It has been way too long since I blogged so I think I have decided to make this blog a little more personal and use it for contemplating, thinking, reminiscing, hoping and dreaming. I now have 2 grandchildren and one on the way. They have been living with us because their daddy is in nursing school. It has been the most wonderful experience that I will never forget; I hope they will remember it fondly, too.

Focus

"The Bible encourages us to be still and know that he is God (see Psalm 46:10). I think that's because when we're busy with the everyday details of life, we forget what's really important - we lose focus. If we live like we're speeding down a freeway, it's no wonder we miss the very things we were hoping to see along the way." - Taken from the book titled: Love at Last Sight by Kerry and Chris Shook

Lunar eclipse

After a short nap on the couch I stayed up to try and see the lunar eclipse last night. I was extremely disappointed though, because the clouds completely took over the sky. I awoke at 3:30 am and thought I'd give it another shot... no chance. This time I couldn't even locate where the moon was. Guess I will give it another try in 2014...

Woodstock

It was 41 years ago there was Woodstock...today it could never happen. Too many logistics to think about with security...and well, drug sniffing dogs? Need I say more?

Davy Crockett

Today is Davy Crockett's Birthday...I think he would turn over in his grave if he knew what was going on in this country. Does anybody...
"Remember the Alamo"?

Texting

Well here we go again. This time we get to earn .5 hours of training for learning how to text message on a cell phone. It's nice to know that you can also text message for free on-line. The only thing is, it would be totally appreciated if you know if the receiving person has a text message plan or if they will have to pay for the text you send them. Doesn't even matter if they open it or not, they will have to pay for it without a plan. Initially we did not have a plan, but we do now. My two daughters and I text the most with each other...occasionally with my 2 sons. The other thing we have been involved with more is Facebook. Both of these programs have had an good influence on my relationship with my kids. But another influence, maybe not so good, has been that sometimes i forget to use capital letters when i'm writing...it just takes too long to capitalize names and the beginning of sentences. Some of the short "lingo" i use are: lol, ly, ly2, omg, otw, ttfn, and :) and :0 and many others. I took a Gregg Shorthand class in highschool, but none of those symbols are on the phone...lol...and my kids wouldn't have a clue anyway.

I watched the video, but didn't really learn anything new. I read the NY Times article, and what does "flummoxed" mean again? Maybe that's how my husband feels when i text him and he doesn't know how to open it. Well, actually, i think he can open it, he just doesn't know how to send one. :) I have texted while driving and don't like it at all...no close calls or anything, just anxiety while trying to text and drive...not worth it. California is trying to curtail the problem, but there aren't enough cops to catch them all. Traffic is bad enough without texting pile-ups.

All this new technology can be frustrating especially when it seems like people are becoming less considerate of others. When someone is talking on the phone and you are trying to serve them at the desk...well, be patient...they will eventually let you know what they want, if you haven't already figured it out yourself. Be polite, and wave goodbye.

Facebook

I decided to work on the iHCPL again with the unit on Facebook. I opened an account back when we were introduced to it on iHCPL, but didn't do much with it until recently when my daughter invited me to be friends. And now I think I have over 20 friends. I check the site from home every other day. I updated my privacy settings. I'm just hoping it didn't do too much to change things...if so I'll just go back in and change them again. I forwarded the link to my kids in case they didn't know about privacy settings, and/or how to protect their profiles and pictures.

Wellness #42 - Staying Well

This has been an interesting iHCPL journey. I have enjoyed learning about the websites that are out there for the viewing even though it does tend to overwhelm me.
I'm not very familiar with any medications/pills so I didn't look much on the pill identifier site. I looked on the Symptom Checker site and didn't get the results I thought I would at first, but dug a little deeper and found the information I was looking for on a Mayo Clinic site. My dad and I both have been experiencing hip pain and believed the cause to be the sacroiliac joint. Now I know some causes and some treatments and can assist my dad in finding a doctor who can help him have better quality of life. His mom lived to be 95, so he could have another 15 years to look forward to and he shouldn't have to live it in pain.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/symptom-checker/DS00671

I logged into the MedlinePlus site and began looking for the topic of hip pain. I found the site http://www.freemd.com/ and got a virtual doctor. He asked several questions and diagnosed the hip pain as a herniated disc. I don't think that's what it is, but I'm sure the "live" doctor that my dad goes to see will be able to determine what it is by x-ray or MRI. I also researched scoliosis. I found out after the car accident I was in that I have scoliosis. I had no clue.
Anyway, the virtual doctor asked me for my zip code and directed me to several clinics and doctors in my area. I didn't see any orthopedic doctors listed though, just internal and family practice. I had to search deeper for a specialist. There were several in the area.
Using on-line medical sites are not always a good idea if it might create fear in someone. My son-in-law actually thought he had gall bladder problems after looking on line. (it's in his family history) When he went to the doctor he found out it was just pleurisy. What a relief for him.
I looked again at the www.freemd.com site and answered the questions from the doctor a little differently and this time it actually said I can treat myself at home because it was chronic back pain/strain...which is more likely for me, (osteoarthritis) but not sure about my dad. My brother has a problem with his back called Ankylosing Spondylitis, which I learned more about while exploring this site. This leads me into the family history question.

https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/ I created a family health portrait, but it can't be all that accurate because I don't know my family that well. I have no living grandparents, my mom passed away over 10 years ago and my dad is 81. I guess I need to tap into what he knows, and also ask any surviving uncles or aunts what they know. My mom used to say, "leave the skeletons in the closet", but I think these are ones who need to be "autopsied". I know there has been diabetes on my mom's side of the family. As far as I know none of my 5 siblings or I have it. We have actually been pretty healthy, so we have been very fortunate. I will continue to look into this and add more to the family health history as they are discovered.

I think this will be my last iHCPL for awhile. I've completed all my training hours for 2008.

Wellness #41 - Going Green- Part 2

http://www.obviously.com/junkmail/ This is the first task I need to do. All of a sudden I'm getting more junk mail than ever. I try to make sure I "opt out" on all the offers I get in the mail, but maybe I need to call the 800 number again. It needs to be done for each person who lives in the home.
My house was built in 1983, and we are starting to have some weatherstripping problems around the doors and windows again, so that is probably an activity I will try and get done, especially before winter gets here. It's not as obvious during the summer when I "air condition the outdoors", but in the winter it it because cold air seeps into the house and freezes my toesies.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html I've always thought about making my own cleansers, but never had all the stuff in the recipe, and never remembered to add them to my grocery list. This would take more committment, but I might try some of these recipes. The stores sell the natural, non-toxic stuff now. My daughter uses it because of her little kids.

http://www.obviously.com/recycle/ This list seems irrelevant for me since the company that picks up our recycle stuff gives us a list of what they pickup and what they don't. They don't pick up any glass. Cereal boxes, cardboard boxes, plastic, food cans, soda cans, aluminum, etc. I'm glad they pick up for us so we don't have to transport our stuff. There are several recycle bins in the area, however. One right across the street from where I work. This was a great link http://www.obviously.com/recycle/guides/shortest.html for people who need to know what recycles and what doesn't.

A person could spend all day on this site. http://www.diylife.com/ I like this site. It has a lot of great ideas and do it yourself projects. Great way to save money.

Wellness #41: Part 1 Going Green

I looked at all three energy calculator sites, and found the Yahoo! Green to be the quickest and least daunting. http://green.yahoo.com/calculator The National Wildlife Federation wanted me to take a "Good Neighbor Pledge" and send them money. Sorry, not gonna happen. I can still be a good neighbor. The Green Team site had lots of questions, and really more information than I was interested in. I recycle at home our paper, plastic, cans and aluminum. Our homeowners association pays to have them come and pick it up. If not for that it would be harder for me to recycle. I'm not even sure where I would take the stuff. ?? On the Yahoo! Green site my score was 8.2 CO2/yr. Home: 4.9 / Road: 2.7 / and Air: 0.6. On the years I fly to Guam, however, my score for air goes up to 8.4. How else am I suppose to get to Guam? Take a slow boat?? That still uses fuel.
I noticed in the USA Today dated Friday, Oct. 3 that car rental places are offering possible carbon offset credits of $2 - $6 per rental. (Avis, Budget, and Thrifty, to name a few)
http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com/ For those looking for a grand adventure this other site was named in the newspaper article. http://www.wholetravel.com/beta

Very interesting about the pesticides on fruits and vegetables. I try and buy organic when I can, especially apples. I didn't realize that peaches and nectarines were the worse! And who would've thought about celery being contaminated? http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php
There used to be a farmer's market close by, but now it's moved, and I haven't been to it.
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M19290 It sounds great, even though it got mixed reviews. Maybe I'll check it out. The grocery stores in the area carry a lot of organic foods now. It makes it easier then going to the farmer's market, however I think we should try and support local growers. My husband had a garden a few years back that was great. We didn't use any pesticides and had a bumper crop of green beans, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, and corn. It was a lot of work for him, and perhaps when we retire we will give it another go. We do still grow herbs.

#40 Fitness

I think this is one of the best ones yet! After doing the questionnaire I guess I need to plan for another 50 years of life. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/HealthAge.html
My life expectancy came out at 102.2. I was more surprised by my health age. I'm 54 and my health age was 33.2 on the questionnaire. Does that mean I will live another 69 years??? aaagghhh!!! As long as I'm healthy and fit...gotta keep exercising and eating lots of fruits and vegatables...fewer sweets and more fish. I know...I know...off to the market I go.
Because I am exercising I pretty much eat whatever I want to. I could never count calories or count points. I just know what's good and what's not. A little treat now and then is good for you, so don't deny yourself. Just plan for it.
My BMI was 22.2 which is in the healthy range. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BMI.html Check out yours.
My calorie requirements were 2498-2678. http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html
I was surprised by that number since I've read about the 1200 calorie diets and how to lose weight. How could someone survive on 1200 calories? I've always known that you should eat more than 3 meals a day. The body goes into a starvation mode if it doesn't get the calories it needs. Breakfast is sooooo important in the morning to break the fast of the night before. Protein is sooooo important for building muscle. As we age we lose muscle so all the more reason to take care of the ones we have.
Exercise is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy, active life. Stretching is very important for us as we age. Muscles need to be flexible so that they don't tear if we fall. (I've fallen and I can't get up?) I can tell the difference on the days that I don't work out in the morning. I have less energy and my muscles are tight. I usually take the time throughout the day to stretch my quads and hamstring muscles as well as my triceps and back. IT REALY FEELS GOOD TO STRETCH...so JUST DO IT!! (I'm talking to myself)

Wellness #39 Nutrition

This unit is a great idea for all employees to participate in. People can learn so much about the the food we eat and about exercising, and create the opportunity to make better choices. Now...I actually eat anything I want. Since I started working out I have lost more than 20 pounds and have a lot more energy. The bottom line is CHOICE. We each make our own choices. I don't want to be bogged down with counting calories, but I do want to eat foods that are good for me. Once I know what those foods are, I have a choice whether to eat them or choose junk. And the great thing is, when I have worked out I don't feel like eating junk.
I logged in on http://www.nutritiondata.com/ and found out that the taco salad I have been eating at Taco Bell has 51 grams of FAT. AAAAGGGHH!!! I usually only eat it 2 or 3 times a year, but whoaaaa!! I may have to rethink that treat!
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/foods-from-taco-bell/6463/2#
I subscribed to the RSS feed for this website and will see how I like it.

Recipe: Taco seasoning dip for tortilla chips
Ingredients:
Ground Beef (extra lean), 1 unit, cooked (yield from 1 lb raw)
*Lawry's Taco Seasoning, 8 tsp
Sour Cream, 1 cup
Monterey Cheese, 2 cup, shredded
*Refried beans, ROSARITA, refried beans, traditional, 2 cup

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/cookbook_calculate_popup.asp?ingredientIDs=13301,130357,1056,1025,41929,&amounts=30353,138352,23818,23708,48859,&qtys=1,8,1,2,2,&servings=12&food=User
Substitute ground turkey for the ground beef, and light sour cream for regular.

Maps#34 Geocoding and Geocaching

The zip code I chose was 77450, near our branch. Mother's Day : Baby Cinco is the location I chose and here are the coordinates: N 29° 44.463 W 095° 45.185
I don't own a GPS unit, but my daughter does so it might be fun to create our own geocaches...especially as my grandson gets older and can learn how to use the unit.
Here's the URL for a site in an area closer to where I live that I might investigate some time
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=89bac9ed-4530-4350-8c7d-c3b21a82c8eb
Coordinates: N 29° 50.176 W 095° 43.023
I like being able to access the satellite image to help see what I would be facing in my search.
I'm not sure I would do geocaching unless I had several people with me, but it sounds like it would be fun with a community of friends. Games have reached a level beyond what I could have imagined. This sounds like fun with the right people and the right PRIZES!!
(while doing spell check the word geocaching came up and there was no option for correction)

# 33 Relocating with Online Maps

APARTMENTS:
I searched all three apartments sites and liked http://www.apartmentguide.com/ the best. The other two showed "featured apartments" at the top that were NOT in my search area/zip code. I had to scroll down to find the Katy apartments. The site, http://www.apartmentfinder.com/ only came up with three complexes compared to three pages of ten complexes per page on Apartment Guide. Going back was difficult at http://www.apartments.com/. I had to start a new search each time I tried to go back and look at a different complex. On Apartment Guide, going back was easier and there was a place you could click on for seeing ALL Katy apartments, not just the ones in the 77450 zip code. Maps were helpful and I like the hybrid best.
The last time I searched for apartments was when I was in my late teens, so I was amazed by all the amenities and availabilities. The deposits required were as low as $75.00 I always thought they expected first and last months rent as a deposit. I compared two complexes in Katy and found that they were similar. Since I have a dog (70# yellow lab) I was interested to find out about the pet policies. The Vineyards Apartments http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Texas/Katy/Vineyards/PropertyOverview.aspx?listingid=34995has a no weight limit and a $250 non-refundable pet fee with no aggressive breeds. The Kingsland Ranch http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Texas/Katy/Kingsland++Ranch/PropertyOverview.aspx?listingid=36565has a 50# limit and a $350 deposit, which would keep me from continuing my interest in this particular complex. They were both disability accessible.
HOUSES:
I looked on the http://www.har.com/ site first and then went to the http://www.googlemaps.com/ site and clicked on My Maps to find houses with some land/property. I focused on Brookshire, Austin, Sealy and San Antonio. Found one in Brookshire at Peregrine Estates II that has 2 acres with a 2170 sq foot home on it. I would move in a minute if I could...but probably couldn't sell the home I'm in. This home is in the country, 6.11 miles from a country grocery store, 9.36 miles from a drugstore, and 7.19 miles from a library.
This website, http://www.walkscore.com/ was pretty cool. My son moved to Nashville so I looked up Nashville while I was looking. And then I used my current address to see how accurate it is. Didn't know about half the places within my walking area...especially the HEB #497 which is NOT there at 1621 N Mason Rd. I think it must be at 1621 S Mason Rd. So, there goes the accuracy of the site right out the window.

32 Current Events...

I haven't been posting lately. Lots of family visiting, summer reading at work, and just too much to do. I have gone to this site and saw what was offered, then asked a question. Here are the sites I accessed. 100 Things To Do With Google Maps .
What time is it on the island of Guam? My in-laws live there and they were just here visiting. As many years as we have lived here (over 20 years) I never can remember the time difference. This site will help me find out quickly. Today it is 4:37 pm (Thurs) here, and on Guam it is 7:37 am (Friday). A difference of 15 hours. Now, what happens when daylight savings time changes?

I explored the Global Incident Map, Terra Server, and National Atlas. My dad really liked the Global Incident Map. He's into all the "end times" discussion, and likes to see what's going on around the world. It could be a little scary depending on what's going on.
I can't see ever using the who is sick.org site. I can understand the concern, but not sure it would really be useful.
Good to know all these sites exist...I find myself telling people all the time..."just google it" whenever they have a question and need a quick answer.
I looked at the http://www.toeat.com/ site and found several restaurants I frequent. The best Chinese restaurant in Katy is Fortune Village. Check it out!


http://www.qlock.com/time/gmaps?map=1

http://whoissick.org/sickness/

http://maps.huge.info/zip.htm

Where oh where have you been...iStar?

