Thorny Tuesday

Married Couples, or Strangers?

A thought came to me earlier today so I'm blogging about it. When you're reading a romance novel, what's the biggest turn on for you? Do you like a story where the hero and heroine don't know each other or do you like a story where they have history together? Or does it matter?

It matters for me. I much prefer a romance where the hero and heroine don't know each other. Part of the thrill for me is when they meet for the first time and then the developing relationship between them. The conflict they have to overcome, the first kiss. The passion when it explodes between them for the first time. Know what I mean? I want there to be mystery between them.

I'm not saying you can't get that with a married couple. It's just...different. Now, give me a hero and heroine who maybe knew each other years before, parted and for some reason come back together. Now, that has potential.

The Day the Penis asked for a Raise

I, the Penis, hereby request a raise in salary for the following reasons:

I do physical labor.
I work at great depths.
I plunge headfirst into everything I do.
I do not get weekends or public holidays off.
I work in a damp environment.
I work in a dark workplace that has poor ventilation.
I work in high temperatures.
My work exposes me to contagious diseases.

Sincerely, P. Niss


The Response.....

Dear Penis:

After assessing your request, and considering the arguments you have raised, the administration rejects your request for the following reasons:

You do not work 8 hours straight.
You fall asleep after brief work periods.
You do not always follow the orders of the management team.
You do not stay in your designated area and are often seen visiting other locations.
You do not take initiative - you need to be pressured and stimulated in order to start working. You leave the workplace rather messy at the end of your shift.
You don't always observe necessary safety regulations, such as wearing the correct protective clothing.
You will retire well before you are 65.
You are unable to work double shifts.
You sometimes leave your designated work area before you have completed the assigned task.

And if that were not all, you have been seen constantly entering and exiting the workplace carrying two suspicious-looking bags.

Sincerely, V. Gina

Fun Friday!

HOW TO MAKE A BABY...

The Smiths were unable to conceive and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family. On the day the proxy father was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife goodbye and said, 'Well, I'm off now. The man should be here soon.'

Half an hour later, just by chance, a door-to-door baby photographer happened to ring the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. 'Good morning, Ma'am', he said, 'I've come to . . .'

'Oh, no need to explain,' Mrs. Smith cut in, embarrassed, 'I've been expecting you.'

'Have you really?' said the photographer. 'Well, that's good. Did you know babies are my specialty?'

'Well, that's what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat'. After a moment she asked, blushing, 'Well, where do we start?'

'Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch, and perhaps a couple on the bed. And sometimes the living room floor is fun. You can really spread out there.'

'Bathtub, living room floor? No wonder it didn't work out for Harry and me!'

'Well, Ma'am, none of us can guarantee a good one every time. But if we try several different positions and I shoot from six or seven angles, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results.'

'My, that's a lot!', gasped Mrs. Smith.

'Ma'am, in my line of work a man has to take his time. I'd love to be in and out in five minutes, but I'm sure you'd be disappointed with that.'

'Don't I know it,' said Mrs. Smith quietly.

The photographer opened his brief case and pulled out a portfolio of his baby pictures. 'This was done on the top of a bus,' he said.

'Oh, my word!' Mrs. Smith exclaimed, grasping at her throat. 'And these twins turned out exceptionally well -- when you consider their mother was so difficult to work with.'

'She was difficult?' asked Mrs. Smith.

'Yes, I'm afraid so. I finally had to take her to the park to get the job done right. People were crowding around four and five deep to get a good look.'

'Four and five deep?' said Mrs. Smith, her eyes wide with amazement.

'Yes', the photographer replied. 'And for more than three hours, too. The mother was constantly squealing and yelling -- I could hardly concentrate, and when darkness approached I had to rush my shots. Finally, when the squirrels began nibbling on my equipment, I just had to pack it all in.'

Mrs. Smith leaned forward. 'Do you mean they actually chewed on your, uh . . . equipment?'

'It's true, Ma'am, yes . . . well, if you're ready, I'll set-up my tripod and we can get to work right away.'

'Tripod?'

'Oh yes, Ma'am. I need to use a tripod to rest my Canon on. It's much too big to be held in the hand very long.'

Mrs. Smith fainted.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Can you see the smile on my face? I love my new cover for "WICKED DESIRE"! My second erotic romance will be released on October 15th with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Visit www.toryrichards.com and read a sexy excerpt.

Thursday Tips

Foggy Windshield? Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope. If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Goodbye Fruit Flies. To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants. Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it"home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!



INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS

The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.)He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well,...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there.

It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free-- that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new every day!

I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So,I thought I'd share! Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it -- the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any pudding at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!

Little Tattle Tail

I have to share a cute story with you. It happened this past weekend. I went to my daughter's Thursday night after work to spend the night with my granddaughter so she and her husband could have a night away together.

Now, a few days before my daughter set up a small fish aquarium for Alivia. It wasn't until they were gone that I noticed that it wasn't anywhere in the living room. So I say to Alivia, who's only two, "Alivia, where's your fishy, baby? What did mommy do with your fishy?" I knew my daughter said she'd bought five little gold fish.

Alivia looks at me quietly for a moment, looks over at the top of the sewing machine where I knew Michelle had placed the aquarium, then back at me. I ask her again where her fishy are. She crooks her little finger at me and then motions me to follow her. We go down the hallway toward my daughter's bedroom and I think to myself, oh, Michelle must have put the tank in her room.

We enter the bedroom and I glance around but don't see one. Alivia, however, kept right on walking to the bathroom. By then I'm frowning and wondering why Michelle would put a fish aquarium in the bathroom. Then I broke out in a laugh when Alivia went straight to the toilet and pointed down into the water.

I knew immediately what Michelle had done. Later when she came home I told her that Alivia squealed and told me what she'd done with the fish. Apparently the fish had died. But we all got a kick out of how Alivia tattle tailed on her mom without even saying a word!

By the way, the picture was taken this past weekend. We were taking a nap and my daughter caught us in the act!

Thorny Tuesday

Feeling kinda bitchy...
Ever have one of those days when nothing goes right from the time you get out of bed until you get home from work? I got stuck behind someone who didn't know how to drive or use their turn signal on the way to work. I missed my exit. Got to work late. Didn't find out until lunch that I left my lunch at home. Forgot my blood pressure medicine. Had a tiff with a co-worker. Gee, this sounds like a list of what not to dos! I guess the best part of today is that I survived so I can do it all over again tomorrow.

Sunday Stories

I think my computers caught what I had last week. My desk top took almost an hour to load so I could sign on and blog this evening. The reason I'm not on my lap top is because the wireless connection is so low it won't connect to the Internet. Don't know what's up with that but if it continues much longer I'm going to take it in. I bought a wireless router and for the money it cost I don't expect to be inconvenienced with this type of problem! Would you?

I thought I'd do a little trivia this evening. I'm in the mood to give something away:) The first person who gets all five answers right will win a a coffee mug filled with tea bags and hot cocoa! It won't be long when the weather will be changing for winter and you'll get the hankering for something warm in your tummy.

You might have to do a little digging but the answers are either on my blog or website. Deadline is the last day of the month.

What year was I born in?
Where's my favorite weekend getaway?
What are my 2 cat's names?
What's my granddaughter's name?
What convention do I plan to attend in April 2009?

New Review for "IT'S ALL IN THE JEANS"

ROMANCE AT HEART MAGAZINE ...

It's All In The Jeans is a funny, sexy, and fun read filled with excitement, love and even a bit of danger. From a brush with a Hurricane named Dexter, to fighting off her ex-lover, Libby finds life with her grandmother is less than idyllic. Add to the mix, a recovering firefighter with baggage, and you have the recipe of a great read, one that will keep any respectable reader on their toes.

The end is surprising in its own way, and if you want a good page turner that is on the lighter side, then It's All In The Jeans is definitely the book for you.

Reviewed by Rose

Read the complete review here-
http://romanceatheart.com/review/itsallinjeans.html

FRIDAY FUN!!!

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

1. If You're Choking On An Ice Cube, Simply Pour A Cup Of Boiling Water Down Your Throat. Presto! The Blockage Will Instantly Remove Itself.

2. Avoid Cutting Yourself When Slicing Vegetables By Getting Someone Else To Hold The Vegetables While You Chop.

3. Avoid Arguments With The Females About Lifting The Toilet Seat By Using The Sink.

4. For High Blood Pressure Sufferers ~ Simply Cut Yourself And Bleed For A Few Minutes, Thus Reducing The Pressure On Your Veins. Remember To Use A Timer.

5. A Mouse Trap Placed On Top Of Your Alarm Clock Will Prevent You From Rolling Over And Going Back To Sleep After You Hit The Snooze Button.

6. If You Have A Bad Cough, Take A Large Dose Of Laxatives. Then You'll Be Afraid To Cough.

7. You Only Need Two Tools In Life - Wd-40 And Duct Tape. If It Doesn't Move And Should, Use The Wd-40. If It Shouldn't Move And Does, Use The Duct Tape.

8. Remember - Everyone Seems Normal Until You Get To Know Them.

9. If You Can't Fix It With A Hammer, You've Got An Electrical Problem. Daily Thought: Some People Are Like Slinkies - Not Really Good For Anything But They Bring A Smile To Your Face When Pushed Down The Stairs.

Wednesday Writings

The Secrets of a Closet Writer

Pen on paper, a manual typewriter, it doesn’t matter when you’ve got the bug. And by bug I don’t mean bedbugs:) I’m talking about the need, or in my case, passion to write. For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a writer.

When I was around the age of ten I would write short stories on notebook paper. At the time they seemed like long stories until I typed them out onto a few measly pages. It didn’t matter because whatever I wrote came from my heart and soul. Stories about love & happily ever after.

I can recall how my parents laughed at me when I told them I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. It crushed me. They’ll never know how much power their reaction had on me. After that I never mentioned it again. I kept my dream in my heart, feeling somehow that it was a stupid idea, and thus a closet writer was born.

To this day I have no idea why they bought me a typewriter for my 13th Christmas. Knowing them it was simply because I asked for one. After receiving that there was no stopping me. I typed all the time. Writing suddenly became therapy for me, a very private part of me that I shared with no one.

As I got older I continued to write, though life often got in the way and the years slipped by. My stories began to pile up on me. The pages turning crisp and yellow, the plot so outdated in some that serious revision would be needed before submitting to any publisher. Only that didn’t cross my mind. The vision of my parents laughing at me still a painful memory.

Then gradually I let my grown daughter and niece in on my little secret. When my niece indicated to me one day that she wanted to be a writer I felt compelled to reveal my dreams. They were surprised, and insisted on reading something I’d written. They liked it and encouraged me to submit to a publisher. Two short months later I was offered a contract. At fifty years old my dreams had come true! If only I’d realized they were my dreams from the beginning.

My daughter and niece believed in me and gave me the courage to pursue my dreams. THEY didn’t think wanting to become a writer was funny. And receiving that contract from Whiskey Creek Press was a turning point in my life. I wasn’t just a writer. I was a published writer. I came out of the closet.

Now I’m a multi-published author. My first book, “CUPID’S ARROW” with Whiskey Creek Press was on their best sellers list for two consecutive months. Talk about a confidence booster!

I'm sorry I let my parents lack of faith in my dreams keep me from pursuing a writing career when I was younger. Maybe at the time I was just being overly sensitive. But I'm very thankful I shared my dreams with my daughter and niece.

What do you sleep in ladies?

My favorite sleeping attire is an over sized tee-shirt and a pair of men's pajama bottoms. It just hit me the other night as I was getting ready for bed that I buy a new sleeping shirt about every five years. Five years because that's about the life span of the tee-shirt. LOL I went from a Bahamas to an Alaska to a Mickey Mouse and now a Vail, Colorado shirt. My daughter and her hubby went there on their honeymoon and brought one back for me.

It's like all the others. Huge and just about hangs to my knees. It's comfort I'm after, ladies. If you can sleep in one of those little see through things with a matching thong than go for it! Not me. And I don't care how the shirt looks after a thousand washings.

The last one I wore looked like a cat had taken their claws to it. But by the end of five years it's sooooo soft and comfortable. I hate giving it up because it's tough breaking in a new one. It's stiff and scratchy and doesn't give like the old one. But alas, five years is about all I can get out of it.

I guess that's not too bad. Especially when you consider I wash it about four times a week:)

Through the Eyes of a Rapist

Not a very pleasant topic but it might help us better understand how easy we sometimes make it for them.

A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hair style that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair Women with short hair are not common targets.

2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who's clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.

3) They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30am.

5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. Number two: is office parking lots/garages. Number three: is public restrooms.

6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.

7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.

8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.

10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look him in the face and ask him a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: "I can't believe it is so cold out here," "we're in for a bad winter." Now you've seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.

11) If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back.Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes), yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

13) If someone grabs you, you can't beat him with strength but you can by outsmarting him If you are grabbed around the waist from be hind, pinch the attacker either under the Arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it - it hurts..

14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he's out of there.

15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly..

16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts!!! IF YOU FEEL SCARED, GO WITH YOUR FEELINGS. DO NOT BE A NICE SOUTHERNER WHO WILL HELP ANYONE. You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

Thirteen Things PMS Stands For

1. Pass My Shotgun
2. Psychotic Mood Shift
3. Perpetual Munching Spree
4. Puffy Mid-Section
5. People Make me Sick
6. Provide Me with Sweets
7. Pardon My Sobbing
8. Pimples May Surface
9. Pass My Sweat pants
10. Pissy Mood Syndrome
11. Plainly; Men Suck
12. Pack My Stuff
13. Potential Murder Suspect

Thursday Tips

Is really a warning this week folks, from the Biddeford Maine police...please read

Warning....!!!!

On Friday night they parked in a public parking area. As they drove away he noticed a sticker on the rear window of the car. When he took it off after they got home, it was a receipt for gas. Luckily his friend had told him not to stop as it could be someone waiting for them to get out of the car. Then this email was received:

'WARNING FROM POLICE ...BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE--NEW WAY TO DO CARJACKING (NOT A JOKE)'

Heads up everyone! ... Husbands, wives, kids, everyone!!! Please, keep this circulating... You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse. When you look into the rear view mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.

And guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!

BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED

If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away. Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands

Detective Elizabeth R. Coleman
Biddeford Police Department
39 Alfred Street
Biddeford , Maine 04005
(207)282-5127

Have you ever noticed that once you pay something off things begin breaking down on it? I purposely paid my car off so I wouldn't have a monthly car payment anymore. Three years early! Since then I've had to purchase new tires, replace my battery and a week ago my air conditioning went out. It's as if the darn car knows it's been paid off! Talk about coincidences.

If you live in the south then you'll understand when I say you can't survive without air conditioning. I don't know how we ever did. So, two days after it broke down I drove to Sears automotive department to get it fixed. Bright and early I arrived, only to be told their air conditioning man wouldn't be back until Monday.

"You're kidding," I say to the tech. It was Friday.

"I'm sorry ma'am but you have to be certified to work on air conditioners. Not just anyone can do it."

Okay, I'm thinking to myself, so why do they only have one certified tech who can do it? But I kept my mouth shut and made an appointment to return on Monday after work.
Unfortunately when I arrived at work on Monday and checked my calendar I noticed I had a late meeting and wouldn't be able to make my car appointment. So I called to let them know, and make another appointment. I got a young girl, who I later found out was only on her 5th week of employment.

I explained I couldn't make it Monday and asked her about Wednesday morning, since I was off that day. "Is your air conditioning guy in on Wednesday?"

"Air conditioning guy?" I explained what happened to me on Friday morning. "Oh, yes, he'll be in."

"What time can I come in?"

"We open at 7:30."

"So I can come in at that time?"

"Well, let me see if we have an opening." I wait. "We have an opening at 8:00."

I'm thinking, this is great. I can get there early and they'll take me right away. I give her my name and get there bright and early Wednesday morning only to be told their air conditioning tech doesn't come in until noon. I couldn't believe it! I just looked at the guy writing up the order and said, "You've got to be kidding." I explain about my Monday call and even tell him who I spoke to.

Then I asked to speak to her because I was going to say something to her. He assured me he would say something to her and apologised several times. Said she was new and didn't know they only had one air conditioning guy and that he was scheduled a late shift that day. I couldn't believe I had to go home and come back a third time. But I did. I couldn't stand another day without air.

