Anything You May Want To Know

Chinese New Year Zodiac

2012-02-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

The year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac. I was born in1953 which is the Year of the Snake. Becx was born in 1971 which is the Year of the Pig. Our daughter Keira was born in 2009 which is the Year of the Ox. What this means to each of us is summarized below for each of our Chinese Zodiac signs.

The Snake occupies the 6^th spot in the Chinese Zodiac. Snakes are intelligent and graceful. They are extremely analytical and they don’t jump into situations quickly. They are effective in getting what they want even if it means they have to scheme and plot along the way. Snakes prefer a life of calmness and quietness over noise and confusion. They prefer a manageable workload rather than a schedule that is over-booked. Snakes become easily stressed when their lives are not peaceful and in order. Snakes work very hard but they have a tendency to be job-hoppers as they become easily bored. Their somewhat laid-back attitude causes them to often be mistakenly categorized as slackers but nothing could be further from the truth. Being born in 1953 I come under the sub-heading of Water Snake. The characteristics of a Water Snake are: Influential, motivated, insightful, and highly intellectual.

The Pig takes up the last position in the Chinese Zodiac at spot number 12. Pigs are diligent, compassionate, and generous. They enjoy life because they are entertaining. Pigs enjoy helping others and sometimes they tend to give too much to others. Pigs enjoy helping at work and they can always be counted on. They enjoy opportunities that allow them to express their creativity. Pigs are detail-oriented and they are not afraid to take on responsibility. Pigs are supportive and giving and these traits make them excellent partners. They are affectionate and sexual and prefer staying home to going out. They enjoy what they have, especially their home and family. Once they find the right partner they are committed for the long-term. Since Becx was born in 1971 she comes under the sub-heading of Metal Pig. They have tough exteriors and this strength can be seen in all areas of their life. They work hard and they give their love with all they have. They are outspoken and tend to trust others quickly.

Keira was born in 2009 under the sign of the Ox. The Ox takes up the 2^nd position on the Chinese Zodiac. They are usually dependable and determined. Oxen love to be at home where there is comfort. They enjoy reading and television. They prefer work that is routine as they are methodical and they enjoy work which is specialized and which allow them to do things in the proper order. They are more productive when they are allowed to work alone. Since Keira was born in 2009 she comes under the sub-heading of Earth Ox. They are successful individuals because they are diligent rather than impulsive. Their modest approach, combined with their reliability and sincerity, makes them very likeable.

There you have it…a Snake…a Pig…and an Ox. One under the sub-heading of Water…one under the sub-heading of Metal…and one under the sub-heading of Earth. Looks like we have the entire spectrum covered in our family!

President's Day

2012-02-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

When I was a child growing up in Oakland, California, in the 1950’s and 1960’s we did not have a holiday called President’s Day as we have today. We did have a holiday called George Washington’s Birthday and that was celebrated on February 22^nd during my childhood.

As I grew up we also had a semi-holiday called Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday which was celebrated on February 12^th but it was only a pseudo holiday at that time with very few people or organizations or businesses honoring it.

Although Washington’s Birthday was celebrated by many during the early 1800’s his birthday was not become a legitimate national holiday until 1880, establishing February 22^nd as the day of the national holiday.

In 1968 there was legislation put into place to simplify yearly calendars and to give Federal employees some fixed 3-day weekends. This Act started in 1971 and it shifted the observation of Washington’s Birthday from February 22^nd to the third Monday in February.

Although this holiday is often still referred to as Washington’s Birthday, it has become popularly known as President’s Day. So we now have the third Monday in February as a Federal holiday in which to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but in my opinion it should be a day to honor all Presidents and not just these two.

The reason I make that statement is that I feel it is unfair to honor only President Washington or President Lincoln due to the fact that every President has brought something to the White House. Whether any President was classified as a “good” President, a “bad” President, or an “ineffective” President, whether by the Press or the Congress, they should not be dishonored by stating that President’s Day is a holiday in which we honor only Washington and Lincoln.

So when President’s Day comes around on Monday, February 22^nd this year, please take time to sit back and reflect on the history of the

United States

and think about what the President of the

United States

means to you.

Chocolate Covered What???

2012-02-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Becx Eide

As previously mentioned my husband Andy is a certified Chocoholic, and he says everything tastes great when covered in chocolate. Although I eat chocolate occasionally I don’t enjoy chocolate at the level he does. As I talk about things people cover with chocolate, and then they eat it, you will see that I simply cannot believe everything tastes great when covered in chocolate!

Some of the traditional items people cover in chocolate and then enjoy eating include: Raisins, peanuts, caramel, cream filling, ice cream, and strawberries.

Here is where it gets strange, my stomach begins to do somersaults, and I feel like losing something I ate from my last meal.

Some people enjoy encasing the following things inside of chocolate and then eating them: Ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and a host of other critters which should be left out in the field and not in my stomach!

My husband told me about an odd one he experienced in 2002 when he and his Supervisor went to a store during their lunch break. This item is not a traditional chocolate covered item such as raisins, peanuts, etc. This item is not some disgusting bug either. What my husband told me about was dark chocolate covered espresso beans sold by Trader Joe’s.

Andy told me that he at first thought that crunching on espresso beans was not appealing to him. Then he figured since the beans were covered in chocolate it would still taste great. Even my chocoholic husband admits that the bitterness of the espresso beans completely overshadowed his enjoyment of their chocolate coating. So maybe this disproves his theory that everything tastes great when covered in chocolate eh?

Aquarius

2012-02-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Becx Eide

I, Becx, was born on February 8, which makes me an Aquarius under the Zodiac. Allow me to give you some information about the traits and characteristics of an Aquarius.

Aquarius is a masculine positive fixed air sign. The polar opposite sign is Leo. The color for Aquarius is all the colors of the rainbow. The water bearer always thinks 50 years ahead of time. Okay, so far I agree with that.

The traits of an Aquarius fall into two categories which are positive traits and negative traits. The positive traits include: Friendly and humanitarian, honest and loyal, original and innovative, and independent and intellectual. Gee I can’t argue with those traits as they apply to me!

The negative traits include: Intractable and contrary, perverse and unpredictable, unemotional and detached. Hmmm, I have to conclude that not all traits of all Zodiac signs are applicable to the persons born under that particular sign because I have none of these negative traits! If you don’t believe me you may ask my husband.

Important parameters include the following: Lucky number is 2. Lucky color is red. Lucky gemstone is Amethyst. Lucky day is Thursday. By the way I married my husband on July 15, 2010, which was a Thursday!

A typical Aquarius has the intense desire to communicate. They are interesting and attractive. They can be shy, sensitive, gentle and patient, or they can be enthusiastic and lively with a tendency to be a bit over the line. A typical Aquarius is opinionated with a strong conviction to fight for what they believe in. They are farsighted and innovative. They are generally without prejudice and quite tolerant of others’ point of view. A typical Aquarius is a good listener and they care deeply for their friends.

Finally a typical Aquarius is truly humane and known to be outspoken. They are refined and idealistic. They are romantic and practical. They are a personable and likable person. They can be counted on to come up with original ideas. These intellectuals excel in the arts as well as the technical trades.

There you have it! The positive traits fit me perfectly! The negative traits are not residing with this Aquarius! And that last line which states that Aquarius excel in the technical trades is the reason I do well as a Computer IT Tech.

How I Met My Husband

2012-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Becx Eide

The photo you see in today’s blog was taken in November 2010 when my husband, Andrew (Andy), came to Manila for a visit over his birthday. Today I will tell you how we met and how we ended up where we are today.

We were introduced through a mutual friend, Lito, around March 2010. Our friend works at our Apartment Complex. He knew Andy was looking for someone to date so he contacted me and gave me Andy’s phone number. At that time I was living in Quezon City, outside Manila, and I called Andy on my Magic Jack.

When he answered I told him who I was and that Lito referred me to him. He asked me if I was in New York and I told him I was in Manila. I forgot that my Magic Jack displayed a New York area code. The first comment Andy made was, “Gee, nice of Lito to refer me to someone 6,000 miles away. How are we supposed to date with that distance between us?”

We decided to become friends and leave it at that. We continued communicating by phone, texting on MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, and eventually we communicated by Yahoo Video Call. Even with a long distance separating us physically we both felt there was something special between us and in the events on how we met. One thing led to another and the next thing you know we had a very strong intellectual bond. We decided we wanted to make our relationship permanent so Andy came to Manila in July 2010 and we were married.

I know this must sound extremely odd to you but it really did happen that way. We both believe that having the intellectual connection first, before a physical connection, is the key to the wonderful marriage we have.

My husband is a good man, full of love and compassion, and he loves me very much, more than words can express. Do I ever look back and have regrets or questions on marrying him as quickly as I did? No! None at all!

And now here I am in the

United St

ates of America, in the State of California, in the City of Concord, and I am with my loving husband. Although we are not able to have our daughter with us at this time, as she is currently still in Manila with our family in our Condo, she is very dear in our hearts and we miss her immensely. Soon we will be able to bring her back to us here in California.

So, remember, love is a confusing thing. The power of love is less understood that the forces in the Universe which holds everything together.

Saint Valentine & Saint Valentine's Day

2012-02-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Although Saint Valentine’s Day in the

United St

ates

is focused on candy, flowers, and chocolate, along with greeting cards and a little Cherub who shoots love arrows into the heart of your person of affection, I am not going to talk about the commercialization of Saint Valentine’s Day. Instead I will focus on Saint Valentine the person.

Saint Valentine is the Patron Saint of Love, Young People, and Happy Marriages. Saint Valentine Feast Day is February 14^th.

Valentine was a holy Priest in Rome who, with Saint Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the persecution under Claudius II. He was apprehended and sent by the Emperor to the Prefect of Rome. When attempts to make Valentine renounce his faith didn’t work, they commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterwards, to be beheaded. The sentence was executed on February 14, about the year 270.

The origin of Saint Valentine remains somewhat of a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Some say Saint Valentine was a Temple Priest who was jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was Valentine was a real person because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14^th as a celebration day in honor of the martyrdom of Valentine.

Perhaps this next item will give you an idea where the concept of handing a card or note to someone and commenting “Be My Valentine” or “From Your Valentine” originated.

Saints are not supposed to rest in peace. They are expected to keep busy performing miracles and to intercede. Just because you are in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. There is one legend which says, while awaiting his execution, Valentine restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter. Another legend states that on the eve of his death he penned a farewell note to the jailer’s daughter signing it, “From Your Valentine.”

