Thoughts Above Ground

Go Juno!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:10:00 +0000

I'm not a space geek, but was in awe while witnessing the fiery engine boost and spiral smoke trail of NASA's Juno spacecraft launch on top of an Atlas V rocket. This is the first spacecraft to operate on solar power rather than nuclear power. It's going on a six-year journey to learn more about our solar system and Jupiter.

Some fun facts:

-Weighs 4 tons

-Blades collect solar energy with 18,698 solar cells

-$1.1 billion mission cost

-Jupiter is 5X farther from the sun than Earth

I Don't Want to See Osama Bin Laden Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:20:00 +0000

The government is pondering over whether or not to release the photographs of Osama Bin Laden with a gunshot to the head, which would prove that he is dead. I, for one, do not wish to view these pictures. I'm sure there are many people who would like to see them because they are curious or need proof. But with today's technology, any photographs can be easily altered. So, what's the point?! It seems like we'd be gloating or just showing them off. I think it's just sick to want to see them. I know he doesn't deserve any respect or courtesy, but we don't have to stoop as low as him. Already his name is all over the Internet. There will probably be a movie made too. That glorifies him. Let the rest of him die in peace.

Stop and Smell the Roses

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 23:48:00 +0000

Lately, I've been fascinated with the sky. I have a 22-minute commute to work that winds along the Indian River so I usually see the rising sun against the sky. Some days it's cloudy while others are clear. Each day is different. I feel like I need to stop and pull over to capture the morning sky at that particular moment. When I don't stop, I regret it. So, I figure if I really like the sky that day that I should stop and take a picture. That way, I'll always have a memory of how beautiful that day was and no two skies are alike. It's another way of saying, "Stop and smell the roses."

Necessity, the mother of invention (Plato)

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:17:00 +0000

Designer handbags and purses, usually large, are a popular accessory these days. Sometimes, I don’t want to lug my heavy bag with me so I stick my credit card, cash, cell phone and car key in my pockets which makes them bulge. Sometimes I don’t have pockets. My sister-in-law and I decided we need a small cloth bag that would be large enough to carry those few things, but still lightweight. We saw some larger cloth purses at an outdoor market that she liked. I don’t know how much they cost, but I said, “I used to make those when I was a teenager. I can make you one!” I went to a fabric store, picked out some quilted fabric and lining, and created a small bag for her. It took me about two hours to cut and sew. The hardest part was the strap because I couldn’t get the heavy quilted fabric to turn inside out so I created a new one by topstitching. I’m quite pleased with this little bag. Someone told me it looks like a Vera Bradley because of the printed material. I’ll have to make this pocket purse for myself now.

I Just Saved $155 on My Car Insurance!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Sounds like an old radio commercial, but it's true. My son just took the TeenSmart course, passed, and my insurance company gave us a discount. But more important than the savings is the course claims to reduce the chance of your teen getting into an accident. Statistically, teens are more likly to be involved in accidents than any other age group. The course involves parents and teen viewing some videos, teen doing computer-based training, and hands-on driving with the parent. The course can be completed over about a month's time and covers critical crash factors such as visual search, detecting hazards, perceiving risks, adjusting speed, managing space, and risky lifestyles. I highly recommend the course for teens and parents.

Unlimited Vacation?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:29:00 +0000

Sounds like part of a dream job or is it a joke? Some companies like Social Strata and Netflix are offering this unbelievable benefit. They justify its offering by saying most of their employees are hard workers or on call anyway so they deserve to take off whenever they want without having to account for it. The caveat is that this is for professional employees, not factory workers, because you can’t have the assembly line shut down. I know many professional employees who are losing their vacation time because they can’t take time off from important projects. And then there are others who really can’t afford to take time off to actually go somewhere. So, for them there’s always the “stay-cation.” They still would be checking emails and ticking off some housework list. Not really my idea of a vacation. There’s usually one person who takes advantage of the situation. But if they’re on vacation a lot and not missed, so will be their job. So, will more companies be offering unlimited vacations as a benefit? I don’t think so.

