Where in the world is ... us?

My Beloved's Sister surprised us with an early Christmas gift today. A TomTom One GPS for our car.

They were on sale at WalMart yesterday for $59, and she bought one for themselves, their parents and one for us.

Much as I talk bad about technology, I can't resist a cool gadget!

We were planning on going to Cabela's today to purchase new shoes for Noel. For the past two years she's ordered a particular shoe from them over the net, but we thought we'd save the shipping and pick them up ourselves while we were here this year.

And since we've never been to the Cabela's, I knew it was the perfect trial for the TomTom. So I punched in the store's address, suction-cupped the unit to the windshield and off we went.

I like it. I think it's very neat. I think that they should come as a standard accessory on motor vehicles. I've never had problems reading a map. But on the highway going 70 miles per hour surrounded by other motorists who may or may not know where they are going, it was very nice having TomTom reading out directions for me. The only problem now is remembering to keep your eyes on the road instead of the TomTom.

One of the features I liked very much was a readout on the display showing me what the posted speed limit was. It didn't work on all the roads I drove today, but I can see it being very handy.

Also, when we got done at Cabela's, we both needed to find something to drink and we had no idea where the nearest gas station was. Again, no problem. Punch "navigate to," then "points near you," then hit "gas station" and viola up pops a list of the nearest stations you select one and hit the road.

I am especially looking forward to using it in the coming months when I drive an activity bus to games and such. I just have to punch in my destination then I don't have to worry about making a wrong turn in the bus. And it displays the ETA so when the students ask "when are we going to get there?" I can have a fairly concrete answer for them.

Happy Birthday Beloved

Today is my Beloved's birthday. Happy Birthday!








I love you!

Phytocillin

I have been battling a cold for about the past four weeks. This always happens when I work long hours, I get sick and I can't get well without taking a time out to get rest.

So on the way to The Sister's Place Wednesday, we stopped at Whole Foods (god, I love that place) to pick some things up.

I wandered over to the cold/flu medicines and was looking and an employee asked if I needed any help. I explained to her what I was looking for, i.e. something to kick this cold's rear end and quick. Taking a time out isn't really an option I have right now.

She pointed me towards a product called Phytocillin by Herbs Etc.

The directions instructed me to take one pill a day for lingering conditions, or two pills up to five times a day for "acute" symptoms. Needless to say I went for the heavy dosage.

I took two of the pills when we got to The Sister's Place that afternoon. That morning had turned out to be pretty rough, feeling very badly. But within an hour or two I felt an immediate difference.

Fast-forward to today, Friday, I took two pills this morning and the symptoms have -- for the most part -- not returned. I still feel slightly ill, so I believe I'll stick with the "lingering" conditions directions for a few more days. But you'll have to color me impressed. This stuff really works.

Thai massage

When I first learned about Thai massage recently, I have to admit that the photos kind of scared me.

But then today I thought to look on YouTube for a video and I found this one.

And now I realize that it doesn't look all that scary at all. In fact, I think I'd like to try it!

Adam Baldwin

I first became aware of Adam Baldwin when I got into the Firefly series.

And he instantly became one of my favorite actors.

He is such a badass, and funnier than hell too.

I recently watched the last five episodes of Chuck on Hulu, so I've been seeing his funny-tough guy thing again.

One of the things that I love is that if you watch him when he's firing a gun, he doesn't blink. He's one of the few actors that I've seen that doesn't flinch when he's shooting.

Sushi

The last time we came to visit, my Beloved's sister introduced us to California Rolls. And we liked them.

The only problem is that where we live -- out in the middle o' nowhere -- nobody sells sushi.

One of the things we found last night at the WalMart here was Annie Chun's sushi kit. Great little package including little packs of sticky rice and nori. All you have to do is pop the rice in the microwave or boil it in a pot of water, then add your own ingredients and you have sushi!

So we're excited to try it, and if we like it then we can buy a couple packs each time we come up so we can have sushi back home.

Black Friday report

My Beloved's sister wanted to be in line at the Toys R Us in order to get some kind of robotic rodent that is all the rage this year. I had never taken part in the Black Friday madness so I wanted to see what it was all about.

The sale started at midnight, we got there about 20 till. There was 500-1,000 folks out standing in the 30 degree weather. There were no parking spots nearby, we finally found one about three-quarters of a mile away and sat in the car to watch.

Twice sitting in that parking lot we were almost hit by crazies driving like mad. So we left.

We stopped in at the WalMart to pick up a few items. Their Black Friday sale starts at 5 a.m. There were only a handful of folks there, mostly gathered waiting in the electronics section.

I turned the corner in the grocery and found an older man sitting on the floor. Took me by surprise until I saw the sign he was sitting next to stating that that was the start of the line for the 46-inch televisions.

Well, I was curious to see what it was all about, and now I've seen plenty.

Me ala South Park

Me ala South Park
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

I had some fun with the South Park Character Generator!

Eating Close to the Earth

DailyOM - Eating Close to the Earth: "The food we eat is a multidimensional aspect of our lives. Food provides us with the energy that enables us to grow and prosper. Yet it can be, and frequently is, much, much more. Our food can be an experience in and of itself if we allow it to be. The dishes we remember from childhood offer unmatched comfort. The act of preparing meals can be an art form of the highest caliber. And the nourishment we derive from this fare promotes wellness within us. But many of us, distracted by daily affairs, forget that the profound pleasures of eating go beyond simple sustenance."

A tale of two farms

The area in which we live has a large and growing population of Amish folk.

There is one bus route that I often drive which passes through their settlement.

And the difference between an Amish farm and a modern farm is very stark.

The Amish farms appear to be full of life, even now in the dead of winter. There are people out doing things, children playing in the yard. Animals out in pastures. Even some crops still in the fields.

The modern farm consists of acres and acres of flat, bare dirt.

The route that I drive goes through the Amish farms and I see all that is going on there, and then I drive past the modern farm and I see nothing but miles and miles of bare dirt.