Sugar in the morning...

and sweet kisses at night.

I have found the love of my life ... My Heart throb. It's not new but everyday I am reminded of how much I love him and i just thought I'd share it with the world ---errr ummm or myspace.

11:23 PM - 5 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

I LOVE IT!!!

I *LOVE* love and I love seeing seeing people show their love for one another. Valentines Day isn't just about girlfriends and boyfriends -husbands and wives. It's for friends, family and the people you adore. This whole fad of 'Valentines Day is a Hallmark Holiday that blah blah blah......' -it's boring and bitter. Life is too short, get over it. Your cards don't have to be purchased from Hallmark... Yes everyday is the right day to say, I love you. But walking around and stomping your feet because this day is marked on the calendar just makes you look ridiculously hipster. And no one likes a hipster but your own hipster self.

Embrace the heart shaped box!!!

This week I have spent a lot of time speaking with others about traditions. All types for every occasion. I work with an Armenian girl who will be getting married this year and she spent quite a bit of time telling me all of the little traditions that have and will take place from her engagement party to the wedding day. It was so fascinating to listen. I started looking up old traditions online to see what I could find and found this one... I loved it.

Welsh Spoons

Welsh men spent a great deal of time at sea. While away from home, they would carve "love spoons" from a single piece of wood, carving symbolic images and designs such as love, faith, devotion, etc.. When the man came home from sea, he would give the spoon to the woman he wanted to marry.

My family has a couple of traditions that I know of.

1) Black Eyed Peas must be eaten on New Years Day for good luck

2) When a baby turns 1 you place a bible, a piece of bread and a dollar on the floor and see which they crawl to first. If the bible is chosen that symbolizes a strong faith in god, bread means there will be health and dollar translates money.... I musta not moved off my dumpy diaper as I don't seem to have any.

 PLEASE SHARE YOUR TRADITIONS HERE -whatever they may be .... I would love to read them and I'm sure others will enjoy it as well.

3:27 PM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Strange News

In my car driving about and heard some strange news in the process - thought I would share...

1) Cops are setting up DUI check points at fast food drive-ins. HAHA sorry drunkards, no more late night noshing, you'll end up in the slammer. They've wired it so that they can hear your slurred orders while talking into the speaker and then bust you when you're biting into that burger. - Before you completey panic this is just being done in Canada for now... but just wait, any reason to make money it will soon hit the USA.

2) A flying alien saucer has been spotted by numerous people in the USA ...can't remember which state they named but without a doubt it's in the southwest. Prepare for the end of the world.

And my personal favorite...

3) Rubber genitals hung from vehicles is now illegal! HAHA YES!! So the yucky men who hang testicals from their trucks can't anymore BWAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA it's vulgar and I'm glad. I shouldn't have to look at it & neither should anyone else. Why you ask? Some guys little girl asked what they were.... Just like all the rude Big Boy posters that were hung around LA where the cretin was pointing down his pants and it read "Big where it still counts!" ...who needs to see that garbage? I don't. There was a time when men didn't leave the house without wearing a hat and this is what we've come to? It's disgraceful. I'm glad to see it go.

1:57 PM - 4 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Good News for SoCal Residents Without Health Insurance!

Hello Kittens,

I just wanted to pass this GOOD information onto all of you. I was in Glendale this week and saw a Minute Clinic!

For those of you who don't know what these are- they're little medical clinics that will see those who are living without health insurance & they're pretty cheap too! They treat a lot of different things that you would HAVE TO go to the doctor for (to get a prescrip) like strep, ear infections, skin irritations, blah blah blah.... Prices vary on type of visit but most everything is under $40!!!

I've been to a couple back in Minnesota and was super impressed and confused as to why they weren't out here in California where so many people are living without health benefits but now we have them too! hurrah!

...they also take people with insurance and they're super quick -you'll be in and out in 20 minutes.

http://www.minuteclinic.com/en/USA/

-Well, that's my good deed for 2008


Loud Louisa

10:20 AM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Mice in My Cupboards & Rats in My Bed Continuation....

11:45 AM - 9 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Remembering Pearl Harbor

It was early morning, December 7,1941.