Most Catholics enjoy honoring the Saints. It saddens us that Saint Valentine’s Day has become a major commercial holiday in the

United St

ates

where candy, flowers, chocolates, and little Cherubs with a bow with love arrows, overshadows what Saint Valentine, the Patron Saint of Love, Young People, and Happy Marriages, stands for.

My First Published Article on Yahoo! Contributor Network

2012-02-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Starting January 24, 2012, I decided to become a regular Contributing Writer on Yahoo! Contributor Network (YCN).

There are several ways to write for YCN. One is to go into the Assignment Desk and see what articles are available for assignment writing. What they do is give you what you need to write, and all the guidelines requires for the article, and you simply need to accept the assignment, write the article using their guidelines, and submit the article before their posted deadline for that article.

The other way to submit an article is to submit what they call an unsolicited article. This simply means that you write something, it is not an assignment from Yahoo! Contributor Network, and you submit the general article and hope they review it and accept it. Of course, logic tells you that you have a better chance of having an assigned article publshed than an unsolicited one.

Case in point: I submitted two unsolicited articles. The first one, which was on my dog Lucky who passed away on July 19, 2009, was rejected as not being of general interest. The second unsolicited article was on my chocoholic nature and it was initially rejected because I had way too many sentences in bold and they want as little of that as possible.

Then I went into the Assignment Desk and accepted an assignment to write a personal review on a local Dog Park. I decided to write an article about The Paw Patch dog park which is located in Newhall Community Park in Concord, California, a short walk from where we live.

My article for The Paw Patch was published in Yahoo! Voices today, a mere three days after I submitted the article. How they pay you for published work is for every 1,000 hits to your article you will get between $1.00 to $2.50 so some day, if I get a lot of content published, I may actually make a few Dollars doing what I enjoy doing which is writing.

You can click this link to my article The Paw Patch in Concord, California to view my first published article.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Becx!

2012-02-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

I know I am two days early but I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my very special wife Rebecca (Becx). Her birthday is on Wednesday, February 8, and she will be turning...well...I won't mention it here since woman seem to have a thing about men telling people their age, so if you want to know then you need to ask her directly...ha ha ha!

The event of Becx's birthday is both a happy and sad occasion since we are not able to have our daughter, Keira, with us. However next year we will be together as a family for both Keira's and Becx's birthdays which are both in February.

Without revealing Becx's age, as I already told you that you have to ask her directly, I will inform you that she is a bit younger than I am. When I first met her and realized that I wanted to enjoy her in my life as my wife her younger age was a concern for me. You have to understand that I am older than her, I am an average-looking guy, I am kalbo (balding), and I am matanda (getting older). However in our man discussions Becx has informed me that she has always been attracted to men who are older and balding ones, so my perceived shortcomings actually turned out to be blessings for me. YAY!

So, my dear sweet loving adorable cute wife, Happy Birthday and I love you so much that I cannot find the proper words to express that love. Just know that I am so very blessed to have you and Keira in my life.

Happy Birthday Keira!

2012-02-03T06:39:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Becx Eide

Today is Friday, February 3, 2012, and today is our daughter, Keira's, 3rd birthday. Yes our precious little daughter turns three years old today.

As most of you know Rebecca and Keira immigrated to the United States in October 2011. After a period of time we realized that we perhaps brought Keira out of the familiar environment of Manila, Philippines, and she was having an extremely difficult time adjusting. We discussed the situation with family and close friends and everyone came to the same conclusion that they requested us to bring Keira back to Manila to stay there for a while until they could evaluate her and let us know when they felt she was ready to return here.

Recently our family and friends informed us that Keira is ready to return to us here. Unfortunately we have to wait a little bit longer until we are able to accomplish that. What happened with that decision is it caused us to not be able to physically be with Keira on her 3rd birthday day.

Please understand that we both miss Keira immensely and we often cry ourselves to sleep because she is not with us.

Becx is a very dedicated and loving Mommy to Keira and in our many discussions I understand how much love she has for our little girl. When I married Becx I fully accepted Keira into my life also. In my eyes she will always be my daughter and I love her so much.

Of course you all can rest assured that with those beautiful big eyes...that pretty smile...and a sweet "Daddy! I love you!" that Keira will be able to get almost anything she wants from me...lol

Keira...I love you so much. I miss you so much. Happy Birthday!

Let's Talk CHOCOLATE!

2012-02-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Becx Eide

As we previously mentioned February is The Love Month as candy, flowers, and chocolate fly around as tokens of love from one person toward another. Since my husband is a certified Chocoholic we wish to focus on Chocolate today.

Here is a classic quote which most of you may have heard:

“It’s not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let’s face it, far more reliable than a man.” – Miranda Ingram

When a person eats chocolate they get the same chemical reaction in the brain as a person gets when making love. So it could be said that love is a substitute for chocolate instead of chocolate is a substitute for love.

I wish to continue with some chocolate quotes my husband researched. They are credited to the person who created the quote except where listed as Anonymous or Author Unknown:

“As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.” – Sandra Boynton

“Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment.” – Catherine Aitken

“Don’t wreck a sublime chocolate experience by feeling guilty. Chocolate isn’t like premarital sex. It will not make you pregnant. And it always feels good.” – Lora Brody

“I never met a chocolate I didn’t like.” – Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation

“Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put ‘eat chocolate.’ Now, you’ll get at least one thing done today.” – Gina Hayes

“There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles.” – Anonymous

“There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE. – Linda Grayson

I would like to end this blog with a quote from my husband. He has not been able to locate whether someone else used and laid claim to this quote but he wanted to pass it along anyway. My husband always states “There is no such thing as bad chocolate!” Since he is the Family Chocoholic I am not going to question his comment. Ha ha ha!

