A New Mattress

Well, L received a brand new mattress at university, just a couple of days after she filled out the request. The original was badly soiled when she moved in. Yay, it's a good feeling. She said the lady that came in to do the switch was really grossed out by the old one, although it was partially covered in plastic. L told her she could remove the plastic and she said, 'I don't think so'.

She told me that one of her friend's moms has already been to the university 4 times to see her only daughter, she misses her so much! It hasn't even been 2 weeks since they left home. She has fallen in love with Booster Juice and tells me there is a franchise near us, so I'll have to get K to try it. They're not cheap but they are nutritious and according to her, delicious.

L is busy checking out current volunteer opportunities, and job opportunities for next summer. She says the classes are ok, just lots of homework. I took K for his annual physical and the pediatrician said to tell her that lots of homework gives you focus. She wasn't impressed with that advice, but he's full of work ethic!

Interestingly, the doctor advised me to start giving L and K Vitamin D supplements (1000 units). It applies to adults too. They are new Health Canada guidelines.

My mom got an appointment to see the cardiologist for early next week, so that's a relief. She's up and about, and refuses to slow down. She had a few episodes of shortness of breath while she was away in the U.S. The doctor there diagnosed her congestive heart failure condition. Both my mom and our family doctor are not convinced, so the cardiologist should know for sure. Maybe they're both in denial.

On an amusing note, we are having upcoming municipal elections. The incumbent councillor in our area was out canvassing early this morning. He brought his signs and posted them on a busy street corner. Then he held one and waved to us as we went by. I thought that was a nice touch, I think I'll vote for him again.

Dr. Phil's Test

I got this in an email and found it interesting:




(Dr. Phil scored 55, he did this test on Oprah and she got a 38.)

Some folks pay a lot of money to find this stuff out!






The following test is pretty accurate and it only takes a few minutes.



Take this test for yourself and send it on your friends....

The person who sent it placed their score in the email subject box.


Please do the same before forwarding it on to your friends (include me please)

Don't peek!

Answers are for who you are now and not who you were in the past.

This is a real test given by Human Relations Departments at many of the major corporations today.
It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and in their prospective employees.


There are 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and paper. Record your letter answers to each question.


Change the subject of the email to read YOUR total. When you are finished, forward this to friends, family, and also send it to the person who sent this to you.

Make sure to put "YOUR" score in the subject box.


Ready?

Begin.

1. When do you feel your best...
A) in the morning
B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night

2. You usually walk...
A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down
E) very slowly

3. When talking to people you...
A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with..
A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with...
A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...
A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted...
A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
C) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most....
A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are.....

A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
E) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are...
A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant




POINTS:


1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e ) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1
Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should "handle with care." You're seen as vain, self-centered, and extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well, know that you aren't.

?

Isn't this the cutest party candle? I think I'll start using these more.

In other news, I learned that Walmart is now offering a new credit card that offers actual cash back instead of reward points. Not a bad idea, who can't use real cash? What I can't use is yet another credit card.

My mom who lives nearby has recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She wasn't actually sick beyond high blood pressure and diabetes for years and took a whole bunch of various medicines. We're all in shock and it's something we're going to have to deal with now. Life is totally unpredictable. Let's hope we can see a cardiologist really soon. Specialist appointments are hard to come by in a hurry. There, I've said it. She's in her early 70's.


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The urge to purge: A new breed of young minimalist is just saying 'no' to stuff

Antibiotics mess up your stomach, U.S. study finds

Creative Tuesdays - Birthday

Here's my entry for the Creative Tuesdays 'Birthday Theme'. It's a cupcake collage that I had a lot of fun cutting and pasting together on construction paper with a glue stick.

A little bit of Gossip

My friend was telling me that a friend of hers made the decision to have a child although she was single and unattached. She considered using a surrogate father, but in the end, decided to go with someone she had actually met. So, she met this guy on a plane and he agreed to father her child. Except, she ended up having twins! Apparently they run in her family. The kids are now 10 years old. One of them has developed a disorder where he can't stand to be touched. I'm wondering if the father would be able to shed any light on this condition, but they're not in contact with each other.

The First Care Package

Well, L told us that her friend's sister will be driving to the university today for a visit and she kindly offered to deliver anything L needed from home. So we got a list yesterday afternoon and started gathering stuff. L said that at the moment, she would prefer anything that you can quickly microwave, such as the new line of Campbell's Soup at Hand cups. I also got her another small box of cereal and a box of instant oatmeal. She has a meal plan in residence and said the food's good, except that you have to arrive on time for meals else you'll miss them. She also asked for a couple of extra sweaters, her old, trustworthy tennis shoes and some eyeliner.

I must say that I get the impression these teenagers are obsessed with alcohol. And I think the reason is that there is a drinking age. You know, anything that's prohibited becomes somehow more exciting and 'must have'. Isn't that human nature?


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Is That Plastic Container Safe?

The Right Gift

My friend's birthday is coming up, so we're going for a walk this morning, then M and K will join us for lunch. I got her a gas card as a gift because she does a lot of driving and is a very practical person, like myself. Over the years, I've tried giving her other gifts, but I think this one works. One year, I gave her a pot of silk flowers but I could tell she thought they took up a lot of space. Another year I gave her a set of Lagostina brand cutlery which she graciously accepted, then I realized she'd never be able to use that much cutlery, being a single woman who doesn't entertain a lot.

Yesterday I had to make a trip to the gas station to put air in my car tires. I hate doing that, but it gets easier each time. This time, I made sure to check all 4 tires instead of having to go back each time one goes low. The trick is reading the air pressure gauge correctly and of course, checking the car manual to verify the correct tire pressure. You also have to be careful not to over-inflate your tire as it could explode as a worst case.

L's sprained ankle sounds as if it has improved a lot, almost overnight. We just have to find a convenient time to Skype these days. She's busy when we're available and vice versa. The other night she was off to some kind of carnival (Frosh week), walking and limping.

A friend was telling me she recently tried this Groupon website. This is how it works. So they feature a deal each day, and if enough people want it, they can give you an amazing group rate on the product. I signed up for daily alerts. Oh, and Groupon is based on your city, it seems to be available in a lot of US cities.

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SwitchFlops a Hit on the Web