As the sun was just beginning to rise in Oahu, Hawaii, a fleet of Japanese naval air forces were taking off from their respective aircraft carriers in various locations in the Pacific Ocean. Just as many of the islanders were waking up for breakfast, it happened. The Japanese air fleet had arrived with a vengeance. No one was prepared for what was occurring. Pearl Harbor, the United States' center for military action in the Pacific Ocean, was almost completely destroyed. Anger toward the Japanese spread quickly throughout the entire country, and this anger led to the United States' entry into World War II.

News of the attack was a shock to the entire nation. The bombing rallied the United States behind the President in declaring war on Japan. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S., bringing about a global conflict. The United States would later drop two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, bringing Japan to complete surrender on August 14, 1945

National Geographic put together a site where you can tell your personal story from the day that changed our country forever. If you would like to read them,  the link is listed below. 

I send my sincere thank yous to everyone who has served lady America.  

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/cgi-bin/pearlharbor/memory_book.cgi

11:26 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Water Rationing

It was announced on the news yesterday that because California has been in a drought for a number of years and there are now fish facing extinction they plan to ration our water. Is this what it takes?! Los Angeles, is one of the only cities in the world that does not have its own natural resource of water but yet you will see people watering their lawns during the winter when it rains here. The amount of water that is wasted in this city is absolutely disgusting. Today was prime example - I went to a coffee house near my office. I was standing in line for about 10 minutes. That whole time the faucet behind the bar was running full blast. They were rinsing out a blender that was fully rinsed out ages prior. When I got to the counter I mentioned the running water & the rationing we are now faced with (yup, I'm pretty vocal). The employee shrugged his shoulders - SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS! ...And then slowly walked over to the faucet to shut it off. I wanted to grab him by the hair and beat him senseless. How long would he have let it run had I not said anything? But the fact of the matter is that this is common practice for most. Most people don't care and that is truly sad.

I do my best to conserve water daily. I never leave the faucet running when brushing my teeth, washing my face or dishes & when I'm in the shower - I always lather up and then rinse ...same goes for shaving. It's simple and requires no real effort. Whether you live in California or somewhere else ...we should ALL be doing this.

Here are a few tips I found online

*Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.

*Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.

*Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.

*Take shorter showers.

*Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.

*Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.

*Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.

*When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.

*Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

*Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.

*If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it.

There are a lot more tips online. I also copied an article below about California's forced rationing...

MWD warns of water cuts, higher rates
The agency says that if dry weather continues, local districts may have to consider rationing for the first time in years.
By Hector Becerra and Catherine Saillant
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

October 9, 2007

Concerned about future supplies, the Metropolitan Water District announced Monday that it would cut shipments to Southern California agriculture by 30% and that customers would eventually pay higher rates.

The action by the giant water wholesaler, which provides water to 18 million people across Southern California, marks its first step in dealing with upcoming reductions in water supply and the record dry conditions locally.

MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said that if the dry weather continues into this winter, local agencies would have to consider mandatory rationing, an extreme measure not seen since the severe drought of the early 1990s.

"People will feel this," he said. "We really want to see if people are willing to conserve absent rationing."

A federal judge this summer issued a ruling that is expected to slash water deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by about a third, part of an effort to save the endangered delta smelt.

As a result, the MWD will have to import costlier water through transfers from places such as the Central Valley, ultimately raising customer rates by roughly 10%. That's on top of rate hikes many water agencies had previously planned to make up for infrastructure costs and other expenses.

The MWD already has locked in rates with local water agencies through the end of next year. Though customers might not face rate hikes until 2009, it's also possible some agencies might consider increases more quickly -- potentially to encourage conservation.

"Rates are going to go up," Kightlinger said. "It used to be we only had to go to those expensive [sources] to replace water 25% to 30% of the time. Now we're doing that 70% of the time."

Despite such concerns, Southern California's water situation is still significantly less dire than it was during the last major drought, in 1990-91. The region has seen less than 4 inches of rain this year, and the Sierra snowpack -- a key barometer of water supply -- is down sharply.

But most of the major reservoirs that serve the Southland are full, and the MWD's overall water reserve is several times larger than it was during the last drought.