February - The Love Month

2012-02-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

February is The Love Month. I mean, come on, with Valentine’s Day looming, where chocolates, candy, and flowers are presented in gifts of affection, we might as well consider the entire month of February as The Love Month rather than just a boring winter month. So with those lead in comments please allow me to present a discussion about February being The Love Month.

WHAT IS LOVE?

To start with I want to present to you what love is not:

Love is not manipulative. If you say to someone “If you loved me then you would (what you demand the person to do)” that isn’t love. That is infatuation.

True love means you never compromise who you are. We all have dignity and self worth and to give up your dignity and self worth is not love. If someone tells you they love you, but they request you do or say something that is not your nature, then that isn’t love. Someone who is in love with you will never ask you to change who you are in order to be loved.

Love is never violent. A relationship with physical or emotional violence isn’t true love. It isn’t love at all.

If that is what love is not then we need to talk about what love is.

So here we go with True Love is:

True Love is Caring about the one you love. There are many names for different forms of love including: passion, virtuous, affection for family, desire, and general affection. Even with many definitions they hold a common trait and that is caring.

True Love is Attractive. There must be a form of attraction and chemistry to form the bond between two loving persons. There must be both attraction and chemistry which allows you to bond on a personal and intellectual level. Without both of these items working in harmony what you end up with is a relationship based upon lust or infatuation.

True Love is Attached. The attachment I mean is like the attachment between a mother and her child. I am talking about a very strong personal loving bond. Attachment, as used here, may appear anywhere from one to three years into a romantic relationship. Sometimes it may appear sooner but it rarely appears after that time frame. You will know that you found it when you can honestly say, “I have seen the worst and the best you have to offer and I still love you!” and your partner feels the same way.

True Love is Committed. Commitment in a loving relationship is more than being monogamous. It is the knowledge that your partner cares for you no matter what the circumstances. People who are strongly committed to each other will see only the positive even when faced with seemingly negative information about their partner.

True Love is Intimate. Intimacy is a major and crucial component of a loving relationship. In order to know each other deeply you need to share parts of yourself. This is what you call self-revealing behavior. This self-revealing behavior, when reciprocated, forms a strong emotional bond.

Salt & Pepper Shakers

2012-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

I love to collect Salt & Pepper shakers. I used to have an extensive collection but back in 1990 I lost track of them when I moved. The one I prized the most was a vanilla and chocolate ice cream cone salt & pepper shaker set. Since I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area in August 2009 I have been on a quest to rebuild my salt & pepper collection.

Now I am not going to post today that of all my salt & pepper collection that I have a favorite set, or sets, because I love every set I have and to say one is the best over all the others is doing injustice to the fact that my joy is collecting salt & pepper shakers of all types and designs.

I have sets made of glass, porcelain, china, wood, and I have them in the following designs: regular looking salt & pepper shakers, fruit, buildings, people, characters, and animals.

Today, though, I am focusing on two sets I have which were purchased about a year and a half apart. As you look at the photos you will see that I have two sets of salt & pepper shakers, both with what I called the "cracked glass" look.

The blue ones were purchased on June 27, 2010, at the Swap Meet at the Solano Drive-In Theater in Concord, California. My friend was hosting a booth and I saw these cute blue salt & pepper shakers and he sold them to me for One Dollar. They stand 2 inches high and 1.5 inches wide.

Then on January 29, 2012, we went to the same Swap Meet and I found the white-yellow glass salt & pepper shakers, also in the cracked glass design, and then I asked the two men hosting the booth what they wanted for the pair they said One Dollar. This set stands 2.5 inches high and 1.5 inches wide.

So for an investment of Two Dollars I have two really great sets of slat & pepper shakers and they currently sit next to each other on our "trophy" shelf which is in our Living Room above and behind the television.

Although these two are higher up on the list of my favorite salt & pepper shakers in my collection, I cannot state definitively that these are my two favorites in my collection, as I don't want the other sets I have to become jealous.

Piggy Bank in Brass

2012-01-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

Posted By: Andrew Eide

Becx love piggy items. It doesn't matter if it is a piggy bank or a piggy figurine she loves it. For Christmas 2011 I gave Becx a piggy USB flash drive and she was so amused and happy. My sister often sends Becx piggy items. Recently my sister has sent piggy erasers and piggy sale & pepper shakers and Becx is in piggy heaven with her piggy items.

On Sunday, January 29, 2012, we decided to go to the Swap Meet which is held at the Solano Drive-In Theater her in Concord, California where we live. When we entered I went to the right and Becx went to the left. I was on my normal quest for interesting and unique salt & pepper shakers and Becx was on her normal quest for piggy related items.

Although I did find a nice salt & pepper shaker set, which I will share with you in an article here in February, I wanted to share with you today the piggy item I found for Becx.

In the photos I have included with this article you will see a brass piggy bank. It is 4.5 inches high...6 inches long...and 5 inches wide. I found it at one of the locations at the Swap Meet and I asked the man how much he wanted for it. He said Five Dollars and I immediately countered with an offer of Three Dollars. He said YES and we exchanged my Three Dollars for his Brass Piggy Bank.

During our short conversation he told me that he personally carved the Brass Piggy Bank, soldered the legs on it, cut the coin slot, and manufactured the plug on the pig's belly. I thought it was cute and for the price it was a great bargain.

Although I would never sell the brass piggy bank to have it recycled, brass is going at a pretty good price, and since this brass piggy bank weighs about two pounds, it would get well more than Three Dollars at a metal recycling place.

But this Brass Piggy Bank is going to take a prominent place on our trophy shelves, in our living room, above our television. We still have the project remaining to reorganize all the shelves so that Becx's piggy items are on one shelf, my salt & pepper shakers on another, and the remaining miscellaneous items spread out on the other shelves. I will ensure I post an article on that once we get the shelves organized.

Our Daughter...Keira Annjela

2012-01-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew & Rebecca Eide

Please refer to the photograph at the right. This is our daughter, Keira Annjela.

Our family in Manila, Philippines recently took some photos of Keira and they sent those photos to us. The photo set from which this photo was taken was from January 28, 2012. The family is sending us another photo set which was taken, we believe, on January 29, 2012.

Keira's birthday is on February 3rd and she will be turning three years old. We are sad that Keira is currently in Manila and that we are not going to be able to be with her on her 3rd birthday.

We plan on returning Keira to us soon. We have been enduring the struggles of being away from this precious little girl. Soon the three of us will be physically together again as a family. There is so much we want to do but we don't want to do them without Keira with us.

For example: We want to take a trip to Santa Cruz which is South of San Francisco. It is a place where Andy spent a lot of time as a boy with his family. They have a Boardwalk there with food and games and rides like an amusement park. The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is right on the Pacific Ocean so the air is clear and fresh. There is a very long pier in Santa Cruz, very close to the Boardwalk, where you can walk out on the pier and sample the numerous seafood available at the various stands and restaurants.

We want to go to Six Flags Great America amusement park in Vallejo but we don't want to go there without Keira. They have both an amusement park and animal park.

We want to go to the Oakland Zoo which is very near to where Andy grew up in Oakland. However, as stated previously, we don't want to go there unless Keira is with us to enjoy the trip.

Very soon Keira will be back in our home and in our arms. We miss you Keira.

Our Bud Vase-Candle Holder

2012-01-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

I would like to share with you the Bud Vase-Tealight Candle Holder we purchased at a Yard Sale recently.

As you can see by the photo at the top of of this article the Bud Vase-Tealight Candle Holder looks great with small flowers, such as these miniature Carnations, and the design is interesting. The design consists of a metal base which spirals up to create a holder for the four vases.

Here is what happened that day when we went to a Yard Sale in our neighborhood. We walked into the driveway and looked around at the items for sale. I was about to turn and leave when I saw this Bud Vase-Tealight Candle Holder. I asked the woman what she wanted for the item. Fully expecting her to say at least TEN DOLLARS, I figured I was only asking to be polite and not to actually purchase, after all our total budget that day was about EIGHT DOLLARS.

When the woman looked at me and said YOU CAN HAVE IT FOR TWO DOLLARS I was in shock. So I grabbed the Bud Vase-Tealight Candle Holder, then I handed TWO DOLLARS to Becx and told her to pay for the item and we will go before the woman changes her mind. I assure you I knew I had a great deal on this purchase I wanted to get the item in the car and drive off.

As you can see in the photos I took last night with tealights in the vases it looks really good with the tealights lit. One of the photos was taken with all the lights out and the other one was taken with the dining room light on. I took it with a small digital camera without a flash.

I am extremely happy with this purchase and this Bud Vase-Tealight Candle Holder sits in a prominent position in the middle of our dining room table. So glad I could share this with you today.

An Interesting January...You Ready for February?

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

Written by Andrew & Becx Eide

We hope you have enjoyed our topics for the month of January 2012. As previously mentioned these items on how men and women see, and do, things differently, were previously written by Andrew to put into a booklet. Since he already had those items written it was a nice way to start our Blog site. Please understand there was no intention to make women look bad in those posts for January...it was nothing more than humor to get you thinking about things.

You are in for fewer articles in February 2012 since the only pre-written items were those we presented for January. However we can give you a teaser by telling you that the main topic for February will be "February...The Love Month" because in February we have Valentine's Day. Of course, since Andrew is the resident Chocoholic in our family, there will be a discussion of chocolate. Yummy!

That is all the teasers you will receive from us. If you are now teased and interested about our February 2012 topics you have to come back to our Blog site in February and find out what we will talk about.

See you in February!

Washing dishes

2012-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Men are always accused of not doing dishes. They are accused of just piling them up in the sink until they get crusty. This is a false accusation as most men are great about washing dishes. Most men can wash dishes faster and more efficiently than most women. Let me explain.

Most women who do not have an automatic dishwasher wash the dishes by hand as follows: Step One: Rinse the dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the right side of the sink. Step Two: Soap the dishes from the right side of the sink and place them into the left side of the sink. Step Three: Rinse the dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the right side of the sink. Step Four: Take dishes out of the right side of the sink and place them on dish rack to dry. Total number of steps: FOUR.

Most men who do not have an automatic dishwasher do the dishes by hand as follows: Step One: Rinse and soap dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the right side of the sink. Step Two: Rinse dishes and place them on the dish rack to dry. Total number of steps: TWO.

