Big Brothers Big Sisters Featured on USA Today !

I am a Big Sister, not only to my REAL younger Sister, but to a 9 year old girl whom I mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. This press release just came out:
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS helps USA TODAY celebrate their 25TH
ANNIVERSARY ! Big Brothers Big Sisters will be on the cover of USA TODAY on March
30th....and we want you to read all about it! In celebration of its 25th
anniversary, USA TODAY is thanking America for their support over the
years by recognizing 25 charities for their positive impact on
communities around the country. Big Brothers Big Sisters is honored to
have been selected to kick off the "Spirit of the USA" program, with
data on the impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters in the paper's signature
"Snapshot" to appear on the front page of the USA TODAY print edition
and on the front of www.usatoday.com . Make
sure to pick up a copy of USA TODAY or visit www.usatoday.com
this Friday, March 30 to show your support
for Big Brothers Big Sisters ...and encourage all of your friends to do
the same. Keep checking the paper between March 30 and April 5 because
USA TODAY will also feature 2-quarter page Big Brothers Big Sisters'
print ads as a way to encourage more volunteers and donations. In
addition, USA TODAY is asking that our volunteers post their stories
about being a Big Brother or Big Sister on the special site that they're
hosting for us - www.bbbs.usatoday.com
(site goes live this Friday).

Winnings

I was on the clock for 2 hours in the Payroll Payoff, so I will be getting $200 ! I will be donating that money to my Breast Cancer 3 day walk when I get it......you can help too.....click the link on my sidebar and make your donation! $1, $5.....or whatever you can do to help me out would be appreciated! Thanks!

Mix 100.7 Payroll Payoff - I'M ON THE CLOCK!

Our local radio station is having a "payroll payoff" contest, they call a name, that person has 10 mins to call back and they are "on the clock" making $100 per hour....at the top of the hour they call another name, and if that person does not call in, previous caller is still on the clock. Guess who's on the clock right now making $100 per hour?? That's right....ME!!! Can I get a WOOT-WOOT!!

WHY, American Idol, WHY?

Why must I be subject to this clown, cantsingjaya, for another week? Because some pre-pubescent crying girl thinks he's "phenomenal" - does she even know what that word means? Because some bunch of clowns started a website votefortheworst.com as a joke? The only thing this kid has going for him is a good set of teeth. He looks like a young Leif Garrett with a tan! He CAN'T sing, VOTE HIM OFF! And while you are at it, get rid of Phil "Skinny Uncle Fester" Stacy too!

Thanks, Grace!

Special thanks go out to my niece, Grace, she has generously donated $5 of her own money to my 3 Day fundraising efforts! How cute is she?! Gracie is 9 years old, and is our resident "chef in training"....she loves to be in the kitchen helping with the cooking and baking! She already has a library of her own cookbooks, and has pretty much graduated from the Easy Bake oven that I passed down to her ( same one that I cooked on at her age, and then her Mother) ! Follow Gracie's lead, run over to my 3 Day donation page and donate your $5, link on my sidebar --->

Survivor Fiji - Reminder & Spoiler!

Reminder to all of your Survivor buffs (no pun intended)....due to the NCAA basketball games, Survivor is on TONIGHT at 8pm! I have inside information, SPOILER, that there is some sort of a tribe switch tonight (NOT a merge), the hiddon idol is found, and the losers keep on losing! I still do not have a favorite player this season, no one seems to have endeared themselves to me, maybe Dreamz the homeless dude, but only because of the situation at home that he is so graciously rising above. Anyway - don't call me between 8-9pm tonight, I won't answer ! And Snoopy knows he has to go outside and do his business BEFORE 8pm...and we're not going out again until Mommy's show is over!

Staked my Claim

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More Free Coffee!!

To celebrate the first day of Spring today, Dunkin Donuts is giving away a free 16 oz iced coffee to everyone who asks for it!!!

Random Shots from Chicago

I love this shot, that's Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, Lake Michigan, behind me. This was taken at the end of Navy Pier, and I set up the shot so the lighthouse would be in the distance..it was such a beautiful day - the blues in the sky and water really show!

Andersonville, a little Swedish neighborrhood on the north side.

