Something that's been sitting in your house, unused and unloved, may bring a great deal of joy to, or fill the genuine need of, someone else. Make their day, and give yourself a pat on the back. Knowing that you're doing good can make it ... read more
When given one of those customer satisfaction surveys, always try and give a glowing report about the individual who helped you (unless they were terrible, of course) because those surveys are just another tool for corporations to harass th ... read more
We made it this far! The plane ride was terrible for several minutes when we had to fasten our seat belts, which Elizabeth did not want to do. She SCREAMED loudly for quite a while, ticking off everyone nearby. Luckily, part of it was dro ... read more
A Top-Heavy 1 Percent Will Topple Without a Stable Middle Class. Focusing exclusively on deficit reduction is the wrong policy. Focusing solely on cutting spending is the wrong policy. Focusing on jobs is the right policy now and in th ... read more
Woo-hoo! I took the old cookie (coin) jar to the Coinstar machine today (11. 9% fee, are you kidding me?!). I came away with $93. 54! It rejected a few coins, repeatedly, forcing me to just pocket them. One of those wa ... read more
For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would be enough. They would retire, buy a big house and travel the world. Not Benny. He took the money and ran... for president. The house he had in mind was the White House. He didn't want to travel the world so much as save it from politicians. Retire? "I'll retire when I'm dead!" he said, not knowing so many people had that exact retirement plan in mind for him.
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Benny sat alone by the door in a recently opened Asian restaurant. The laminated menu offered Mongolian, Chinese and Japanese dishes, with each written in its native language. He had to flip it over for the English version on the back.
He was taking his therapist's advice, "throwing caution to the wind" and "letting the chips fall where they may." A sex therapist branching out to grief counseling, she was all about the clichés.
Bill's Salsa Chicken RiceI've been making this for years, and thought I'd share it, finally. Here's my recipe and the quantity I usually make:Six chicken breasts with skin, baked in plastic cooking bags at 400176F for about an hour (depen ... read more
The ruling comes after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn sued the Democratic governor of New York over his executive actions restricting church attendance earlier this month. In their 5-4 decision, the majority struck down the regu ... read more
Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form. -- RumiI happen to think there is nothing wrong with grieving. In fact, it is required. But I know what he3 ... read more
You will not believe what I've been through! :) Okay, maybe it's not been that bad. You single parents out there are laughing at me, I'm sure. But I went an entire week taking care of Elizabeth, our 4-year-old, while Tara not only had to ... read more
We had a list of stops to make. First came Ace Hardware for a clothes line and a no-pest-strip. Elizabeth had rediscovered her Barbie electric guitar earlier that day and brought it with her on this trip. She wanted to ... read more
Parenting Tip 426: When taking out recycling/trash, check its contents. I almost threw out our daughter's purse and wallet! parentingtips ... read more
Elizabeth's directorial debut. A probing, provocative, sometimes introspective look at a typical weekend around the house with Mama and Papa and the pugs. Read ... read more
Got my genealogy DNA test results back. I have bits from all over the world:1% E. Central Africa1% Native American (Chile)5% Middle Eastern91% Europe (Portuguese, Flemish, German, Hungarian, Slovak)That leaves 2%, which I' ... read more
And remember those politicians who are in the banks' back pocket (hint: it's most of them)Backing a lower court ruling made in 2009, it said two foreclosure sales were invalid because the banks did not prove that they owned them at the tim ... read more
It's been snowing all day, at least an inch and a half accumulation. Earlier, I put some de-icer on the driveway in preparation for tomorrow morning. Before that, I had to walk the dogs in the snow. You know, pugs don't like snow. It ju ... read more
Well, I tried to mow the lawn, but the lawnmower wouldn't start. I swear. :) It's probably all clogged up from sitting there unused all winter. It was a hand-me-down mower, anyway, probably in need of replacing, but that's just not in th ... read more
We hear this is a good website to estimate how much a car repair should cost. Read, listen or watch the rest here: Auto Repair and Maintenance Estimates Auto Shop an ... read more
Hoot and a HollerVol. 5, No. 6, September 28, 1993 -- Nashville editionJournalism at its finest! -- Yearly subscription rate: $135 Brouns family buys propertyLATHROP, CA -- John, Jeannie, their kids, Tiffany and Thomas, John's sister and ... read more
Fish Stories Best when lightly buttered, with just a pinch of lemon. Vol. 6 No. 4June 28, 1994 Tiffany wins awardsTiffany and her horse, Rocky, of Tracy, CA, competed in a local horse show a couple of months ago. See how current this new ... read more
Big News Other Stuff Vol. 2, No. 5 Yeah, another new name. March 19, 1990 Mike to return earlyMike has had a change of plans and expects to return from Germany at the end of March, assuming his mom can afford the return airfare. Othe ... read more
NEWS, ETC. Vol. 2, No. 15, December 18, 1990Christmas Issue Lucy to Host ChristmasLucy will be having Christmas at her house this year. It's a potluck affair. Only those with food will be allowed in. Says Lucy, It'll be very inform ... read more
The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 5, September 5, 1989 Jeannie breaks elbow Placed on Disabled ListLathrop -- While attempting a sling-shot maneuver during a roller derby match last month with teammates Tiffany and Thomas, Jeanni ... read more