Things I Didn't Know About Armadillos

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:20:00 +0000

After discovering a baby armadillo foraging in our yard, I did some research (thanks to Wikipedia):

They are known as "little armored one" in Spanish. They are nocturnal and sleep around 16 hours a day. They are very susceptible to cold weather due to their low body temperature. They are used for research in diseases such as Leoprosy. They are born as identical quadruplets that come from the same egg and placenta. They swim and float by trapping air in their intestines. They gather bugs and ants using their sharp claws to dig into the ground and have a long, sticky tongue to eat, but do not have enamel on their teeth. Baby Armadillos have a soft leathery skin that hardens with time. They can live up to 15 years.

Where's the % sign on the Blackberry Keyboard?

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:43:00 +0000

I just got a new Blackberry cell phone and was most excited about having an actual keyboard to use to type text messages. I was tired of hitting the same button 4 times to get an “s” on screen. But when texting a comment about our rain chances, I was dismayed to find there is no percent sign (%) on the keyboard. After typing the word out, I realized I could have used the letter o, a slash, and the letter o which is probably what we used to type on manual typewriters. It’s ironic that the “QWERTY” layout of the characters on the keyboard was designed to prevent the metal keys from jamming while typing on a manual typewriter. I learned to use all my fingers on the keyboard when I took a typing class in high school, but today toddlers are using keyboards. So, I wonder if they might want to change the layout of the keyboard in the near future. Hopefully, the standard QWERTY keyboard won’t go away like 8-track tapes.

10 Clichés That I Hate

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:28:00 +0000

“That being said” or “Having said that” – if you said it, why do you have to say you said it?
“Been there, done that” – Are you bragging or bored? This is so old and heard too many times.
“Yaddi yaddi yadda” – Where did this come from and what does it mean, except for a space filler?
“24/7” – isn’t everything so why do you have to say it?
“It is what it is” – I think this means “don’t complain about it.” Some people might say “This too shall pass” or “Let it be.” This is beginning to sound like a Beatles album.
“Out of the box” – It means “creatively” so let’s just be creative. I recently heard someone say “out of the square.”
“Discuss, meet or talk offline” – as opposed to online which might mean on the Internet, but this means meeting at another time and place.
“Flesh that out” – That just sounds disgusting.
“All intents and purposes” or sometimes misspoken as “all intensive purposes.” This reminds me of the first one on my list. It’s a waste of breath.
“My bad” – Just say “excuse me” or let it go.

Easy Clams Linguine

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:40:00 +0000

My author friend was asking for a good Italian recipe she could use in her book. I suggested Clams Linguine, a family recipe I got from my mother-in-law. The fresh parsley makes it especially delicious, but you can use the dried stuff if that's all you've got.

5 garlic cloves, minced
½ stick (4 tablespoons) of butter
Splash of white wine
3 cans of chopped clams
2-3 tablespoons of flour
2-3 tablespoons of milk
1-2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 box of linguine noodles

In a medium size skillet, sauté garlic in butter on medium heat. Add a splash of wine and cook a minute or two. Add clams: 1 can drained clams and 2 cans with juice. Stir to cook together for a few minutes. Turn down to low temperature. In a separate cup, mix flour and add milk to make a creamy mixture. Add to clam sauce to thicken. Stir in chopped parsley and serve over cooked linguine noodles. Enjoy!

Just Another Twilight Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:09:00 +0000

I, too, have succumbed to the lure of the “Twilight Series” written by Stephanie Meyer. Three friends recommended the books to me saying they were really romantic fiction, not so much about vampires. I picked up Twilight while waiting for a prescription at the drug store; started reading it; and had to buy it to finish reading. At first, the scene and dialog seemed kind of juvenile, but I found peering into the life of a teenager who has moved to a small town kind of compelling. I could relate and I probably would have fallen for Edward myself. I was bitten by the first book and had to have more. The second book, New Moon, turned out to be a monotonous continuation of the story with the introduction of a pack of werewolves. Now, I’m reading Eclipse and intrigued by the story of a teenage girl in love with a vampire while friends with a werewolf. The young love relationship brings up several analogies for abstinence, but I keep wondering if she’s going to become a vampire or not?! It’s all very implausible, but a great escape. I have to find out what’s going to happen so I’ll have to read the final book called Breaking Dawn. Then I'll have to see the movies.