On Monday, agriculture officials were still assessing how farmers would deal with the cut in water supplies, coming on top of an already bone-dry year.

In Riverside County, which has a $1.1-billion agricultural industry, officials said cutbacks could threaten farmers' ability to continue growing certain crops, notably some water-thirsty nursery stock. The county also produces table grapes, bell peppers and dates.

Officials from the local water districts will meet with growers next month in a workshop sponsored by the Riverside County Farm Bureau, said Executive Director Steve Pastor.

"They know it's coming," Pastor said. "We just want to get them together to talk about what to do."

Cities and other agencies in the region differ greatly in their reliance on the MWD's imported water.

Los Angeles will probably be less affected than some neighbors because the city's Department of Water and Power receives a large portion of its supply from the Owens Valley -- a source that has thus far been uninterrupted. Still, L.A. receives 34% of its water from the MWD.

But across Southern California, many cities receive anywhere from a third to two-thirds of their water from the MWD, with the proportion depending largely on local groundwater supplies.

Anaheim gets 31% of its water from the MWD, but San Diego relies on the district for 73%. Long Beach gets about 50% of its water from the agency, and Santa Monica 82%.

San Diego officials say that until the MWD proposes specific rate changes, they don't know what kind of rate increases they will implement. But the city is so dependent on imported water that officials said they are worried.

"We're very concerned," said Bill Harris, deputy press secretary for San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. "For the foreseeable future, we're dependent on Metropolitan and what they do."

Harris said San Diego has been aggressively pushing conservation measures, including a "20-gallon challenge" in which residents are asked to conserve that much water a day.

On Monday, officials with the San Diego County Water Authority addressed the City Council about the city's water outlook.

Locally, Long Beach has taken the most radical action on water conservation. The city's water board has prohibited residents from watering their lawns during the day or more than three times a week. Residents cannot use water hoses to clean driveways, patios, sidewalks or other paved areas unless they use a pressurized broom device.

Long Beach restaurants are barred from serving water unless diners expressly request it.

"Let's not just sit around and pray for rain. Everyone has to get serious about conservation," said Kevin Wattier, general manager of the Long Beach Water District, adding that the agency expects to raise rates within the next year or so.

MWD officials said other factors could worsen the water crunch over the next few months.

Besides the tiny smelt, the fate of chinook salmon that migrate through the delta could soon lead to another court decision, which could further restrict supplies.

"The court has heard arguments about the salmon, and we're awaiting their ruling on it," Kightlinger said. "That could make the situation that much tougher to deal with."

The Metropolitan Water District has had to draw from stored reserves, which are meant to be tapped in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophe. Unless something changes, those reserves could be expended within a few years.

"We're faced with the prospect that Metropolitan could deplete those reserves as quickly as three years if this critical drought condition continues and if nothing is done," said Debra Man, the MWD's chief operating officer and assistant general manager.

Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Assn. of California Water Agencies, said the anxiety he and others are feeling is comparable to that felt during the prolonged drought and water crisis of the early '90s.

"I remember the angst felt back during the last drought, especially in 1991. I remember it like yesterday," Quinn said. "I have the same sense of foreboding today."

hector.becerra@latimes.com

catherine.saillant.latimes.com

11:42 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

My Own Pride

I want to be a lion whisperer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=464353&in_page_id=1770

12:13 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Mice in my cupboards!
Current mood: bouncy

I need a little ADVICE that pertains to a situation I have with MICE.

For about 6 months I've heard this mouse (I think he's a boy) building condos between the walls in my unit. This has been something I smile at. I like knowing that I'm giving him a safe haven in a big city. It gives my cat something to do during the day -she's obsessed with sticking a glass to the wall and eavesdropping in on his conversations. At night, I can hear Mr Mouse turn on the tele and watch the nightly news and a few comedies -all of which are very funny. -well except for the news.

My mouse neighbor has been quiet as of late ...I assumed he was on holiday visiting family back home. Well, I was wrong. Apparently, he's been very busy building a freeway system through the walls and his exit takes him into one of my kitchen cupboards.

