Osama Bin Laden Flies ONLY British Airways?

It seems that British Airways is advertising it's new boarding pass system.  Do you see anything wrong with this? BTW I got this from yahoo news, link here for complete story.

 British Airways flies Osama Bin Laden,  British Petroleum is poisoning our coast slowly but surely, the revolutionary war is over and remember ever since say 2003 the British have been our very bestest buddies.  Is the love affair over?  (seriously tongue in cheek)

British Airways theorize this was the work of a former employee with several axes to grind evidently (and a knife and bayonet too evidently, BTW NOT FUNNEEE)?  Now we are all going to be wondering WHY Osama still has a frequent flier number and what will happen on Oct. 26?

Facebook, DSL, Picasa, and a good picture

I've spent Way too much time today trying to get pictures to upload to facebook.  If you know me half way well like you've commented more than once and I've commented on your blog email me if ya think about it @ tcscarlet at yahoo dot com and I will tell you who I am on facebook, that is if you want to be my friend.  Judy?  Rae?  AL??  Cindy?  Kathryn?  ......the list goes on.....
Anyway I CAN get pictures to upload to blogger, just not to facebook, the picture below is my daughter and son in law many moons ago.   This is funny though in that this is pretty well how they spent most of their marriage.  She's PG with the first baby and they are @ her Sisters graduation.  They also don't look like this anymore and that's all I'm saying about that.
Back to the internet deal I was working on a website, we are doing a store and website with wordpress and I was trying to edit the pictures so they actually had words with them telling what they were and I couldn't do that either.  Then I couldn't upload pictures to facebook?  I updated Java, made sure it worked, updated IE8, downloaded chrome, nothing.  Got bloom and am trying picasa now which is how I found this picture (I think I'm in LOVE with picasa.  Still can't upload photos to facebook.  Woe is me.  I should have worked on something that didn't require the internet but I'm a bit obsessive ya see.
I have dsl relayed through a wireless router but I could upload pictures one after another last night?  But it's probably something to do with the internet.

More Snow Pictures

This was yesterday.   BEFORE it started snowing AGAIN.  Notice my large fountain in the middle of the round garden?  See the sticky up pole in front of tree? that's one corner of one entry, fountain is in middle, fountain got knocked down with the lawnmower, it's fine just needs picked up.  I'll get some green pictures on here tomorrow, maybe.  Pole is from my dads bird feeder, I never took it down, Mugsey the Golden Lab ate the bird feeder I had in the tree.  I'm not kidding.

The photo below was in 2004 the day before Thanksgiving.   One of the last big snows we had before this winter.  Husband made me terribly mad that day.  I carried the air conditioner from our bedroom to the basement by MYSELF while he was yakking on the phone and SAW me.  He was NOT blameless. Surprise surprise, he was peeling potatoes for dinner the next day and told me to go out and take these pictures.  I'm glad I took them.  Glad he peeled the potatoes too.   Do I hold a grudge?  nope he peeled potatoes.  Suck up no grudge, that's how that works isn't it?  Don't worry I talk this way to him too. 

Husband and Son In Law bought blades to blade the driveways in 2004.  It effectively quit snowing then.  OK it really didn't quit snowing but we didn't have very much.  They are exonerated  this year.   Tractor blade for big tractor $1000, see why they were in trouble?

It can quit snowing now.  We've used the blades, forgot where our snow shovel is. I'm considering buying actual boots if it keeps piling up.  Hey Mother Nature.... Truce, we won't wish for snow like we used to have any more, OK?

Simple Things For Haiti

I got this from Kacklin with KaLynn's blog, she got it from Enchanted Oak, for every list of  the joy of simple things or prose posted this weekend Enchanted Oak will donate $2 to Heartline Ministries to go to Hait for a medical clinic and other programs to aid Haiti.  Simple.  Feel Free to participate.  Go to Enchanted Oak for complete details and go see KaLynn while you are @ it!

Simple things that bring me joy.

Husband
Children
Grandchildren
Good Friends
Good Books
Dogs, Cats...animals...
Good Health for all
The view from the window especially since my laptop works in the living room where it is WARM with a view of the snowy landscape.
Everything good the computer brings, friends, information, blogs......amazon and Ebay
Plenty of nutritious food if I would just eat it and not the breakfast bars....