Prepare: Teenage Driver

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:05:00 +0000

My 16-year-old son just got his driver's license. He's had his learner's permit for over a year and passed driver's education at school. He never scared me when he was driving with me in the car. Basically, I think he's a good driver, but it's the other drivers that I don't trust. I've told him "just watch out for the other guy." Besides watching out for the other drivers on the road, I was concerend about the distractions inside the car. So, I found a teenage driving contract that covers other driving rules. We reviewed the contract together and he signed it. The contract covers issues like speeding, loud music, phone usage, alcohol, drugs, number of passengers, etc. You can download it for free here: www.parentingteendrivers.com.

One-quarter Inch Thinner Toilet Paper

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:42:00 +0000

It’s not your imagination that the toilet paper seems to be getting smaller. I recently noticed the new toilet paper roll had a lot of play on its holder. I compared it to the empty discarded roll and it is, in fact, one-quarter inch narrower. Manufacturers are smart in that they don’t raise the price, but give you less for the same price. This has been happening for years, if not decades, but this was noticeably smaller. You get fewer tissues in a box; less coffee in a bag; and now thinner toilet tissue. There were no announcements either. No “new and improved.” No “smaller and better.” No mention of it. Just wanted you to know I noticed. Can you think of any other examples?

Facebook Is A Soap Opera!

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:24:00 +0000

As I was signing onto my Facebook account, I wondered what drama I might find today. Some people spill their whole lives out there while others just like to let us know their eating and sleeping habits. Sometimes I feel like I’m eavesdropping on a telephone conversation or maybe they should be texting instead of putting it out on Facebook for everyone to see. Some people announce job interviews, negative opinions about people, personal surgeries, and use unnecessary cuss words that I don’t think need airing. So, I think it’s like watching a TV soap opera. By signing on, you get a glimpse of what’s going on in other people's lives, but not enough to draw conclusions and just enough to tune in the next time. Oh, there are commercials: the sidebars with sponsors, suggestions, and invitations to play Farmville.

Pennies from Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Not too many people pick up pennies these days, but I still do. I remember the saying “Find a penny, pick it up, all the day have good luck,” but that was only if it was heads up. The other day, I received an email about a wealthy man who picked up pennies. He said since each one carries the phrase “In God We Trust,” it was a reminder that God is always there. I’ve heard of people who think it’s a sign from their deceased loved one reminding them that they’re around. My brother used to turn over the tails-up pennies that he found for the next person to find for good luck. On the evening that I heard these stories, I was at home turning on our PC controller (which is on the floor) and found a penny next to it--heads up. I think that was a reminder from my departed brother. If it was face down, I would have had to turn it over.

Do Unto Others

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Voice a loud outburst during a speech. Defend yourself using vulgar and threatening words. Denounce someone’s award by interrupting with your own opinion. These three incidents in the last week display an extreme lack of manners by well known people (SC Rep. Joe Wilson, tennis player Serena Williams, and singer Kanye West). Just because they happen to be rich, successful or famous doesn’t give them the right to treat other people badly. The unfortunate thing is these negative comments have appeared all over the news and gave further publicity to people who probably love all the attention anyway they can get it. It reminds me of an old adage “bad publicity is better than no publicity at all.” It seems that these people are used to having their way and don’t care who they have to trample to get it, but now we’ve seen what kind of people they really are. So, what kind of person are you, really? Do you do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12)?