Mariner statue at Navy Pier

Pet Food Recall - Menu Foods

In case you have not heard (been living in a cave!), there is a HUGE pet food recall going on right now. STOP feeding your cat or dog any canned or wet dog food immediately! Keep an eye on your pet for the following symptoms and call your vet if you are unsure: increased or decreased urination, loss of appetite, increased thirst, vomiting, sluggishness.
Menu Foods, which manufactures pet food for numerous private labels & national brands, issued the recall after receiving customer complaints of renal problems in their pets. Menu Foods has failed to pinpoint the actual problem, but have narrowed it down to the introduction of an ingredient coming from a new supplier. I encourage you to go to menufoods.com and check the links for recalled cat and dog foods. There are numerous brands listed, and it will give you lot numbers and other specifics when you click on the brand name. The list was at about 40 yesterday, and has increased to 50 today! DRY FOOD IS NOT AFFECTED! If you are not sure, please check with your pet's vet. My friend Sue, who has a cute little doxie named Heidi that eats only Science Diet, called her vet as she has to buy special food for Heidi, the vet told her to discontinue feeding Heidi the wet food until they could confirm that it was safe.

Free Coffee!

I am a coffee hound! McDonalds has this new "premium roast" coffee. I was skeptical, I don't do fast food, so I am never in a McDonalds, I am a loyal Dunkin Donuts fan, and Starbucks for Latte's or fancy coffee drinks....but I tried it after I read that it beat Starbucks in a national taste test. It's good, and way cheaper than Starbucks! As part of their promotion to get the word out about their new coffee, McDonald's is offering it for FREE every Monday through April 1! Run over there and get yourself a free jolt of caffiene!

John Couey Verdict

Time for me to get on my soapbox. Everyone who lives in the state of Florida knows about the Jessica Lunsford kidnapping and murder, a little girl about 9 in Homassassa , just north of Tampa, taken from her home in 2005, held in a trailer by a neighbor, sexually assualted and buried alive. I took a personal interest in this case not only because it is so close to home, but because I have neices her age. The verdit came down last week, Guilty. And last night, the penalty phase ended. It took the jury all of an hour to vote 10-2 for the death penalty for this scumbag. The judge gets the final decision, though it's rare for the judge to go against the jury's recommendation. So, he will probably sit on death row for a minimum of 10 years (longer than Jessica Lunsford got to live her life) , my tax dollars paying his room & board, food, and the eleventy zillion psychiatric evaluations he will probably go thru in the appeals process! I do not go along with the "coloring book defense", I do not believe for one minute that this guy is mentally retarded and didn't know what he was doing when he kidnapped Jessica Lunsford, hid her in a closet in his room, sexually assualted her, and then buried her alive under the ruse that he was "taking her home". He did it, he knows he did it, he fled, he got caught, he admitted it....and then he denies it and says he's retarded from a bad childhood. I'm sorry, a bad childhood is not a valid excuse to go out and hurt people, ya wanna talk bad childhoods? Sit down and have a drink with me, I'll tell you some stories! You RISE ABOVE the garbage, and you become a better person despite the people who tried to hold you down, hurt you, and tell you that you are worth nothing. Hat's off to Mark Lunsford, Jessica's Dad, a former truck driver turned crusader, pushing for better legislation to protect our children from these kind of creeps. He got the Jessica Lunsford Act passed, and then went around the country to push for it in other states. This guy is a class act, he has risen above personal tragedy to help others, he was composed the entire trial as he waited for justice for his daughter, I can't say enough good things about him. God Bless him, and the work he continues to do. Now, what about the other people who lived in the trailer with John Couey? What happens to them? They did not know Jessica was in the house, but they did know he was, and when the police came knocking on the door, they denied, more than once, that John Couey lived there, or had been seen by any of them?! Had they told the truth, Jessica would still be with us.....they need to be held accountable for their actions as well, they are just as guilty as he is.

Back Home!

I got home Monday actually, but seem to have caught some sort of flu bug while I was away...so have been trying to get well and back in the swing of daily life. We had a great time in Chicago, what an awesome city! Saw just about everything, Sears & Hancock buildings, Marshall Fields building on State St (which is now a Macy's), Millenium Park, "the bean", Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute, Navy Pier, shopped the Magnificent Mile, and went to Andersonville - a Swedish neighborhood on the north side - where I found out more about my ancestry by visiting the Swedish Museum, and went to a nice little Swedish restaurant for Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries! YUM!!

Cousins for a Cure!

Yep. That's the name of our team for the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk. My cousin, Tammy, was inspired by last years closing ceremonies to join the fight !! She came out last year to Villanova,with my dear Aunt Doris, to see me and take pictures as she is also a photographer....this year, she walks beside me! Everyone has 1 person that they bare their soul to. Tammy is my person. I tell her everything. I am so excited,and proud to walk by her side for 60 miles! I hope we don't run out of things to talk about!! Doubtful!

Windy Trip

Snoopy is going out to Joe & Pete's tonight, for a long weekend stay.......Mommy is headed to Chicago for some fun & relaxation! It's nice to know I can take trips like this and have someone I trust to leave my boy with, rather than a kennel. He gets as much love & attention at their house as he would with me, and they even call me with random updates.