Why would you want to perform two extra steps? No one likes to do dishes anyway so why make the job twice as much work as it should be?

Now let me explain the procedure most women take in washing dishes when they have an automatic dishwasher. Step One: Rinse the dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the right side of the sink. Step Two: Soap the dishes from the right side of the sink and place them into the left side of the sink. Step Three: Rinse the dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the right side of the sink. Step Four: Take dishes out of right side of the sink and place them into the automatic dishwasher. Total number of steps: FOUR.

Now let me tell you how most men who have an automatic dishwasher perform the same function. Step One: Rinse dishes from the left side of the sink and place them into the automatic dishwasher. Total number of steps: ONE.

Why would you want to perform three extra steps in washing dishes? Automatic dishwashers are designed to accept dirty dishes and clean them! If you are going to the trouble of rinsing, soaping, rinsing, stacking, and then placing dishes into the dishwasher, why not place them on the dish rack to dry since they are already clean? You have already done all the work that the automatic dishwasher is supposed to do!Women always mention they hate housework but they make a double chore out of something that should be simple to do.

Washing Clothes

2012-01-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

If you look at other cultures you would assume women are the experts in washing clothes. You see pictures and videos of women taking clothes down to the river, soaping them up, scrubbing them, rinsing them, and then lay them out, or hanging them up, to dry. However if you watch women in the United States wash clothes, with their washing machines, you would think they haven’t got a clue what they are doing.

Men often get accused of washing colored and white clothes together and ending up with pink or blue underwear. Honestly most men are very knowledgeable when it comes to washing clothes and they will wash whites, dark colors, and brightly colored clothing separate from each other so that there is no bleeding of colors.

Men usually purchase clothes that can be washed in a washing machine. Women usually purchase clothes that require dry cleaning. Men do not take clothes you can wash in the washing machine and take them to the dry cleaners. Women will take clothes that are dry clean only and wash them in the washing machine. They usually whine a long time after this mistake.

Women put clothes in the washing machine and turn it on. The average wash cycle is about 30 minutes. Most women will leave the clothes in the machine for several hours before taking them out and placing them in the dryer. This causes the clothes to have a smell from sitting in the washing machine for a long time while damp. Women counteract this by placing a dryer sheet in the dryer so that when the clothes are dry they smell good again.

Men monitor the time closely and after 30 minutes they will immediately take the wet clothes out of the washer and place them into the dryer. Men do not like to use dryer sheets as their clothes, which they remove promptly from the washer, smell just as fresh without using a dryer sheet.

Women leave clothes in the dryer just like they leave clothes in the washer. The normal dry cycle is between 45 to 60 minutes. Although there is a timer on the dryer and an alarm sounds when the cycle is finished, most women leave the clothes in the dryer for several hours after the cycle is complete. The additional time in the dryer causes the clothes to develop extremely tough wrinkles which require long periods of ironing to get rid of them.

Men will get up after the timer goes off and immediately remove all dry clothes from the dryer. He will take them and fold those items requiring folding and hang shirts and pants so that wrinkling is kept to a minimum. When he irons those items it takes a short time to iron out the little wrinkles.

Views on Sex

2012-01-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Please don’t read the topic today and leave my page! I am not planning on discussing sexual fantasies. I just want to stress the different views on sex from a man’s perspective versus a woman’s perspective.

If it were left up to women to decide when to have sex I believe there would be less than 100 women in the world who were having sex and bearing children while the others would be satisfied to be celibate.

The way women view sex it amazes me how they get married in the first place. Most women treat sex as the most vulgar and disgusting thing in the world when it is one of the most intimate and pleasurable contacts two humans can make with each other. Why are women afraid of sex? Why are they reluctant to have an intimate relationship even when the man is their husband?

I agree that men and women have different views of sex. A man looks at sex as an extremely pleasurable and intimate experience. It is his way of telling his woman how much he loves her. Women would rather think about something than actually do it. To put it simply men are physical and women are emotional.

Men classify moderation in sex as having sex at least three times per week. A woman’s definition of moderation in sex would be to have sex maybe three times per month. Although men are always depicted as selfish when it comes to sex, most men would rather satisfy his woman and let her have all the pleasure, while ignoring his desires.

I believe one of the problems in our society is that women don’t give their man the sex required to keep him happy. Women need to realize that if a customer in a store is not getting good customer service they are likely to go to the store next door to get it. Please, women, I am advising you to perform your duties as spouse and get together with your man and keep them satisfied. It is a win-win situation for you.

As a final thought I want women to think about this: Doesn’t your man come home so tired from work that he can hardly draw his next breath but he still takes you shopping for hours? Doesn’t your man work hard around the house doing housework and chores and still take you out for lunch or dinner even when he is tired? Doesn’t your man work hard for his money, put up with your incessant whining about him spending too much money even though you spend more than he does, but still he allows you to spend that $100 on that dress you just absolutely need to complete your wardrobe?

Then, with all those considerations, can’t you up the frequency just a little bit?

Toilet Seat

2012-01-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

“Yikes! Who left the toilet seat up?” Have you heard this statement screamed by a woman? Have you run in terror to hide from her as she comes out of the bathroom, anger written all over her face, after she squatted down on the cold porcelain toilet bowl?

Let’s examine the toilet seat itself and see if we can make sense out of it. What does a toilet seat, like the one used in the home, consist of? It consists of the toilet seat (the part you sit on) and the lid, so that is the one type of toilet seat I will discuss here.