Poor Customer Service & Lousy Food--OK

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Maybe we’ve come to accept poor customer service and lousy food from “fast-food restaurants.” Now that’s an oxymoron since it’s neither fast nor a restaurant in my experience. Recently, a friend and I stopped to get coffee and a chicken biscuit at a McDonald’s drive-through in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The clerk practically threw my change into my hand so that most of it ended up outside my car. She didn’t apologize or offer to give me correct change and closed her window. I nudged open my car door to see what I could reach and managed to salvage a quarter. I figured if she does that enough, she can gather up a good tip at the end of her shift. Then, while waiting in line to pick up my food, we heard the occupant in the car ahead loudly ranting at the clerk several times, “I saw what you did. Where’s your manager?” So, we’re beginning to think all of the employees at this location must have poor attitudes. Anyway, when I got to eat my sandwich at my destination, the chicken was burned and tasted pretty greasy.
Next time, I will examine my sandwich before I leave the parking lot and I’ll hold up traffic getting my change. Or maybe I just won’t eat there again.

Frolicking Manatees in the Indian River Lagoon

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Each morning when I arrive at the office, I look for manatees and dolphins near the Indian River seawall. One June morning, a family of four manatees was frolicking including a young one. I grabbed my camera and was mesmerized by these prehistoric-looking creatures. They bobbed up and down and tumbled across each other in the water. They continue to amaze me.

Broken Things

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Why does everything break? And it happens in threes? In the past week, our air conditioner, our pool chlorinator, and our toilet broke. First I thought I could blame it on a lightning strike, but that wouldn’t cause the toilet to leak. Fortunately, two of these things are under warranty. But the warranty doesn’t cover labor. So, to avoid future unexpected costs, we sprung for an extended warranty on the A/C. My mother keeps telling me “You shoulda bought a Trane.”
My husband, handyman that he is, and unemployed right now, is scheduling the repairmen and trying to fix the toilet himself. We were without A/C for 3 days, but our electric bill didn’t go down. We had a window unit in our bedroom which probably wasn’t the most energy efficient. But at least we were comfortable. We’re using chlorine and tablets in the pool until Tuesday.
Things are gradually getting fixed until the next lightning strike.

Things To Ponder

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Strange headline:
Passengers Not Told of Pilot's Death (This is not a good situation either way.)

I like these bumper stickers:
I only hope that I can be the person my dog thinks I am.
I'll keep my money, religion and guns. You keep the change.

Marquis sign on church:"Sign broken. Message inside."

Why is there a mirrored cross on a cement utility pole on US1? I wonder who put it there and why.

Save gas by pretending there's an egg between the accelerator pedal and the floor.

Nestle Toll House cookies is recalling their refrigerated cookie dough due to people getting e coli from eating raw dough. How many times has your mother told you NOT to eat uncooked cookie dough?

Happy Father's Day!

One Bar Left

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:24:00 +0000

On Sunday, I noticed my Oral-B Triumph electric toothbrush was not charging ever since I had heard a high-pitched hum coming from the charger. There were only two of four charge bars showing and I wondered if it’s anything like my phone, it’ll just suddenly die. I’m not sure I can do a good job of brushing my teeth with a manual toothbrush anymore. I decided I’d better replace it quickly and this time, with a not-so-deluxe $50-version because the last one didn’t last much longer than a year. So, with one bar left on Wednesday I drove to Target on my lunch hour to buy the no-bells-and-whistles rechargeable electric toothbrush. They only had the display model, but 7 boxes of the next version, the Oral-B Pulsonic, that costs $66. I decided to continue shopping and stopped by a Sears on the way back to work. They didn’t even carry electric toothbrushes. What was I thinking? On Thursday, I stopped at Wal-mart because they always carry the cheaper model, right? No, the cheapest model they had was $66, the same version that I had declined to buy at Target. Three stores later and still no $50 electric toothbrush. I could have saved a lot of time, gas and money had I bought it online at Amazon, but I was thinking “buy local” and “get it now.” I decided to buy the Oral-B Pulsonic. Save time, gas, money, and the risk of not having an electric toothbrush to use when the last bar is gone. I charged it overnight, used it this morning, and really liked it. Oh, and there’s still one bar left on my old toothbrush.

