Just some stuff….

Well the bad news is the back pain I was having was NOT from my gallbladder after all.  I had been having back pain in my shoulder area for quite some time which I attributed to working on beaded banners, sitting on the couch all evening, watching TV, and concentrating on the banners and not stretching, etc.  But then when I was reading up about gallbladder problems I read in every article that most of the time there is back pain in that area from gallbladder problems.  I had never mentioned the pain to any of my doctors because I just assumed it was from my poor posture while beading.  I mentioned it to the surgeon at the appointment before my surgery and he said he was confident it WAS from my gallbladder and it would disappear.  Well it DID disappear for about 3 weeks after my surgery, but apparently only because I wasn’t working on banners!  LOL  I started working on banners last week and it appeared again.  Oh well.  That’s okay because the nausea is totally all gone and that was the extremely bothersome thing I experienced from gallbladder disease for over 2 years.  Now I just have to concentrate on my posture!

 

Okay so the leaves are falling everywhere and they are beautiful and the ground is covered with all these leaves, right?  And down the street from us in a yard that is not only filled with huge trees but that also borders the park we live in (we are the caretakers in a 160-acre municipal park for those of you who don’t know that), there was someone raking leaves.  Are they nuts?  Isn’t that useless this time of the year?  I mean won’t they all just blow away over the winter and the ones that don’t can be ground up using a mulching lawnmower in the spring?  Waste of time to me, but what do I know?

 

Anyone out there watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe?  We do……….and the shows seem to be getting grosser and grosser!  Last week there was one episode where he was helping out in a poop plant……….and they just kept showing poop and more poop and other “things” that people put down their toilets.  I was about gagging watching it and I couldn’t even smell what he was having to smell, although a few times I almost thought I could!  So then in another episode he was on a sheep farm learning how to shear sheep and then also how to do other things to them, such as cutting their tails off (I think that was a sign that they did the next thing to them!) and then castrating them and they ummmm………..used their teeth to do it!  Mike Rowe actually did it!  I really hope the guy gets paid REALLY good to do that show!  YIKES!

 

So while watching these shows lately, I am having trouble with gross things, even things like body parts and all the stuff that I used to love to watch and not bother me at all like autopsies (I have actually assisted at a few of those) and surgeries and bad accidents, etc.  Is it possible that the part that made it so those things didn’t bother me was in my gallbladder and now it’s gone and things gross me out?  I hope not!  LOL

 

So speaking of my gallbladder removal, I am eating just about everything again and am no longer following a low fat diet.  Not bad for only 4 weeks after my surgery, huh?  The doctor and a dietician friend said 5-6 weeks or even 3-4 months for my body to adjust.  I read horror stories online from people who had their gallbladders removed 10-15 years ago and still couldn’t eat a lot of stuff.  But nope, I am eating just about everything and occasionally things go through me within maybe an hour or two, but usually just once, not 3-4 times like the week after surgery.  Needless to say I am thrilled!

 

Sad Pittsburgh sports weekend.  Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Penguins both lost and both had it within their reach.  Oh well.  Can’t win all the time. Oh………..we finally got a Direct TV HD DVR.  We have a DVR in our room with the regular TV but we record things and never watch them because all we want to do is watch our big screen HD TV anymore!  So since two of  the Penguins games this week are on late (10:00 is late when we have to get up early the next day for work) and knowing that if we record it on the other TV we won’t want to watch it because it won’t be in HD, we broke down and got the HD DVR.  There have been other shows we have wanted to record so this will be a really good thing to have. 

 

The Steelers posted an apology by Santonio Holmes for his behavior last week so maybe I was wrong and they AREN’T going to get rid of him after all.  Hmmmm…….

 

Let’s see, what else is going on?  Busy with selling on Ebay and needing to post more on Ebay and designing banners and such but I am going to put all that stuff in a separate post about Beaded Banners by Bonnie.

 

I guess that’s about it for now.  Catch ya later in my next blog!

Computer Monitor Cleaning………

I have seen this before but was forwarded to me again recently and just had to share because it is SO adorable!

Your Monitor looks a bit dirty.

Click the link below to get a FREE CLEANING!

http://www.actrix.co.nz/special/cyberclean.html

Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers, Rib Fest, Labor Fest

Okay so the Pirates aren’t doing that good……….okay so they are doing pretty bad!  But we have tickets and like we tell everyone it is still good baseball (just the wrong team wins!) and still a beautiful ball park and still great food and still a wonderful city……..so it is still fun.  It would be MORE fun if they won.  So anyway, here are pictures from some recent games we attended:

 

Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Diego Padres 07-25-08

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28649&l=c9c20&id=559709463

 

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Cinncinati Reds 08-14-08

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28737&l=8cbcf&id=559709463

 

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers 08-29-08

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28878&l=96592&id=559709463

 

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Milwaukee Brewers 08-30-08

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29024&l=06f25&id=559709463

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29027&l=03781&id=559709463

 

 

In addition to the above two Pirates games, I also attended my first Pitt football game at Heinz Field this past weekend and it was a disappointment with the way they played, but again it was still football, it was still a great stadium, the food was great (because we ate at the Rib Fest!), and it was still in a great city.  Too bad they didn’t win, but we experienced 3 losses in just over 24 hours so it’s not like we weren’t used to it!  Here are the pics:

 

Pitt Panthers vs Bowling Green 08-30-08

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29018&l=9b993&id=559709463

 

 

The Rib Fest was a great event to attend in between the Pitt game at Heinz Field and the Pirates game at PNC Park on Saturday.  It was hard to choose which booth to get ribs at but we chose the Texas Pit Barbecue because they won best sauce at this event last year, have won best ribs at this event in the past, won several awards at both the Erie and North East rib cook offs and since that is my hometown I thought it might be good (LOL), and it also won a cook off on the Food Network which we watch all the time.  Oh………but the big thing that got us was the Steelers flags, Terrible Towels, and apparel that was quite evident in their booth and on their workers!   Besides, ribs from TEXAS just seemed like they would be much better than ribs from NORTH CAROLINA!  LOL  So anyway it was delicious!  Here are some pics:

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29022&l=99a46&id=559709463

 

Then if we hadn’t done enough all weekend, we attended Labor Fest at Northmoreland Park which is an annual event for us.  It is great……..no admission, food booths that benefit a lot of churches and fire departments, a great flea market, craft booths, and rides for kids (if you care to do those).  We found some great purchases and of course had to have the Saltsburg Fire Department fried dough sandwiches which are to die for!  Sorry, didn’t take any pictures at this event………aren’t you disappointed?

 

Well after three games, Rib Fest, Labor Fest and visits to Walmart, 380 Auction, Shop and Save, and Doug’s parents, we stayed home most of the rest of the weekend after Sunday afternoon!

Concerts – REO Speedwagon, Brad Paisley, Styx

We have been to some concerts lately.  In fact we went to three concerts in eight days…..right during the time my daughter was coming to town to find a job and a place to live!  We had the tickets for the concerts before she made her exact plans to come here, so she understood.  It was a crazy week for sure!

 

On Thursday, August 14^th we went to PNC Park in Pittsburgh for the Pirates game followed by Skyblast (fireworks) and REO Speedwagon.  Boy can those old guys still sing!  LOL  Here is the link to the concert and firework pictures:

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28740&l=cd4b7&id=559709463 

 

Then on Sunday, August 17^th we went to Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA for the Brad Paisley concert.  Opening for Brad was Julianne Hough, Chuck Wick, and Jewell.  Except for the rude people who sat on the lawn by us and kept encrouching on our blanket even though we were there WAY before they were, it was a great time.  Here are links to the pics:

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28744&l=6b1af&id=559709463 

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28741&l=5e68b&id=559709463 

 

Finally, on Friday, August 22^nd we went to Console Energy Park in Washington, PA for the Styx concert.  This is the third time Doug and I have seen them together and they are so awesome.  Opening for Styx was Chris Higbee Project and Outlaws.  Check out the pics:

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28745&l=f9766&id=559709463 

 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28746&l=2455a&id=559709463

 

 

 

 

Mister Rogers Neighborhood of Make-Believe

We went to Idlewild (amusement park in Ligonier, PA) on Saturday for Doug’s union picnic (IBEW Local 5). We don’t stay too long since we don’t have kids but long enough to go on the trolley through Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe which we LOVE! I mean who doesn’t love Mister Rogers???  Check out the pictures and join us as we went back in time with memories of King Friday and the rest of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

 

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe

Tipping point

Tipping point

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Things to Ponder………….

I received this in an email and think it is pretty interesting.  I have not checked the validity of the answers, but it is still interesting nonetheless!

These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight
answers.
1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants
know the score or the leader until the contest ends.
2. What famous North American landmark is constantly
  moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their
  own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables
  must be replanted every year What are the only two
  perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5 In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy,
  with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is
whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn’t been
  cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?
6. Only three words in standard English begin with the
  letters ‘ dw’ and they are all common words.
  Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar.
  Can you name at least half of them?
8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold
frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other
  form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your
feet beginning with the letter ‘S.’

 

 

 
Answers To Quiz:

1. The one sport in which neither the spectators nor
  the participants know the score or the leader until the
  contest ends… Boxing

2. North American landmark constantly moving
backward.. Niagara Falls (The rim is worn down about
two and a half feet each year because of the millions of
  gallons of water that rush over it every minute.)

