Sunday, April 2, 2007 
We docked at the St. Thomas pier at 7:30 am. It’s a beautiful serene bay and the water was a beautiful sea green. The bay is full of sailboats … obviously we’re the first cruise ship in port. The island itself is hilly and has many homes dotting the hills. It is green, but doesn’t look very tropical, at least from the ship. I had expected palm trees, vines, and rain forest trees.
We are going snorkeling at Turtle Cove at 12:30…guaranteed to give us all our first sunburns of the trip. We’re prepared though…lots of sun block.
We boarded the Dancing Dolphin and sailed 
to Turtle Bay. John, Jenny and Austin were looking forward to snorkeling…..Ken, Lisa and I weren’t as enthusiastic.
We were given our snorkel equipment and basic instructions on how to put on the face mask and use the snorkel. The water was colder than I had expected. Ken and I snorkeled for a while, but found it to be very tiring, so didn’t stay out long.
We saw lots of turtles feeding on the grass on the ocean bottom. One of the crewmembers pointed out a huge turtle and said that it probably weighed 300 lbs….it certainly looked like it. John, Jenny and Austin snorkeled for a long time but Ken, Lisa and I were not that comfortable snorkeling….I tired out 
very quickly and began to have leg cramps so made my way back to the Dancing Dolphin. Ken didn’t do well at all and was only in the water for a little while.
After snorkeling for about an hour, the Dancing Dolphin headed back to the cruise ship…. it was a beautiful day, and there was a good breeze, so the captain turned off the engine, raised the sails and we FLEW over the waves.
I didn’t realize how fast a boat would travel using just the sails. It was cool! On the way back we were served orange juice and Bacardi Rum drinks, about half Bacardi and half orange juice.
John scarffed it down but Ken, Lisa and I had a few sips and decided it was yucky and not for us. Jen and Austin had soft drinks…they wouldn’t have like the rum and OJ drink…actually, I think they had a sip and made that decision themselves.
The captain of the Dancing Dolphin was a very nice man and he asked Austin if he'd like to be the boat captain for a while..he said he was tired would would like to take a break. Of course!!!! wish he would have asked me!!!
Austin really had control of the wheel and stood there watching for icebergs like the captain of the Titanic.
John, Jenny and Austin decided that this vacation wouldn’t be complete without a TATTOO! Jenny’s was a heart, John had a barbed wire around his bicep and Austin had a sea creature. The tattoos were not real…they were put on by an “airbrushed tattoo artist”, were FDA approved, and best of all, they are temporary!
Monday – April 3, 2007 -- St. Kitts
Ken and I stayed on the ship since we were not interested in shopping in St. Kitts. Our morning paper gives tips on what to look for each island....where the best buys are. But, if you aren't going ashore, there are still lots of things to do on the ship.....and its nice to have the pools and deck chairs to yourself. The ship does not close down when it is docked.....food, fun and parties still go on.
John, Lisa, Jenny and Austin walked into the town via the LONG dock. One of the natives came 
up to them with a baby monkey (wearing a diaper) and the kids had their photos taken with it. It was on their heads, climbing up their arms, and both of them just loved it.
Its a good thing they enjoyed it because the owner then asked $10.00 for taking photos, etc. Gotta watch those tricky natives. I guess John could have refused to play him but what the heck, they were on vacation.
When they got back to the ship, one of the other passengers was horrified that they would even touch a wild monkey…”it probably had fleas and 
lice”…”what if it had bitten one of the kids?”
Well, it didn’t .
This was the first formal night on the cruise. We were dressed in our best, tux for Ken, long dresses for Jennifer and me, suits for John and Austin and a cocktail dress for Lisa.
The photographers are situated in several areas of the ship, I think there were about 6 different ones, and each had a different backdrop....a beach scene, the grand stairway of the Titanic (spooky thought), an old time western theme...had to dress in costumes which are provided...and we had our photos taken. Lots of photos taken. You can walk from one photographer to another and they smile and snap your photo....that evening they will be displayed, along with a thousand or more others, in the photo gallery. If you like the photo...buy it. If not, put it in the "discard" box....there's no pressure from anyone.