Haven't posted in forever...Summer Reading Program keeping us pretty busy here. I'm gonna try and continue the iStar program if I can find the time. I like the assignments...just gotta find the time to do it. I went on vacation to see my dad and siblings in Nevada in May and ended up in a car accident, breaking my sternum and straining my neck. Have had to go to physical therapy for the first time in my life. And now I have to get all my paperwork together to file a claim for a settlement from my dad's insurance company. (He was driving) It's a mess cuz my health insurance has paid some and I'll have to reimburse them when I get the settlement. I really don't have a clue how to do this, and since I'm kinda ADD at times, I haven't been able to focus and/or concentrate on it. Once that's done I will get back to the iStar assignments. Wish me luck...

Maps #31: Look at where I've been...

I have traveled to many states, but still have a few to go...Not sure I will see all 50, but it doesn't much matter. I used to want to travel to Europe, and now I don't. I just enoy spending time with my family wherever they may be. When we went to Maui last year, the best part (besides the wedding) was being with the family. I wanted to add Hawaii to my map, but forgot how. Had to reread the tutorial and still couldn't do it. Could somebody HELP me?

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107403694371233602104.00044b27a41db680b926d&z=4

Post #30 More Spring Cleaning...

My personal pictures are no longer here at work. I actually emailed them to myself and then downloaded them to my personal laptop at home. I decided I needed to "clean up" quickly so I did the easiest thing. Rather than download them to Flickr I put them on My Pictures in my Yahoo account.
On the p-drive I took my Audio and Video Labels files and placed them in a folder labeled Audio-Video labels. I might be able to eventually delete the folder since we don't do as much mending anymore, but we may still need them to mend covers for cassettes and videos that are still circulating. That file has been there before I started working here in 2000, so I'd say it's the oldest one I know of.
I think I am more organized than I realized. And...I have been able to delete new email more quickly because I'm consciously thinking about it.

Post 29 Cleaning it up

I went into my work email account and opened several new folders for the email that I thought I needed to hold on to...may find out later I don't need some of them, but thought I would at least organize them. I didn't have any addresses to delete from my address book because I had not saved any on this work account. I only had a couple of personal email coming to this account and have requested them be cancelled or sent to my yahoo account. I will try very hard to delete right away the email that doesn't pertain to me. Good advice for action: reply, delete, forward, or file.

Post 28 "Get everything out of your head"...

Getting Things Done by David Allen: "Get everything out of your head. Make decisions about actions required on stuff when it shows up - not when it blows up." Very good advice! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done#Process
I really liked all the choices available for organizing "stuff". It will be very helpful for me at home, but not sure how it will benefit me as much at work. We have certain tasks that we are assigned on a regular daily basis. These things, because we do them every day, have already been developed into a habit. When a training class is scheduled or there is an additional task that needs to be worked on or completed, then a calendar or "bla-bla list" is good. I plan to set up the Google Calendar and try to use it instead of using my daytimer, but for now I have set up a bla-bla list. http://www.blablalist.com/ The only thing: what happens if the power goes out?? Do the things on our list get put on hold because our list is inaccessible?? Do we miss a meeting? Or do we make sure we print out a copy each day? I have been happy using paper, but I guess the trees aren't so happy about it. HA! I know that I get more done at home when I make a list and look at a calendar...and would hate to have to log on to a computer every time I need to look at my list. For me, it would have to be printed out and stuck on my refrigerator. Birthdays are important to me and I keep those on a very accessible calendar so that I don't miss any family birthdays.
Here at work I don't have my own workroom computer so it's very hard to become close friends with my files and calendar at work. There are times when I can't find an available computer to use because they are all being used...even the laptops. I think if I had my own computer then I would use it more often, and have more files, and hence, need more help organizing them.
This generation will probably log on to their computers first thing in the morning so they can organize their time for the day. What will happen to a person's memory? Will it decline because they have placed so much dependence on their electronic lists and calendar? I'm not sure, but I think it may free our minds to enjoy life more. Perhaps there will be less stress about whether we HAVE forgotten something. I know I have OCD at times, but time is precious to me. Anything that can help me have more of it is welcomed.