3. Only two vegetables that can live to produce on their
  own for several growing seasons..Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. The fruit with its seeds on the outside…Strawberry.

5. How did the pear get inside the brandy bottle? It grew
  inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear
  buds when they are small, and are wired in place on
  the tree The bottle is left in place for the entire growing
  season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off
at the stems.)

6. Three English words beginning with dw…
Dwarf, dwell and dwindle.

7. Fourteen punctuation marks in English grammar..
  Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen,
  apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point,
quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces,
  and ellipses.

8. The only vegetable or fruit never sold frozen, canned,
  processed, cooked, or in any other form but fresh…
Lettuce.

9. Six or more things you can wear on your feet
  beginning with ‘S’ …
Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis,
  skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts.

 

DAVID WON!!!!

Okay, so David Cook won American Idol……….and I really thought David Archuletta was going to win……….but I am okay with it for two reasons.

First, they were both good. It was almost like comparing apples to oranges because they were just different types of singers. But it all comes down to probably who has the biggest phone banks from what I hear.

But second, they will both probably get recording contracts and they both got cars. And all of the top ones will be touring for a year.
So does it really matter who won?

Chris Doughtery is doing just fine…………Clay Aiken………..Bo Bice…………..to name a few. So yeah, it’s okay………and I hope a few of the other top ones from this season do good, too…………and I hope some of them don’t (Brooke, Jason, the biker chick).

As for the show last night………….YUCK! They compete for just one hour on Tuesday night but then drag the results show out for TWO HOURS!!!! Some of it was just awful! They just HAD to bring the YOU ARE MY BROTHER guy back, didn’t they? And with the school band with him………ARGH! The whole show just dragged on and on and some of it was so bad it made it seem longer!

I think Idol needs to think about some of the stupid things they have done this year! I heard they aren’t going to show the audtions next year.
IS THIS TRUE? That’s nuts! They will lose a huge fan base of people who mainly only watch it because of that and sometimes hang on to watch it after that! Heck, even some of the PIttsburgh Pirates players said during Q&A the other night that they watch it for that!

Oh…………and I was waiting for Paula to pop out of her dress……….but it didn’t happen! I think that when she went up on stage dancing with the brother guy that they cut to a commercial quick because of that though, don’t you?

Well anyway………..it’s over for another season and here’s to David……….and David…………..GOOD LUCK and I’ll buy a CD when it comes out!

American Idol………..David……….or David?

Well, it’s over…………the final competition for this season of American Idol.

I said weeks ago it would come down to David Cook and David Archuleta and it did.  A rocker bartender against a young 17-year-old……what a match up!

Round One:  These songs were picked by Clive.  David Cook sang “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and I was very impressed.  But then David Archuleta sand “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and I was about in tears.  He really gave it his all and it showed.  I had to agree with Simon that he won Round One, however if I truly had to vote on one or the other at that point it would have been VERY hard.

Round Two:  They each picked a song from the songwriter’s competition so I wasn’t familiar with either song.  Cook did okay but again, Arch really did better by picking a better song and putting his heart into it and showing so much feeling.  He was really singing better than he sang the whole season and Cook was just kind there……..he was good, but as Simon would say, not a memorable moment.  Round Two goes to Arch, too.

Round Three:  They each sang a song of their own choosing.  David Cook sang :”The World I Know” by Collective Soul and again, even though it was good, it was nothing special.  David Archuleta sang “Imagine” and wowed the audience again.

Bottom line, I have to agree with Simon that it was a knockout………..Arch won.  It seemed to me that Cook either didn’t want it bad enough or he just figured the win was his.  However, Arch acted like he wanted it and stepped it up for the finals and showed that he could be a winner.

We won’t know until tomorrow night, but my  money is on David Archuleta………but I hope David Cook gets a contract, too, because he does deserve it.

What do YOU think???

American Idol Finals – David….or David?

Well tonight is the night………..the American Idol finals for this season.  David Cook versus David Archuleta.  Who will win?  Who do YOU think will win?

I’m not sure who will win……….and I’m not sure who I want to win.  I want DAVID to win!  HAHAHAHA  Just not sure which one!  I said weeks ago it would be David versus David in the finals and now that it is here, I can’t decide who I want to win. 

As usual though, does it really matter?  Both of them will get recording contracts, right?

Maybe I will write again tomorrow after they perform tonight and see which one did the better job in the end.

All I can say is that I am thankful the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadephia Flyers the other night (SIX TO NOTHING, mind you!) so that they aren’t playing tonight and I can watch the American Idol finals as they happen, not a recording after the fact!

So GO DAVID………..and GO DAVID…………and GO PENS!  LOL

WHY DAVID COOK WILL WIN:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24668992/?GT1=43001

WHY DAVID ARCHULETA WILL WIN:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24668561/?GT1=43001