I hope they turn out well…we all had been in the sun all day and have nice cherry red complexions. Oh well, if we don’t like these, there will be another formal day this week.
(to be continued)
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 St Thomas and St. Kitts Page 5
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 Grenada Page 6
Tuesday April 4, 2007 – Grenada
We docked at the Grenada terminal and did the "tourist thing".....wandered around looking the the booths full of colorful clothing and native wares. They were probably all made in Japan since they were identical to the ones at the last port....except they 
said Grenada instead of St. Kitts or St. Thomas.
Grenada is a very pretty place…green and lush just like a tropical isle should be. We didn’t have a tour booked so decided to see about arranging one from a tour company in the terminal. The natives are constantly grabbing at you wanting you to go with them on tours, sell you something or in general find a way to get you buy something.
It’s hard to keep saying “no thank you” every few minutes, but I’m sure they are used to being rejected. But, sometimes they get too pushy and you have to be somewhat rude and ignore them.
John, (our wheeler-dealer) was approached by a tour company employee who wanted $20.00 per person to take us on a tour of the area….but John bargained him down to $80.00 for the 6 of us. Joseph, our guide, had an 8 passenger vehicle so two other folks joined us. They were from St. Lucia, an island not too far from Grenada, and were both schoolteachers.
Joseph spoke English pretty well, and gave us some interesting facts about his country. He wore a big stripped knit hat and reminded me of Bob Marley, the reggae singer.
As we passed different trees, he told us what they were, cocoa, coffee, banana, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc. and then stopped at a roadside "spice" stand - had a great demonstration of the spices and how they are prepared and showed us how coffee, nutmeg and other spices looked in their raw state.
He grated a cocoa bean and a nutmeg nut and gave us a chance to taste it. The cocoa was bitter, like dry Hershey cocoa, and the nutmeg tasted like…nutmeg. He tore some bark off a tree branch and gave that to us….it was cinnamon. Now I know where cinnamon sticks come from, they are pieces of bark that rolls up when cut off a branch from the cinnamon tree. We shopped in the little hut and bought spices and other items to take home. Every place we stopped, there were people selling spice-related things.
We then drove to Annadale Falls and walked another 5,000 steps down to the base of the falls to a nice little pool..
Several young men, probably employees of the park, would climb to the top of the waterfall, and do a “cannon-ball” down into the pool. They couldn’t dive because the pool was too shallow. We watched them for a while and then climbed back to the top. On the way, there were folks selling items….more spice necklaces, various hot sauces, handmade things, etc.
The rain forest in Grenada is located at the top of a mountain, reached by a narrow, two lane winding road. It was a wild drive on the mountainous roads on the "wrong side" and we were glad to have a local driver - lots of shouting and horn blowing when someone blocked the road! If you are from the USA, my advice is to find a local driver.
The drivers in Grenada must be related to the San Juan drivers because they drive the same way, fast and furious. And since Grenada was once a British colony, they drive on the left side of the road, just opposite of what is done in the United States. Its really scary since you tend to forget that, and get the wits scared out of you when you meet a truck or car coming at you in “your lane.
On to Fort Frederick, the remains of an old fort where you could see two bodies of water from the top. It was interesting and you wonder who got the job of moving those huge blocks of stone up the hill and putting them in place. Fort Frederick was accidentally bombed by the United States …..they were supposed to bomb another fort a short distance away, but goofed.
Our last stop was a beach and recreation area with a good view of……our ship!
We didn’t know about the beach but obviously many of our fellow passengers did because there were lots of blue striped towels on chairs and chaise lounges. There were some little open-air shops, which were selling the usual tee shirts, dresses and other souvenirs.About this time, Jenny REALLY had to go to the restroom and we were told the "facilities" were next to the various seller's area. What the “information booth” lady didn’t say was that they wanted $1.00 to use the restroom. Poor Jen didn't have a dollar so had to find us and hope that we were carrying cash.
