throttled by them.

I just don't like it when vendors make changes to services or products that negatively impact the consumer. I'm not afraid of change and in fact I embrace it when its better, but more often than not its only to make the vendor more money or to save money. I know most people won't complain about a change in level of service provided, or when they are dissatisfied but its really important to speak up. Manufacturers want to know how changes are perceived. and seek feedback on facebook, twitter and on their home web pages, or with a 800 phone number.

If everyone who had a dissatisfier with a company actually made contact and let the company know about the problem, they might change it. So, just remember the next time some little change pisses you off, it will never improve unless YOU let the company know what you think.

Darlington

2012-05-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

Sorry about the absence of posts this weekend, I know I promised one every day in May. But my cell carrier Sprint has been failing me and I'm going to blame it on them. The hotspot feature was not that hot. Anyway, we're back from our trip out of town and had a great time at the Darlington races. Jimmy Johnson (#48) won the cup race, making it the 200th win for Hendrick Motor Sports. We were hoping Junior would do it and wrote on the start finish line during our track walk VIP event, but JJ ended up bringing it home.

Happy Mothers day to all you mothers out there too.

Hot Chores

2012-05-09T13:53:00.001-04:00

So, after our semi annual yard sale the other day we were hauling in boxes of product that hadn't sold and trying to figure out what could go where. We only want to keep non food non perishables like napkins, pantiliners, pens, etc in the back hall because it isn't air conditioned. This area of our house used to be a carport and was enclosed to make a room and a laundry room. And it was so hot back there! Meanwhile, we're also putting the tables back into the secret utility room off the back of the house where we keep hurricane wood, old bikes and winter plant blankets. Low and behold, we discovered the dry vent had come off the outlet and had been blowing dryer lint all over the bikes and sending all the hot air into that room and the laundry room. So, we've actually been heating up our house in the spring (which is like summer in FL). So, I quickly ordered this dryer vent hose and we get to install it today.

As we prepare for our trip there a lot of chores to do and things to cross off the list. Yesterday after work, I picked and washed all the red tomatoes (over a dozen), vacuumed and brushed the pool, shocked the pool, printed and cut coupons, went to Publix, created and ordered some Shutterfly cards, gathered cards for various occasions - addressed, wrote and readied for mail, downloaded ebooks, wrote an email to DOT about the sand they haven't picked up yet from my bike route. Made dinner and watched a movie, and read some of my newest Dennis Lehane thriller.

Whew, I need a break.

Free Shutterfly Cards

2012-05-08T10:21:00.001-04:00

With Mothers day around the corner, here's your chance to make her a very special card. I have some extra Shutterfly 5x7 greeting card codes for 10 free cards that expire on May 9th. All the cards must be the same, so they are actually better for birthday, sympathy, thank you or thinking of you cards. If you're so inclined just enter one of these codes into your www.Shutterfly.com account for some freebies.

M6YW-B5NS-9VPZ-E1H7EB

M6YW-1619-2MCB-8D82JF

M6YW-0K0K-72RZ-DXSVNR

M6YW-IECT-P5FE-XGWC23

The Affair

2012-05-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

We were introduced online, and I was so excited to meet you. You were just as interested in me as I was in you and I felt so lucky. I've had a lot of these opportunities in the past but I usually pass it up, but with you I decided I would start slow. It started with a cup of coffee at Starbucks, lunch on occasion, a beer after work, but it wasn't long before we were shopping, and buying groceries for our dinners. Before I knew it, I was taking you everywhere, traveling to races in Miami, hotel nights by the bay and exciting events. I was overjoyed with all the stuff from Amazon we bought. You made me feel wonderful and special. You always gave me points that made me happy. With you in my life I felt like I could go anywhere and do anything.

And that was my plan to use you to go anywhere and do anything. I gave you attention all the time, and I felt safe with you by my side. I feel kind of bad about it now, because I knew it would have to end before the end of the year. I've finally acheived the goal of getting you to provide me with free plane tickets to Minnesota. I'm going to try to let you go gently, so the cold shoulder won't alarm you to much. When we're through, I won't take you back, so don't bug me. Don't send me letters, or call or text my phone - I'll just block you. I know eventually, you'll get over it and come back begging me to start another relationship. Maybe I will, but more likely I'll have moved onto another one.

Goodbye SWA Visa Credit Card!

Fresh Cabin Air

2012-05-06T17:45:00.000-04:00

We're getting ready for our trip to Darlington which will be a long 8 hr drive, but an easy one with only a couple turns to get to our destination. We've got to clean out the car, pack what we need, check the air pressure on the tires, and we also thought we'd change out the air filters so we have some fresh cabin air. I bought the a cabin air filter and a engine air filter on Amazon cheaply and we decided to change them out today. We have never changed the cabin air filter before because we didn't even know it existed. It was just the suggestion from Amazon that other people who buy the engine air filter also purchased the cabin filter too, so I checked it out and it seemed simple enough to change (which it was). It took literally less than a minute to unscrew the arm holding the glove compartment and then slide out the filter. The picture is what we found - quite the difference. It was full of sand, dirt, leaves, sticks and dead bugs. That was the cabin air we were breathing, not exactly fresh!

Anyway, if you too have an older car and you've never changed the cabin air filter, you might want to knowing how easy it is, and imagining how dirty the current filter is. Just do it.

Happy Birthday John

2012-05-05T17:53:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday John! Remember when this picture was taken, last summer when you were much younger. If getting older for you is anything like it is for me, its tough. More creaky bones and stiff joints. Take a break and enjoy your birthday today, Cheers!

Friday Night Concert

2012-05-04T19:51:00.001-04:00

Finally the show has moved to Lowry Park. Nice night for a concert.

Reading Madness

2012-05-04T13:45:00.001-04:00

Last month for my birthday, DH got me a Kindle Touch ebook reader. I'd been debating whether to get the Touch or Fire, and finally decided my smartphone does everything and more that the Kindle Fire can do, so I went with the Touch simply to use it as my library. And my library is building quickly. I set up RSS feeds from two sites that send out lists of the newest FREE ebooks from Amazon daily.

If you have a kindle (or kindle app on your smartphone), you will definitely want to visit Digital Book Today, and Kindle Nation Daily. I have downloaded over 300 books in a month and they have to meet my criteria of Mystery, Thriller, Adventure, Fiction, Memoirs and possibly something else - have over 4.5 stars review (out of 5) and be FREE! Even if you don't have a kindle now, but you might in the future (or even just a smartphone with the kindle app), you'll want to start getting your free books in your Kindle Library.

Don't get me wrong about ebooks, I prefer a "real" book but I have to admit its pretty darn convenient to always have a selection of books I'm reading. Right now I'm reading the new book Fifth Victim by Zoe Sharp. If you read, Lee Child you will love Zoe Sharp. Her main character Charlie Fox is the equivalent of a female Jack Reacher. You will want to read them all. At the beginning of the month, I read all the Hunger Games which are good despite the Young Adult angle. I'm also in the middle of Vengeance which is a mystery edited by Lee Child. For my free Amazon Prime lending library book this month I'm going to check out Narrow's Gate, by Joe Fussilli, another highly recommended mystery thriller.

May is Bike Month

2012-05-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month in your city or state — and help get more people in your community out riding too!

When is Bike to Work Week and Day?

The League of American Bicyclists is the national sponsor of Bike Month, and this year Bike to Work Week is May 14-18 and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18.

When is Bike to School Day?

The inaugural Bike to School Day is May 9, 2012. Learn more, register or find an event in your area here.