Hubby's coming home this Thursday! About damn time. I hope I recognize him at the airport:)

Thorny Tuesdays

Sunday Stories

Addictions - I was just sitting here thinking about addictions. And not necessarily drugs or alcohol. I myself have never tried drugs while my younger sister tried everything under the sun. To this day she smokes like a chimney while I smoked for one week at the age of thirteen and gave it up, cold turkey.

I have addictions. McDonald's hazelnut ice coffee and sweet tea are two I have to have on a regular basis. Not every day, but at least a couple, okay few times a week. What's wrong with that? It's not like I inject them into my veins or anything. I don't inhale them into my lungs. Maybe they do show up on my hips but darn it, it's my addiction and to my knowledge no one has ever died drinking sweet tea. LOL I'm weak when it comes to them.

Another addiction I have is good ice cream. Don't give me that plain vanilla or chocolate crap. I want ice cream with lots of nuts, chocolate chunks, marshmallows and other goodies in it. Heavenly Hash is one of my favorites. I don't buy ice cream often but when I do it has to be the best.

I'm addicted to sci-fi Saturdays. Is that even an addiction? Saturday is the only day I have control of the remote so I turn it on the sci-fi channel from the time I get up until I go to bed at night. My hubby doesn't like sci-fi and whines about it all day. Do you suppose that's why I watch it? Half the time I don't even pay any attention to what's on because I'm working on the computer. But I won't let him change the channel because it's my day. I think I have a mean streak in me:)

As you can see my addictions are harmless enough. Are you addicted to anything? Come on, fess up! I won't tell anyone.

Welcome to Fun Friday!

A married couple went to the hospital to have their baby delivered. Upon their arrival, the doctor said that the hospital was testing an amazing new high-tech machine that would transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the baby's father. He asked if they were willing to try it out. Both said they were very much in favor of it.

The doctor set the pain transfer to 10 % for starters, explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced before. But, as the labor progressed, the husband felt fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch. The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer. The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor then checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing. At this point they decided to try for 50%. The husband continued to feel quite well.

Since the pain transfer was obviously helping the wife considerably, the husband encouraged the doctor to transfer ALL the pain to him. The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain, and the husband had experienced none. She and her husband were ecstatic.

When they got home, they found the UPS man dead on the porch.

The big one?

OMG...will Ike be the one? All of Florida is in the cone of, shoot, I can't recall the word the weather man used. My daughter and I just got off the phone, after going through a list of things to take care of before next Tuesday, when we should start feeling the effects of the storm. The weather man said this storm is going to be big, dangerous, and have the potential of doing the same kind of damage we received in 2004. Right now we can only wait to see how it turns.

Keep your fingers crossed for us Floridians and anyone else who might get a visit from Ike.

Thursday Tips

Are household tips...

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little"stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Easy Deviled Eggs. Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Newspaper weeds away. Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Squirrel Away! To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Reducing Static Cling. Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing pantyhose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da!-- static is gone.

Foggy Windshield? Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope. If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Wednesday Writings

You know, I'm not one for writing letters or emailing companies when I receive bad service or a product from them. I chalk it up to the times we live in and make a mental note not to go back to that place. It's not like the old days when most business owners truly cared about keeping their customers.

Remember those days when the customer was always right?

I can't tell you how many letters my hubby has had me type up over the years to send to a doctor, hospital, insurance company, or business to complain. Most of the time they went ignored.

Well, I sent my own e-mail out a couple weeks ago to a restaurant chain that I had a complaint about. I stopped at the drive through on my way home from work and ordered a hamburger, medium well, and onion rings, which are supposed to be the best. When I got home I found the hamburger dry from being over cooked, and the onion rings were all broken up and also over cooked to the point that the onion inside was all but gone.

I might have let it go, if it was the first time. The first time I was actually dining inside so was able to return the onion rings for a new order, which were as good as they advertise.

The second time did it for me, so I sent in a complaint.

A couple days ago I received a call from the restaurant manager who apologised and offered to send me a couple free meal coupons in the mail if I would give them another chance. So I agreed. After all, they do have the best sweet tea in town!

Maybe hubby has the right idea after all.

Thorny Tuesday!

Isn't this North American porcupine cute?