For reviews and pictures of both toothbrushes, check out this blog: The NY Renovator.

Church Rituals and the Swine Flu

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:56:00 +0000

An announcement was made before mass started on Sunday. Due to the possible spread of swine flu, Bishop Wenski with advice from the Center for Disease Control has recommended: “Please do not hold hands during the reciting of the Our Father. Share the Sign of Peace WITHOUT touching hands or kissing. This can be done with meaningful eye contact, smiles, and a bow of the head in reverence to one another.” This resulted in some laughs and giggles from the congregation. I didn’t think it was funny. Was it because people were uncomfortable with this topic? When it came time to offer the sign of peace, I saw some people shake hands anyway. I exchanged some nods and peace signs. I figured “better safe than sorry.” The irony is that we were still offered to share the holy sacrament of blood by drinking from the same chalice.

Easter Pine Tree Crosses

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:08:00 +0000

We’re surrounded by pine trees where I live and I’m reminded of my brother who told me the story of the little crosses at the tops of pine trees. Just before Easter, new shoots of growth sprout from the tops of the pine trees and form crosses. (Here, I’ve taken a photo of some next to my yard.) They’re everywhere now. Glory to God!

On The Ball

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:43:00 +0000

I took a “Core and More” hour-long exercise class at my health club last night. I never knew you could do so many things with one of those large balls. I’ve only used one to do abdominal work and I usually feel a belly ache the next day. The instructor started with us standing and stretching alongside the ball on the floor. This was easy. Then, we held it in front of us and pushed it up and down and over to the side for awhile. Next, we held onto the wall and put it behind us rolling one straight leg over it while the other went into a kneeling lunge, then switched sides. These were killers to the butt and the legs. One exercise consisted of rolling, stomach on top of the ball, with outstretched hands like a push-up. These seemed to produce the most vocal grunts and groans by my classmates. We also balanced and squeezed the ball between our legs while on the floor in about four different positions. One part of the class, we didn’t use the ball, but we laid on our stomachs to use a flat nylon Frisbee “glider” to push our hands and arms around on the floor making stroke movements similar to swimming. We used some stretchy bands to work our shoulders and arms and used a few weights for our biceps and triceps. It was a good all-around workout and I’m not too sore (yet). I think it’s good to try something different and get out of your comfort zone, so I’ll probably go back next week.

Happy Birthday WWW

noreply@blogger.com (Judy Gasperini) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:24:00 +0000

The WWW just turned 20 today and we couldn’t imagine life without it. I’m talking about the World Wide Web developed by Tim Berners-Lee and other European scientists so they could exchange their research information around the world. I wonder if they ever imagined how pervasive it would become. I mean if we want to know the weather forecast, we don’t wait to hear it on the radio or TV news. If we want to learn more about a health symptom, we no longer have to wait to see the doctor. If we want to communicate with our hometown family and friends, we don’t have to make several long-distance telephone calls. If we want a special recipe for unusual banana bread, we don’t have to personally ask a lot of people and then write it down. If we want to learn how to make a beautiful flower arrangement, we don’t have to take a six-week course. If we want to read an excerpt from a book, we don’t have to go to the library or bookstore. If we want to send photos of our children to our families, we don’t have to wait to have the pictures printed first. If we want to renew our driver’s license, we don’t have to go to the DMV. If we want to check our bank account balance, we don’t have to go to the bank or make phone call. If we want to go shopping, we don’t have to go to the mall. If we want to know what to do on our next vacation, we don’t have to hire a travel agent. If we want to meet other people, we don’t have to go outside of our homes. If we want our thoughts and ideas to be known, we don’t have to hire a PR firm. (So I could go on and on with this blog, but I won’t.)
If you want to do any of these things I’ve mentioned, you can accomplish them on the World Wide Web.