Michelle Obama, Childrens Weight Problems, And What I Think

Obesity in children has tripled over the last 30 years.  This is no big surprise with our white flour saturated fat diet.  I'm not immune, I like a big slice of cake and ice cream (preferably with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, might as well live if you're going to sin) as much as anyone else and even when I'm being VERY very good I usually can't resist a bit of cake.  But that's not the whole problem, our food is cheap.  Don't get me wrong it costs enough.  But seriously if you cut out everything expensive on your grocery bill and just bought sale items would you have enough to buy another car or a better house?  Maybe but probably not.  So therefore food is cheap so we can actually eat to our little piggy hearts content unlike our forefathers could @ times.  While food is cheap, healthy eating with lowered fat and sugar free products as well as fresh produce is EXPENSIVE.  (take it from one who spends more on groceries for two now than I did to feed 6 a few years ago).  We all know part of the problem with our weight and health is our sedentary life style, we don't have to walk miles and so the kids don't either.  The vast majority of us who do preform some sort of manual labor as part of our jobs are probably not breaking a sweat because of it.  Thus we are fat and our children are fat because of our dream lifestyle that our ancestors could only imagine.  (be careful of what you wish for)

Actually getting to the subject of this the first lady was criticized for sharing "too much" when talking about how she found out her girls were getting chubby and subsequently put them on a diet.  Supposedly Sasha and Malia are immediately going into a tailspin of bulimia and anorexia.  (perhaps I exaggerate a bit?)  I know I'll probably go down in flames for this (I liked Laura Bush too and loved the book American Wife too, I even reviewed it here) but give Michelle a break.  She's a mother and I don't think she's talking about the health issues for political gain anymore than Ladybird was trying to beautify America for political gain.  (dating myself there)  Also I had my girls on a diet when they were young.  Why?  Because my family is big, most are tall but everyone except some of  the men for generations have had weight issues.  Maybe not big issues but they were there, if I could prevent my children from having weight issues it seemed like a no brainer to try.  Some relatives weighed close to 300 lb or over.  Now scientists have found that obesity can be caused by an addiction to food supposedly.  All of that is neither here nor there.  I didn't give my girls sugar except on weekends for years!  Why?  Because I was mean and cruel?  No, I read a book about the benefits of fresh vegetables and no sugar and I took it to heart.  I think the authors name started with an R but it's an old book from the 70s.  The girls didn't have cavities till they graduated high school I don't think, they will also eat almost any vegetable to this day too.  And I weighed like 105 lb and thought I was fat so I know what a distorted body image is but I wasn't anorexic, I like to eat too much for that. 

My point is I was diagnosed as malnourished when I was a child.  Like really malnourished, they had better put some pounds on me or I was not going to  grow malnourished!  Why?  All I remember is I was not particularly fond of eating until I was like 11.  I've always had a fairly high metabolism despite my family history so that probably contributed.  I wasn't from a poor family, we were middle classed farmers in our area and my mother was a teacher.  My parents were busy and their first  and only other child had been almost 20 years earlier.  I really don't think they neglected me in that way, there was always food available.  I just didn't want to eat it unless it was chocolate milk or strawberry pop tarts.  They tried to feed me steak and green beans and potatoes, no thank you very much.

My mother freely shared my malnourished diagnosis, I think she actually used it as an illustration of how bull headed I could be.  So do I think my mother talking about this hurt me later in life?  Nope.  I may have had many differences with my mother but this wasn't one.  (Her sneaking my kids out to the garage and feeding them ice cream when they didn't clean their plates was an issue with me though)  This almost sounds like something you should be ashamed of, malnourished, looked like an Ethiopian, but I'm not ashamed @ all.  I did it, it was my fault, I grew out of it obviously.  I may have had a bad body image but I was probably healthier then than I am now.  For that matter I can blame having to sit @ a desk job for putting on this 30 lb that I've only managed to lose once but I ate the chocolates, I ate the big baked potato, I ate 5 slices of pizza, my fault. (now being in the truck me not losing weight is my husbands fault because he won't walk with me! ;-))  But why should people put down Michelle Obama and say she shouldn't talk about her kids diets?  We aren't talking sex life here or fetishes, we are talking food which the last time I looked it was OK to talk about with anyone including ministers and small children?

So what do you think, should Michelle have shared?  Your experiences?  Have you had weight problems one way or another and did talking about it influence them?

Truck Drivers Prohibited From Texting While Driving

Cnn article on recent announcement banning truck drivers from texting.

My husbands reaction to this, "No Sh&%."    You see it takes concentration to pilot 80,000 lb. down the road.  It's like common sense, one step above breathing in, out, in, out.

It also takes concentration to pilot a car down the road.  Nuff said?

I happen to think texting while driving anything should be punishable as stringently as say going 100 mph. I'm being reasonable here, I honestly think texting should be punished with drunk driving fines and sentences.

Cell phone usage?  I admit I have done that.  Weaving looking for a number or trying to punch it in.  PULL OVER!  If it's not available with two easily reached buttons fuggedabboutit!

We won't even go into the people who wear pajama bottoms to shop and have bluetooth, they are so important they must talk constantly.  I know that probably doesn't deserve a fine other than by the fashion police and Miss Manners.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Trucking

Here is the rest of the story of last week in the truck. It contains the good the bad and the ugly and we had all three.

1. (bad) The first thing was when we waited for our friends truck to get done in the shop last Tuesday. We won't say where but it's like the first truck stop in the valley in TX. Two brake chambers and a mudflap took almost all day to fix and they had the parts to start with!! The mudflap wasn't even torn off. For you non truck drivers this is like having your oil changed and maybe the tires replaced and balanced. NOT supposed to take forever but it took a great portion of the afternoon and some of the morning.

2. (bad good) The next thing was when the wheel came off of the truck. You say how could this be good but I'm just going on how people treated us which was excellent. Once again if you need a super mechanic around Prescott Arkansas I can tell you where to go (email tcscarlet at yahoo dot com). These people went out of their way to help us. Also I want to thank our friends that were with us John and Cindy and also Allan who stopped by with his pickup for their help and kindness.

3. (bad good) The next thing was driving through Illinois in the blizzard and then having to fix the filler tube on the truck in a parking lot. My husband did wonderfully and I was so proud he could fix it, it would have been a bad job under any circumstances but in blowing wind and snow@ 4 am I was amazed he got it done. Also the lady @ the fuel stop (exit 283 on I 57) was just as nice as she could be. the parking lot was full of trucks and truckdrivers, I KNOW some were awake but did anyone ask if they could help? Nope. They can run to open doors for me but they can't come hold a flashlight in a blizzard? (bad) Seriously though I'm not sure if my husband would have helped another guy in those circumstances but if his wife was obviously shaking as if pooping a peach seed (my husbands quote cleaned up)and holding the flashlight, in his defense he did try to get me to get back in the truck but I try to help as much as possible. I did buy a stocking cap after that. Stupid me forgot my mufflers and hat @ home.

4. (ugly) We FINALLY get to where we are going to deliver. SUPPOSEDLY the broker had changed the appointment to Tuesday. It's Friday and we had had a tire and wheel fall off, driven through a blizzard (saw an empty bus skidded off beside the road with all of it's lights on facing the wrong way and the door open...... SPOOKY), and fixed the truck in said blizzard and then my husband was told we were going to have to sit there 5 days because they were busy? I told my husband if I went to see the receiver I would ask him if his mama knew what a waste of valuable human skin he was. LUCKILY our friends knew one of the guys working on the dock (great guy) who told the receiver they weren't busy. They weren't busy in the first place (we were the only trucks @ that dock) but some people REALLY get off on making others lives miserable.

5.(bad bad) So we go to Springfield Illinois the Pilot on exit 100. Fuel card won't go through, it's not like it didn't have money on it or we hadn't bought fuel @ a Pilot before with it. They wouldn't even RUN the card through for my husband till I went in and immediately asked for the manager in my polite but don't cross me voice. We could have used cash but if you knew my husband you would know why he wouldn't even let me refill my thermos there after that incident. Our friend said they just didn't run the fuel card through right because it makes NO sense one Pilot could take it and not another? So we go to another truck stop, fuel up, it's COLD now and the wind is still blowing but it quit snowing. We've driven on some VERY slick roads. We are almost to our pickup point and...... the truck won't run right? It's been since we fueled up, we have additive in the fuel to stop it from gelling?? Water in the fuel filter, don't know if it came from the last fuel we got but......

6. (ugly good) We get to where we are supposed to pick up, Beardstown IL. My husband has a spare fuel filter and he is pretty sure that's what it was. I asked him why he didn't just change it and the single digit temp has something to do with it (I think he called me nuts right then and said something about freezing his tush off). So we are bob-tailing to town and a TransX driver is @ the stop sign. (I LOVE Canadians by the way but the last two TransX drivers we've ran into have been bad Canadian representatives). The TransX driver is bob-tailing too. We sit there and sit there and sit there, we sat 5 minutes. There is traffic on the road but our truck isn't running exactly right and the driver in front passes up several chances to pull out on the road. So we go around, there is plenty of room and when we pull out he could have actually followed. He gets irate and starts gesturing and yelling, I believe he said he WAS going to go, and I said when? smiled and waved. LOL Anyway we go to Ace Hardware in Beardstown and they were VERY helpful! WONDERFUL people, new fuel filter on it and truck purrs like a kitten.

7. (ugly good bad) So we are within rock throwing distance of the Mexican border now. We have to drop our trailer into a yard that has chugholes 2 ft deep in it and I"m not kidding. There are usually 10+ trucks here (30+ this morning) and we are supposed to go in in the order we got here....TransX again in front of us. Don't think it's the one from Beardstown but he let ANOTHER TransX in front of him. No big deal but my husband said something on the cb. The TransX driver came back on and said everyone always butted in front of him down here so he was butting in this time, real nice attitude, several people had the same attitude last week. So I know who TransX is now and I will stay way away from them. BUT the girl in the office had breakfast tacos for sale, we had a nice conversation about my Aeropostale shoes, that was the good. Then the foam cereal bowl broke on my husband and cereal, milk, and sugar went everywhere while I was writing this. I wanted to clean today but hadn't planned on doing it in the middle of writing this.

So this has been my week. I won't forget it for awhile. I'm just glad we are where it's warm now and we are alive and fine.