First time we’ve ever run into that situation….but I guess they have to buy toilet paper and paper towels so feel that getting money from the tourists was logical.....they have a captive audience...nowhere else to go!
(to be continued)
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 Isla Margarita Page 7
Wednesday, April 5, 2007
Jenny bought an ankle bracelet and Austin found a really nice miniature domino set with pearl inlays. Both were pleased with their purchases, mainly because both Jenny and Austin were able to haggle with the shop keeper and get the price down to about half of what she was asking.
show to Ken and the other people on the beach. It was not happy about being picked up and grabbed Austin’s snorkel mask with its big claw…that made it easier for him to carry it to the beach and show off his prize. He then took it back to the water and released it.John also found a sea creature to chase ….a manta or sting ray, we aren’t sure exactly what it was. It was about 18” across the top with a long tail. It swam next to the bottom in the shallow water and John and a couple of other guys were determined to catch it…no luck.
(to be continued
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 Aruba Page 8
Thursday, April 6, 2007
In our estimation, Aruba is a desert island, not as green as expected. And, lots of cactus! When you see a cactus FENCE and what looks like a Nebraska prairie, you begin to rethink "tropical paradise.We were booked on the Aruba Jeep Tour .. guaranteed to shake up your insides. We were shown to an 8-passenger jeep and climbed in. One of the staff came over and asked which one of us was planning to drive!!!
The other jeeps were driven by cruise passengers which would have scared me to death once we saw the paths that we were going to be driving on.
Wendell, our driver, did a great job in managing to hit every boulder, rock, hole and rut that he could….and lead the other 7 jeeps right to them.
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There were several other tours using the same facility, and the restroom line was LONG. (I think a few of the men used the emergency facility…....a handy tree)
We finally made it to the top of the mountain and had a beautiful view of the ocean about a half block down the cliff. Wendell said that the beautiful natural pool was ….down there.
Lisa was the only one who didn’t go into the pool….she was the photographer. I’m surprised that someone didn’t get hurt climbing over the rocks to the pool or climbing into the pool itself. The rocks were slippery and had algae on them. Once we got into the pool we could see tropical fish swimming around our feet…Angel fish, clown fish and whatever kind of fish “Nemo” was. We had a great time!
We stayed there for about a half hour and back up the hill we went….another sore muscle day tomorrow. Wendell had nice cold sodas waiting for us….since we hadn’t had any food since breakfast, we would have loved to have a sandwich.
The next stop was a “natural bridge” and a chance to buy a hotdog or sandwich….The natural bridge was interesting but not enough to keep our interest very long.
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 The Ostrich Farm Page 9
Our last stop was an ostrich farm….At this site they raise ostriches for the benefit of tourists but their main farm raises them for food. The meat is red like meat from cattle, not white like that of a chicken. We didn’t eat any, so can’t say for sure.
Austin and Jennie had a chance to feed the ostriches….Austin was not sure if he liked them or not and was scared he’d get pecked. I don’t blame him, they were about 6 feet tall and had big hard beaks and big eyes that stared at you. The feed was a small type of pellet and the trainer poured some into their cupped hands. The birds would reach over the fence and peck the food from your hands.
And I never did like ostriches.
When it was Jenny's turn the trainer poked the ostrich to get it to get up and walk around the enclosure….well it was supposed to walk but it was more of a trot with the trainer hanging onto it’s neck. The trainer didn’t have a rope or leash on the bird, and I was worried that the ostrich would get
away and go racing around the enclosure with Jenny holding on for dear life. I’m sure she’ll fondly remember her first (and probably last) ostrich ride.After the ostrich farm, we were on our way back to the ship. Aruba has many casinos, boutiques and upscale bars – also the usual group of open-air shops. Ken and I went back to the ship, but Lisa and family decided to get in the last bit of shopping that they could. The kids had a few more souvenirs to buy for their friends.
This was our last formal meal…and it was lobster….great if you like lobster. Ken doesn’t so he had some type of fish. The lobster was good – and, since they were rock lobsters and only about 6” long, we were served two of them. Boy, talk about rich-- dip those things in melted butter and my gall bladder will be dancing on the ceiling tonight. And, as always, if you wanted another lobster, the waiter was happy to oblige.
We also had our photos taken again…hope these come out better than the first batch. We’d go from site to site hoping that at least one of the photos would turn out to be BEAUTIFUL!!!! (and not show the pounds that we've packed on thanks to the ever present FOOD!)
*
The kids are about two steps from being professional models.
(to be continued)
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 A Sea Day Page 10
Our last day on the ship….we wandered around exploring one more time…finding places that we didn’t see when we first boarded her. We also went to the photo gallery and found our newest selection of photos. These were better and between us we bought $250.00 worth.
We had to have our luggage outside of our cabins by 7:00 so started packing. Hmmmm seems we have more luggage than we brought….guess those tee shirts and miscellaneous souvenirs take up more space than we expected.
The “March of the Baked Alaska’s” was held this evening. The waiters march around the dining room with huge volcano-shaped baked Alaska’s held over their heads. Something in the base of the Alaska’s was smoking and they looked like little volcanoes. The lights were dimmed. Then we all opened up our napkins and spun them over our heads.
It was Lisa and John’s anniversary, and the waiters brought them a little anniversary cake, and 5 of them sang “Happy Anniversary” to them. Lisa had no idea that John had put them up to it.
We told our two waiters how much we enjoyed their service, gave them an envelope with their “tip” and went to the “farewell dance party”. The kids enjoyed dancing and watching the various activities going on … we threw streamers at the dancers and then wandered off to see what else was going on throughout the ship. 
I haven't mentioned the fairly recent movies, bingo, (won $200.00) and many, many places on the ship where you could quietly read, play chess or checkers with a new friend, learn to mix drinks, or spend your vacation simply sitting on a deck chair, something cool to drink, and a deck steward at your beck and call.On some ships you can renew your marriage vows, get a temporary tattoo, go to church services and at the Captains's party, shake hands with the ship's captain and have your photo taken with him. The captains, depending on the cruise line, generally speak English or at least are bi-lingual. The crew and stewards are generally from 3rd world countries and one can usually understand them. On our 1st Princess cruise, most of them were from the Phillipines, on Carnival, they were mostly from the Slovic countries and our Carnival's waiters were from Slovica. All were helpful and did their best to please.
(to be continued)
OUR CRUISE VACATION 2007 BACK TO SAN JUAN Page 11
We were out of our rooms by 9:30 so that they could be cleaned for the next cruisers. Hated to say “goodbye” but had no choice.
We spent our waiting time in the Wheelhouse Lounge since we were “special”….we were Platinum cruisers! Whoopeeeeee! Breakfast rolls, coffee and juice were waiting for us. The plain ole generic card passengers had to find themselves seats in various sections of the ship. But could go to the breakfast buffet which was open.
When our “color” was called, we filed down to the gangplank, showed our boarding cards again and then disembarked the ship. Our luggage had already been unloaded and we had to find it amongst all the rest. Since they were put in color-coded areas, it wasn’t hard. (hint: look for the most outrageous colored luggage you can buy! Makes it so much easier to find among the thousands of blue/black or brown suitcases)
Then we boarded a bus for the trip to the airport. We found the United Airlines ticket counter, got our luggage checked in and then had a couple of hours to wait for the plane. So, we ate….this time at another famous Puerto Rican restaurant…..Taco Belle!
Lisa, John and Ken had some sort of taco sandwiches but Jean opted for a Nathan’s New York hotdog, which was delicious! Again we brought outside food into a fast food place….my NY hotdog and the kids had Subways! But, we all bought Taco Belle Pepsi’s.
Finally boarded our plane for Chicago….we were not all sitting in the same area of the plane, which was really strange…since we’ve had these tickets for nearly a year. Ken, Lisa, Jenny and Jean were in the very, very tail of the plane, the last seats in the row. Well, they were close to the restrooms and we were the first to get drinks and peanuts. Guess that was good.
In Chicago, we again had to hunt for American Airlines …”somebody” in our group was sure he knew where it was.….but he was looking at the United Airline departures and not American Airlines…..so headed us in the wrong direction.
Luckily, we had lots of time to spend in Chicago, so it really didn’t matter. We found the American Airlines pre-flight area and settled down to wait for 2 hours. Then, wham, here comes a group of 8th graders from Elkhorn, NE. Noisy and energetic. They had spent a week in Washington, DC on a spring break trip and were on their way home. They plopped down and were sitting and lying all over the floor, behaving like typical 8th graders.
When we boarded the plane, most of the kids were in the back, but some were intermixed with other passengers. And other passengers were in the back with them….too bad the chaperones weren’t! The kids weren’t rowdy, just really, really noisy.
The flight attendants went to the adults who were seated in the back of the plane and brought them to the front seats…and allowed the kids to go to the rear with the rest of their group....let the kids enjoy the last of their spring break as a big, noisy, funlovin' unit!
Epilogue… We have many wonderful memories of this trip.
Just a Reminder
Those informative little boxes on the right side of this blog are inviting you to "come and shop"....click on them and you'll be taken to that particular item. They are up-to-date and keep up with what's new in books, clothing, jewelry and miscellaneous items you may be interested in.
A Thanksgiving M-e-s-s
This seems to happen a lot during the holidays. Several years ago, I discovered that my kitchen drain instead of draining away, was backing up into the bathtub in our main bathroom. This happened on Thanksgiving morning......the culprit being the drain pipe where the kitchen drain and bathtub drain "meet" (think of a "Y") on their way to the city sewer in the street. The garbage disposal couldn't handle all the potato peelings, lettuce and celery leaves, small pieces of stalk and other salad residue that I had been shoveling in it and they caused a mega plug resulting in water, ground up garbage backing up and floating in the bathtub.
Clogs in the kitchen sink are usually the result of excessive amounts of food being flushed down the drain. Before trying to get a plumber on a holiday morning, try dislodging the plug using a sink plunger, which is smaller and shaped differently than a toilet plunger. (in a pinch, use any plunger available.) Place the plunger over the drain hole, ensuring there's enough water at the bottom to form a seal. Pump the plunger up and down - while keeping a good seal - to help dislodge a clog.
If that doesn't work, try pouring hot or near-boiling water down the drain. The water's heat may break up the combination of organic products and soap scum within the clog. A mixture of vinegar, baking soda and hot water can add more clog-busting power to your drain-clearing efforts.
Although it may be tempting to pour in over-the-counter drain-clearing products such as Drano, many plumbers advise against it. Not only are the chemicals toxic if exposed to human skin, they can also damage drain pipes if overused. And, my plumber said that for their own safety, many plumbers hesitate to work on a drain that has been doused with drain cleaners or other concoctions.
A word to the wise, to avoid a clogged drain, buy a little sink drainer that fits over the garbage disposal drain in your sink. If you have a two unit kitchen sink, use a drainer in both.
Life Insurance
A DUMB thing to do
Wow...I woke up with a really stiff neck on Saturday morning....I didn't do anything to cause it on Friday, so attributed it to sleeping with my head off/on the pillow, having no pillow or I just plain "slept wrong"....whatever....happens sometime.
By Monday it was really bothering me, aspirin and Ibuprofen wasn't helping...so decided to put heat on it (yeh, wrong, should have iced it) Anyway, I rolled up a hand towel and popped it into the microwave for a minute to warm up.
It did a nice job of warming and it felt great on my stiff neck.
Ken was reading the morning paper, looked up and said "are you cooking something?" By then, I could smell something.....actually it smelled pretty good. Then I saw a wisp of smoke float past my nose.
I took the towel off my neck and noticed that I had burned a spot on it. When I unrolled the towel, there was a smoldering fire in the middle...it was round, about the size of a dime and looked like a cigarette burn....the edges were red and smoking. When the towel was unrolled, it exposed the smoldering area to air, and wham, bang, I had a little fire in my towel.
I had absolutely no idea that the microwave would cause the center of the towel to catch on fire. I suppose that's how food cooks, from the inside out.
A little longer and it could have burst into flame, caught my hair on fire, and do some serious damage. At it was, I smelled like a bonfire ....
Meet Me in the Stairwell
We will never forget the horror of September 11, 2001.....These pictures will break your heart but the message will help it to heal
http://www.winkmartindale.com/patriotism/page008.html
Words Women Use
While in Charleston, S.C. our tennis team visited many, many great eating establishments. One of our favorites was Hyman's Seafood Restaurant at 215 Meeting Street.......where we found these words of wisdom......along with some delicious food and fun-lovin' waiters!
(Men! this is for you!....it will warn you about future arguments you can avoid if you remember the terminology)
WORDS WOMEN USE:
FINE...This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
FIVE MINUTES...If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
NOTHING...This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "Nothing" usually end in "Fine"
GO AHEAD...This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.
LOUD SIGH...This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A "loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".
THAT'S OKAY...This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
THANKS... The woman is thanking you. Do not question it or faint. Just say "you're welcome".
Corn Syrup vs. Sugar
Regular consumption of HFCS or the regular consumption of any sugar, may contribute to obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for several types of cancer and diabetes. HCFS should be avoided...try to avoid foods which contain it - read food labels carefully. Also be aware that the Corn Refiners Association wants to rename HFCS as "corn sugar" - if this is approved, you will need to look out for that term on food labels as well. I have already seen TV advertisements talking about corn sugar stating that "sugar is sugar". And we wonder why so many American children and citizens are F-A-T.
We have sugar coated this, sugar coated that...even my favorite salad dressing changed it's recipe and is now sweet ....no more Wishbone Italian Dressing for our family.
Babysitting Oakley
No, Oakley is not a new grandchild. She is our granddaughter's Westmoreland Terrier, a little bundle of energy. If you've ever seen the Cesar Dog Food commercials, you've seen a Westmoreland Terrier. Beautiful white silky hair and a sweet face. But poor little Oakley doesn't look like that this week....she had a run-in with a whole bunch of cockleburrs while at our river cabin (which has not been flooded thank goodness). Anyway, Oakley was so full of burrs and stickers that she had to be shaved...the groomer said that she had been rolling in sand too, and she practically ruined her electric trimmer on her. She looks awful.....
Lisa took Jenny and a friend to World of Fun in Kansas City, so Ken and I were in charge of their dogs. Nikki is a Gordon Setter and Cody is a larger than normal Brittney Spaniel. All we had to do for them was let them out in the morning and put them in at night The yard is fully fenced and they were accustomed to being outdoors. Oakley, on the other hand, is like Houdini...she can squeeze through or under anything, including the fence. She doesn't run away, but will sit on the front stoop waiting for someone to come home. Couldn't have that. So, I tucked her under my arm and brought her over to our house.
I am not used to having a little dog underfoot and Oakley was not used to our house. So it was clickity click, clickity click as she padded across my new wooden kitchen floor following me from the table to the sink. From the sink to the bedroom, from the bedroom back to the kitchen. Stop and turn, there's Oakley underfoot. Take two steps backward and practically step on Oakley. Sit down and Oakley was in your lap. I always thought that having a 2 year old in the kitchen was distracting.....Oakley was worse! Luckily Lisa and the kids were only at Worlds of Fun for two days...otherwise my hair would be grayer than it is now, and Oakley may not have survived dodging my feet too much longer.
So You're finally a Senior Citizen - Part 2
Getting back to this senior citizen thing....what are the benefits?
1. most restaurants will give you a discount. ASK !!
2. you can park in "senior citizen" parking spaces (if you can beat those 59 year olds to it.)
3. Goodwill and many thrift stores will give you a 10% discount--you have to tell them that you are a senior...their rules, they are not supposed to ask you.
4. If you don’t mind telling people that you qualify for senior discounts (Ha, just because I don't look it, I AM A SENIOR), seniordiscounts.com can be a good resource for saving on thousands of products and services including airlines, car rentals, travel, sports, recreation, shopping, restaurants, national parks, medical services, pharmacies, museums, and much more.
The Web site also offers a free weekly newsletter that focuses exclusively on senior discounts. When you log onto the Web site, search by your city, state, and the category you’re interested in.
5. you get a free checking account at your bank....usually no charge for cashier's checks either. ASK......the cashier won't ask if you're a senior.....some people are very defensive about their age.
6. you qualify for an America the Beautiful Senior Pass - LIFETIME PASS for U.S. citizens age 62 or over. The pass provides access to and use of Federal recreation sites that charge an entrance or standard amenity. Provides a 50% discount on camping, swimming and boat launch fees. Cost $10.00
Click on seniordiscounts.com. You might be able to take advantage of some of them.....and save yourself some $$$$$$$
Well, since you've discovered some the benefits of being a "senior citizen" suppose you get back to exercise so that you can live long enough to enjoy them.
Particularly the camping, horseback riding and hiking, some things we did in June at Estes Park. We hiked, hiked and hiked. Have to be in good shape for that. We lived in a tent for a week...no one told us that although the camp grounds had running cold water and flush toilets, there were no shower facilities....oh well. We were able to find 'pay' showers in Estes Park (connected to a laundry of all places) plus after horseback riding at the YMCA camp, we had showers there.....after being out on a horse for 3 hours, we needed them.
Two of our party of 9 (3 tents), were McDonald's addicts and the highlight of their day was when we drove into Estes Park and stopped at Micky D's. (they give senior discounts on coffee, dont'cha know) Our 13 year old granddaughter remarked that "if I NEVER see another McDonald's again it'll be too soon!)
If you enjoy golf, tennis, jogging or any other sport ....GET OUT THERE AND DO IT!
At this moment, you are the youngest you will be for the rest of your life. Don't waste it!
Coors Silver Bullet model train
The newest addition to Ken's model train collection is a Coors Light Silver Bullet O scale train. He can’t wait to take it to the train shows and store openings where his club displays their various layouts. The Silver Bullet has a flashy chrome engine pulling 4 shiny chrome-plated reefer cars and a reefer tail car.
As the train pulls into the station, the Proto-Sound 2.0 system plays arrival and departure sounds, conversations between the engineer and the stationmaster, and instructions to the men who are to unload the beer from the train itself. It also plays music but we can’t determine if it is well-known song or maybe a commercial for Coors Beer.
When the train stops, reefer car doors open, and frosty looking smoke billows out revealing the cans of chilled Coors beer.
Why Didn't Someone Tell Me a Long Time Ago?
If you wash your laundry using a gallon container of liquid soap i.e. Kirkland (from Costco), Wisk, All, etc. you have a little plastic cup that you measure with. And, that little cup gets goopier and stickier every time you use it. Its a mess to try to clean out. Plus, when you put the cup back on, the soap drains out of the cup down the side of the container, making an even bigger mess.
One day I was complaining about it to my husband, and, as he occasionally does, he looked at me like I had no brains at all. "why don't you toss it into washing machine along with your laundry?"
Well duh!
Yes folks, tossing the little plastic cup in with each batch of clothes was a brilliant idea, and it works! No more goopy, sticky plastic cup.......Hurrah!
I'm not sure if it would survive a trip through the hot dryer, so be sure to remove it from the washing machine before tossing the clothes in!
Women Are More Prone to Mouth Wrinkles
It's one of life's small injustices - women are more prone than men to form wrinkles around the mouth. There are a few reasons why:
- According to a recent analysis by dermatologists in the Netherlands, women have fewer oil-producing sebaceous glands around the upper lip - meaning less oil to keep the skin soft and supple.
- Women (particularly postmenopausal women) have fewer blood vessels in the upper lip area resulting in less blood flow to the region.
- The muscles around the mouth are closer to the skin in women than they are in men; this can mean the skin is pulled closer, leading to wrinkles.
Published 3/11/11 Ask Dr. Weil