With the toilet seat at home you have three options of what you can do with it. The first is to leave both the toilet seat and lid in the “down” position (the most logical way). The second is to leave the lid in the “up” position while leaving the seat in the “down” position (the way women want it). The third would be to leave both the lid and seat in the “up” position (which I never see anyone do).

If we examine each in detail we will find out which should be the one used to make everything fair. The first option of leaving both the lid and seat in the down position is logical. Since men have logical brains this is the usual choice for them. This not only keeps the seat clean of dust due to the lid being down but it also means that both men and women would have to lift something in order to use the toilet. This is the equitable and fair option since it affects both women and men in the same way. The women-preferred method of leaving the lid up and the seat down just don’t cut it. This option allows dust to settle on the part you sit on since the lid is in the up position.The third option of leaving both the lid and seat in the up position is an option I never see used so I won’t discuss it further.

We see that the common design of a toilet seat is to have the seat and lid always in the down position until you want to use it. If this were not the case then why do they put designs or decorations on the top side of the toilet seat? If the law stated we had to leave the lid up and the seat down, then designs would be printed on the inside of the lid right?

I do not expect anyone to complain about both the lid and seat is in the down position since it is fair and equal to both women and men. However, both men and women need to get into the habit that when you are done please return the seat and lid to its original down position.

It is timing...or lack of it

2012-01-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

I believe women have the worst timing.

For example they will want to wash the dishes instead of having their man do it. They wait until the man is washing the dishes, and he is down to the last dish, when they come up with the comment, “Don’t worry about the dishes I’ll wash them!” The man will comment, “It is too late to offer to do the dishes when I am already done.” It is timing…or lack of it!

Women will make a decision to go to a store that is 20 miles east of their home. The man is driving and they are 10 miles toward their destination. The woman suddenly states she would rather go to another store which just happens to be 20 miles west of their home. Now you think she would have timed her decision prior to leaving the house so they would only have to drive a 40 mile round trip right? No way! She waits until they are 10 miles on one direction, and then they have to return those 10 miles, pass their home on the way back, and then the additional 20 miles to and from the other store which is in the opposite direction. They have now made a 60 mile trip where they could have made a 40 mile trip. He tries to reason with the woman and mention the extra distance involved in going to the other store involves time and the cost of gas for the car. It is timing…or lack of it!

There are times when the man and woman are going to a new location and the only idea they have of the location and distance is by looking at a map. The man figures since it is 30 miles away it should take approximately 30 minutes by freeway. After driving for 20 minutes, the woman gets that urge to change her mind and makes some the statement, “Let’s go home since we cannot find the place!” The man tries to reason with the woman by telling her they are already 20-25 miles from home and less than 10 miles from their destination and it would be a waste of time and money to drive all the way home for nothing. It is timing…or lack of it!

You and your woman plan to visit friends. You make arrangements to meet them at their house at 4:00 p.m. At Noon the woman tells the man she doesn’t want to go. She tells the man to call the friends and cancel. The man asks her to call but she refuses. So the man calls and cancels. At 1:00 p.m. the woman tells the man to call their friends because she now wants to go. The man calls and re-confirms the appointment. At 2:00 p.m. the woman changes directions and again doesn’t want to go. This time the man refuses to call because he feels she will change her mind again. It is timing…or lack of it!

Please women, listen to the timing sense of your man!

Shopping for Shoes

2012-01-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

If you want to be amused go to the mall and watch women trying on shoes.

One thing women do when shopping for shoes is to grab anything on display and try to put it on their feet no matter what the size of the shoe happens to be. Men will look at what is on display and then ask the sales clerk if they have that style, in a particular color, and in their size. If the style or color or size is not available he looks for something else. Women will not do that. They will have a size “8” foot and grab a size “5” shoe off the display and attempt to cram it on their feet. They will do this numerous times.

Ninety percent of people have wide feet and need wide shoes and women are no exception. Shoe manufacturers, however, produce 90 percent thin width shoes while 90 percent of people have wide feet. A woman will ask the clerk, “Do you have this in brown and in a size ‘8’ wide?” The clerk responds, “No, we do not have that in a size ‘8’ wide and we only have regular (i.e., thin) width shoes.” The woman will always ask that they bring the thin width shoes out for her to try on anyway. As you already know the regular thin width shoes will not fit because the woman’s feet are wide and the shoes are made for Cinderella-thin feet. Instead of walking out of the store, like a man would do, and go to a store which carries the correct size and width of shoes, most woman will simply purchase a larger size shoe. The larger size shoe will fit the woman’s feet because the shoes are bigger but her feet flop out of the shoes because the shoes are too large.

Women also shop for shoes more by price instead of by function and style. A woman will find a great pair of shoes, which fit perfectly, and she is initially happy. Then she looks at the price which, on the low end, runs around $40. She will say, “I changed my mind! I don’t like these shoes! I want to look at something else!” She will, from this point on, look at the prices of the shoes instead of the style. She will go so far as to purchase a $100 pair of shoes that do not fit her feet properly simply because they are more expensive.

If you go to a woman’s home and look in her closet you will find more shoes than she can logistically wear in a month. If you ask her which ones she wears, she will point to two or three pairs, and explain that these are her favorites and the ones she wears all the time. When you ask about the other ones she will say, “I cannot wear them because they hurt my feet!” or "I cannot wear them because they are too large and flop off my feet!" You will also notice that the ones she will never wear again, because they hurt her feet, or they are too large and flop off her feet, are the more expensive ones she purchased because of the price and not the functionality or style.

Shopping for Dresses

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Have you had the pleasure of going to the store and watching women try on dresses? If you have then you know what I am going to talk about. If you have not then you need to drop what you are doing and go to the mall so you can watch women try on dresses. You could charge admission for this amusement factor!

Women try on dresses in a similar manner as they do shoes. They will try on everything in the store that does not fit them instead of first looking for something that will fit. They will also turn down a perfectly beautiful dress because is costs less than what they determine to be an “acceptable” price for a dress.

For example a woman will come upon a rack of dresses. All the dresses are the same except for the size. The woman is, for this discussion, a size 8. She will immediately grab any dress off the rack hold it up in front of her in front of a mirror and grumble about it not looking good. If you were there and you checked the dress you will most likely find the label says it is a size 14 or larger. No wonder it looks bad on her size 8 frame. If you make the comment, “Why don’t you look through the dresses and find a size 8 and try it on?” she will complain that the size of the dress doesn’t matter.

In comparison a man sees clothing items in the style he likes but he will look at the sizes first. If his size is not there he goes on to something else. After all what is the purpose of looking on the rack for something that is not there?

Another thing women do is ask the clerk if there are any more dresses of this style in her particular size in the back room. The clerk usually replies that whatever items are on the racks is everything they have. The woman will then go on to the next rack of clothes and not find her size there and again ask the sales clerk if there are any more dresses of this style in her particular size in the back room. The clerk will again reply that whatever is on the racks is everything they have. This will go on several times before they woman finally realizes that the store placed ALL their inventory of dresses on the sales floor so there are no other dresses in the back room.

A woman will find a perfectly beautiful dress which she exclaims to be “Just what I am looking for!” Then she looks at the price. If the price is below what she determines to be an “acceptable” price for a dress she will turn it down with the excuse that she really doesn’t like it after all. She will then shop around, looking at prices instead of the style, and then she will pick a much more expensive dress in a less appealing style because she believes the more expensive the dress the better the quality. Men would rather purchase four clothing items at $30 apiece than to purchase one item for $120. A woman will pass up three $40 dresses for a single $120 dress. Then that $120 dress will hang in her closet and rarely be worn.

Resting When Tired

2012-01-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

Everyone gets tired. However, there is a difference in the way men and women rest. I will try to explain how men and women differ in the way they rest and the restrictions or demands women place on men in this matter.

When a woman gets tired she will usually drop where she is and rest. Sometime this happens when the woman and her man are out somewhere. The man is also tired but his thoughts are on getting home as quickly as possible so he can rest at home and not have to worry about getting up to travel again. The woman’s thoughts run on the line of resting now so she will have the energy to get up and go again

When men rest they get so relaxed that they do not want to get up and take on the world again. Women love to rest for short periods of time and then get up and run around taking care of things. Women try to put this behavior into their men. They will come home tired and the man will be running around taking care of things. The woman says, “Sit down and rest for a few minutes first.” The man replies, “I cannot do that. If I sit down for just a few minutes, I will become too relaxed and then I will be unable to do anything later.” The woman gets upset because he doesn’t want to do it the way she wants him to.

That is the difference between men and women when it comes to resting when tired. Men want to complete those things which need completing because they know if they sit down and rest they will become too relaxed and not be able to get up later to finish working. Women will get tired then rest, and then get up and go full speed for a short period of time, then rest again. The cycle repeats several times.

Women cannot understand the concept of working until the job gets done and then resting for the evening so they get upset at others who work in that fashion.

Television Remote Control

2012-01-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andrew Eide

One of the best inventions is the television remote control. The television remote control has given men a bum rap. You never see a woman depicted as a couch potato flipping through the channels. Men are portrayed as the evil perpetrators when they are really innocent victims.

Men will, on occasion, grab a television remote and scan the channels to see what is on. The man will flip to the next channel and watch for a few seconds to see if the program has merit. The reasons men flip the channel to another one are simple. The program is a rerun, the sports team currently playing is one he doesn’t like, or there is nothing but talk about nothing. The man always has a good reason for looking at the next channel.

Women, however, seem to defy logic when it comes to why they flip the channel. I have often asked why the woman flipped to another channel. The responses are, “There is a commercial on!” or “I just want to see what is on other channels.” Let’s look at these individually:

“There is a commercial on!” Just because a commercial comes on is no reason to scan the channels at about one per second. When the women start this flipping to avoid commercials you usually end up watching some other television show and missing the one you were watching to begin with. Then, when commercials come on that channel, she starts flipping again at about one per second until you eventually end up back on the original program you were watching. However, at this point, it is no longer worth watching since you lost part of the program while she was watching some other channel.

“I just want to see what is on other channels!” Most men will, unless the program is extremely and excruciating boring, stay with the program they selected until the end so they will know what the outcome is. If you watch television with a woman it is likely you will end up watching more unfinished programs in a week than you have in your entire life.

The best solution I can come up with is that you purchase two identical universal remotes and program hers so it will not work on your television or remove the batteries out of the remote she uses. Then, when she is pointing it at the television and clicking the channel button like crazy, slip your remote out and flip a channel here and there to make her think she is accomplishing something.

Yes it is sneaky…but quite amusing!