I realized this when I was sat in my living room last night and I heard crunching -very loud crunching coming from the kitchen. At first I teased my kitten for being such a loud eater but while I sat looking at her and she looking back at me while the crunching continued I knew I had thrown blame at the wrong animal. I walked to the kitchen and followed the "crunch crunch crunch". Opened the cupboard and there he was eating dry black beans and almonds. Now I can understand why he would eat almonds but dry black beans? He hurried off before I could catch him. Now, I don't mind sharing my food, in fact, I shoved more food through the whole he left just so that he would have things to snack on in the night- BUT I feel as though he's crossed his boundaries a bit. Seeing him in my cupboard made me giggle like a school girl and brought a bounce to my bob but I think I need to handle this in a more adult fashion. The last thing I need is for him to crawl into bed with me. God knows I've shared my bed with enough rats already!

How shall I handle this in the most kind hearted way possible that doesn't involve the peanut butter catch and release trap? That one doesn't work. I saw my friend Captain Tralfaz made to look like a fool with that one.
Any humane suggestions? Will patching up the whole solve the problem?

I truly love him but he's a rather noisy eater and I certainly cannot abide my men to crunch with such bang.

Any advice that pertains to this situation will be greatly appreciated.

Yours Truly
Loud Louisa

3:37 PM - 6 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Lawn chair pilot flies with 105 balloons

What an amazing creature this man is -such spirit.

I'm inspired to go buy balloons
-this story (below) reminds me of my sister and I when we were younger. We would take umbrellas to the swing set hoping that if we pumped hard enough, swung high and released the latch on the umbrella at the right time we would fly across the playground.

This story puts the k-nick in my k-nock!!!

read on-

Last weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his lawn chair with some snacks — and a parachute. Attached to his lawn chair were 105 large helium balloons.

Destination: Idaho.

With instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system device in his pocket, and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast — he could turn a spigot, release water and rise — Couch headed into the Oregon sky.

Nearly nine hours later, the 47-year-old gas station owner came back to earth in a farmer's field near Union, short of Idaho but about 193 miles from home.

"When you're a little kid and you're holding a helium balloon, it has to cross your mind," Couch told the Bend Bulletin.

"When you're laying in the grass on a summer day, and you see the clouds, you wish you could jump on them," he said. "This is as close as you can come to jumping on them. It's just like that."

Couch is the latest American to emulate Larry Walters — who in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons. Walters had surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair. Walters paid a $1,500 penalty for violating air traffic rules.

It was Couch's second flight.

In September, he got off the ground for six hours. Like Walters, he used a BB gun to pop the balloons, but he went into a rapid descent and eventually parachuted to safety.

This time, he was better prepared. The balloons had a new configuration, so it was easier to reach up and release a bit of helium instead of simply cutting off a balloon.

He took off at 6:06 a.m. Saturday after kissing his wife, Susan, goodbye and petting his Chihuahua, Isabella. As he made about 25 miles an hour, a three-car caravan filled with friends, family and the dog followed him from below.

Couch said he could hear cattle and children, and he said he even passed through clouds.

"It was beautiful — beautiful," he told KTVZ-TV. He described the flight as mostly peaceful and serene, with occasional turbulence, like a hot-air balloon ride sitting down.

Couch decided to stop when he was down to a gallon of water and just eight pounds of ballast. Concerned about the rugged terrain outside La Grande, including Hells Canyon, he decided it was time to land.

He popped enough balloons to set the craft down, although he suffered rope burns. But after he jumped out, the wind grabbed his chair, with his video recorder, and the remaining balloons and swept them away. He's hoping to get them back some day.

Brandon Wilcox, owner of Professional Air, which charters and maintains planes at the Bend airport, on Thursday confirmed Couch's flight. Wilcox said he flew a plane nearby while Couch traveled, and a passenger videotaped the flying lawn chair.

Whether Couch will take a third trip is up to his wife, and Susan Couch said she's thinking about saying no. But she said she was willing to go along with last weekend's trip.

"I know he'd be thinking about it more and more, it would always be on his mind," she said. "This way, at least he's fulfilled his dream."

11:58 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment