Today I'm celebrating the birthday of Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball is noted by TVLand as the undisputed first lady of television comedy. Ms. Ball is likely most remembered from her "I Love Lucy"show, which was one of the most successful shows in all of television history. TVLand reports that since its start at 9pm on October 15, 1951 it has never been offair. The show had around 40 million viewers each week and still entertains millions. It was amazing how an ordinary situation could transition to pure absurdity with Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred. You can read about episodes, provide reviews, and vote on your favorites at TV.com.
Here can see on this blogpost a tribute video with some of the best from season 1 and one of my favorite scenes (Lucy and Ethel on the chocolate factory line).
Today, I'm celebrating because I'm far north of Hurricane Dolly's path! It's that time of year -- hurricane season. I remember those years of my life on the Gulf Coast so well. I've actually experienced four hurricanes -- there was one additional one, but I was a mere infant and do not recall the experience. You often hear of those crazy people who don't leave the coast -- and celebrate the experience. Well, there have never been any hurricane parties at our house. It's a time focused on preparation, recovery, and survival -- until things return to a normal state. I would party tonight, celebrating that I am nowhere near it. However, both my Mom and brother live in the Valley, right in the path of Dolly. Thankfully, neither are there now. My Mom is at the family farm, far away from the path of Dolly. My brother is vacationing in Mexico. Even though they are at a very safe distance, we all can't help but think about what should be done to prepare their homes for Dolly. My Mom has a very nice neighbor who has helped with those chores around the exterior of the home. Hopefully the rain will be farther north and all the drains work properly so that the water does not rise high enough to enter the garage or the sunroom into the house.
Here's my story of the hurricanes in my life:
Katrina We all went home to the family farm for my Dad's funeral and got stuck there. Before we even realized it, the storm was approaching and had reached category 5 level. I, of course, wanted to leave. The farm house was full of family and guests. My brother, who had also driven cross-country, quickly gathered his family and things and drove north to escape. My other brother and his family, who had riden with me, jumped in the van with them to leave. Mom refused to leave -- she had guests and just could not walk out. Plus, she knew that we had survived several hurricanes in the past. What was I to do? Drive off without her? Leaving her there alone? I could not. She was naive, thinking we could leave in a couple of days to go home. She obviously had forgotten the challenges people experience after hurricanes. Since we were staying at the farm house (only used during vacations), there was very little in the pantry. There was a little food remaining from the funeral, but mostly cakes. (You think you can live on cake forever, until that is all you have!) I rushed to the local grocer 7 miles away and bought 5 cans of food that I found and some Ding-Dongs for the two of us, knowing that it would not be enough. We would need to rely totally on the generosity of our extended family.
We waited the storm out at the local high school library with some other family members. The hallways of the high school were lined with hundreds of others seeking safety from the storm. They had battery-operated portable radios and televisions. Those televisions won't work soon, due to the conversion to HD planned in 2009. Many had their inflated portable mattresses or sleeping bags. Many also brought their own food. Unfortunately, I most remember the smell of fried bologna sandwiches as we walked through the halls trying to find the library, where my cousin had secured our place with her peer staff. Those that did not bring food, assuming the Red Cross would provide it, became restless. What little was there was not enough. Tempers began to flare. The school had already opened its refrigerators and freezers to give away its milk and ice cream. My cousin opened all the vending machines and I helped work the cash box for those who wanted to purchase snacks. After the storm passed, we then drove back home as far as we could and then climbed over the large, fallen trees and debris to get back to the farm. With the help of two cousins, we then cut a way to get our car back home.
My cousin's family graciously helped us -- sharing with us the food from their freezer that had to be eaten before it ruined. What was leftover from those early meals was carefully stored in the ice chest with the remaining ice that was melting quickly. (I hear that ice is no longer on the emergency supply list for hurricane victims -- obviously someone who has never been in a hurricane decided that!) I drove north with a cousin one day to wait in a line at Walmart for six hours to buy gas for the generator that was borrowed periodically --- to run long enough to pump for water. Waiting in that gas line was a memorable day -- we were never at a loss for words. We periodically would drive north or east closer to Mobile until we could get a signal for my cell phone to give updates to our family members. It was one of the most challenging times of my life. For some I am very grateful and for others who failed us in time of great need I am much disappointed.
Allen I was enroute with my family to our new home in south Texas during the hurricane. My parents had been in Texas for a short while but had returned to my childhood home for my sister's wedding. Everything I owned was in my Ford Maverick in my big move to the big state of Texas and I was following my parents to their south Texas home. Dad did not want to stop -- hurrying cross country to get home. I remember driving and crossing a bridge (crazy) while water was creeping into the car through the floor before we were able to stop and find shelter. It was raining so much that I had to drive slowly, almost bumping the rear of my Dad's car to even know that they were ahead of me. My youngest brother was riding with me -- we were both terrified. At one point, stuck on the bridge, I heard someone banging on my car window -- it was my Mom who had jumped out the car ahead to join us and to drive the car. When we finally were forced to stop by military personnel who closed the freeway, we stayed the night in a hotel in Kingsville, Texas in one of the few rooms with a roof left. Dad went next door to a diner to buy food but they would only serve the military personnel and power workers. (We had some cheese in the car left over from my sister's wedding which we had just attended.) Dad then asked them just for some bread and mentioned that he had some cheese in the car that his family could eat. They felt really bad for our family and gave to him hamburgers and french fries. We finally made it home the next afternoon -- and waded through knee-deep water in the house and began the recovery. I was surprised to learn that we had water (being from the country where we could not have water until we regained electrical power for our pumps). I ended up losing many clothes as someone was able to steal our clothes from the laundromat while we turned our backs for a very short time.
Frederic I was at college as the hurricane approached. School was dismissed and I went home to help prepare and to help with the clean-up afterward. We had one of four free-flowing water wells in the county. We sent word to the local radio station noting that we had water and it was free. Cars were lined up for hours for the free water (others with similar wells would charge for it). My little brothers offered to carry water to cars -- and they tipped them. They were under 10 years old and very excited about the tips.
Camille About twenty family members waited out this storm at our house. It was very frightening. The howling wind was so loud that we never would have heard an approaching tornado. My Mom was 8 months pregnant with my youngest brother -- and had been confined to bed for the last few months. She had been rushed to the hospital several times in the past -- and once the hurricane hit, it would have been impossible to get her there in an emergency. She should have gone to the hospital before that storm, but did not. We were without electricity for 3 weeks afterwards, cooking on the grill and the Coleman stove. I hauled water from the overflow well to the house daily. It was not unusual to be standing at our free-flowing well (loading water to carry to the house, washing our hair) and people drive up for the free water that we gave away.
Top ten reasons you know there's a hurricane churning off the coast in the Gulf:
you get off work early -- but to hurry home to get into hurricane survival mode
there's a constant weather update shown on the TV
there is a rush for generators and propane gas at the local home improvement store
the windows of homes and businesses are being boarded
you can't find any batteries, canned food, bread, bottled water, or ice at the grocery store
all the candles and lanterns are pulled out of storage
all the available containers in your house are filled with water
all the tubs are filled to the brim with water
there's a traffic jam on that typically lonely highway headed north
there's a stack of hurricane tracking maps on the table
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, consumers in 2007 spent more than $4.1 billion on hot dogs and sausages in US supermarkets, equaling more than 1.5 billion pounds bought at retail stores alone. Americans will eat enough hot dogs at major league ballparks this year to stretch from Washington DC's RFK Stadium to San Francisco's AT&T Park. New Yorkers consume more hot dogs than any other city. However, Chicago O'Hare International Airport consumes SIX times more hot dogs than LA International Airport and LaGuardia Airport combined. On July 4th, Americans enjoyed 150 million hot dogs, which would stretch from DC to LA over five times. Hot Dog Season runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. During the season Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs or 818 every second. US soldiers in military posts around the world consumed 2.4 million hot dogs last year.
I like a good hot dog every once in awhile, at the football game, at the baseball game, after roasting wieners over a campfire, and when I need a solid menu win with my nephews. I prefer a bit of chili on my dog too if I'm at home. Hot dogs are often topped with a variety of condiments, including mayonnaise, chopped lettuce, tomato (chopped, sliced, or in wedges), pickles, celery salt, cheese, avocado, canned corn, chili peppers, and baked beans, to name a few. (Did Wikipedia really say canned corn? baked beans?) I was surprised to see so many hot dog variations described on Wikipedia. I personally like a simple hot dog, preferring just a bit of ketchup (despite the recommendation of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council). I guess I just haven't grown up yet. Plus, my family eats ketchup on almost everything! On my first visit to New York City, I just had to buy a hot dog from a street vendor (without the mustard, sauerkraut, and onions though). I have not yet bought a hot dog from a street vendor in Chicago yet.
I only have hot dogs at my house about once a year. I ponder about what type of wieners to buy: the cheapest, the most expensive, the mysterious meat wiener, all beef, all turkey, bun length, the plumpest, etc. I don't dare look at the ingredients too closely. I generally don't want to think about the ingredients and how the wieners are made. However, I found two videos (part 1 and part 2) that show the entire process of how hot dogs are made. I'm not sure I feel much better, but now I know the clue on the packaging for the wieners I don't want to purchase.
When I think of hot dogs, the hot dog eating contest sponsored by Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs in Coney Island every July 4th comes to my mind. It is the largest hot dog eating contest in the world. The 2007 winner set a record, eating 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes. I heard that he won again in 2008, but did not break that record. I found several methods that can be used to win the next hot dog eating contest at your local fair:
Standard - Skip a meal or two and pig out
Stretch it - Gradually eat more and more every day, eating bulky food and drinking plenty of water to stretch your stomach and train your muscles to hold the food down.
Dunk 'em - Dunk the hot dog in water before eating it to make it go down easier
'Ala Japanese - Separate the meat from the bun. Eat the meat and then smash the bun into a tiny wad and eat it separately. The 2006 winner used a variation of this approach, focusing on a pair of hot dogs at a time by eating two buns simultaneously, followed by consuming two meats simultaneously.
Solomon method - After separating the wiener from the bun, break it in half and put the two pieces in your mouth simultaneously --- cutting down on the chewing time.
Wiggle - Wiggle your body as you're eating to help the food go down and encourage it to settle more compactly in the stomach.
Here's an interesting video with some tips on how to beat the competition in a hot dog eating contest: How to Win a Hot Dog Eating Contest
On this date in 1996, MSNBC, a 24-hour all-news network based in the United States, made its debut on cable TV and the Internet. It began as a partnership between Microsoft Corporation and NBC Universal. The news website included original stories and videos plus content from NBC News and other news partners. The first MSNBC slogan was "It's Time to Get Connected" and they regularly displayed e-mail addresses and phone numbers on the network to facilitate connecting with their viewers. There's a lot of competition for news these days and MSNBC is regularly up against CNN and Fox News. Network news services are generally full of controversy and challenges about bias. MSNBC is not exempt from it. All that aside, I think that in general it's great to have multiple sources of information about breaking news items--- each of these news networks generally offers ways for us to get better connected to current events and important issues and offers a variety of viewpoints.
Today I'm celebrating the invention of the cork board
On this date in 1891, John T Smith patented the cork board. A cork board is a framed section of cork typically backed with wood or plastic. Cork boards are often used as bulletin boards where announcements and information can be easily posted using sticking pins or tacks. You've likely passed by a corkboard recently. They are found in many places, from college campuses, classrooms, corporate offices, in hallways in many businesses, and in the home. They are often used to post information for others to reference. In classrooms, student artwork is posted. On college campuses, you'll likely see advertisements of local bands, books to sell, tutoring services, etc. In offices and businesses you may see job postings. At home, you may see a grocery list, the calendar of events for the week, a report card that needs to be signed, and photographs.
In my home office, I created a little planning section on one wall that is covered with cork. There is no backing of wood or plastic though. It just includes several squared sections of cork that I purchased from a local office supply store. What's on my corkboard today? A to-do list, a calendar of events, mindmaps of the main topics for the next two wikis I am planning to create, a table of anticipated profit ranges I anticipate from my next big business idea (my dream), some post-it sheets describing two new blogs I've thought about starting, and the organization of a new e-book I want to write. There's a variety of color on my cork board -- from the push pins, to the postits, and to the snippets of paper with my big ideas and goals. Oh, how I wish for one solid month to dedicate work on the items on my cork board!
Before my vacation, I designed some posters to take to my Mom about her available rental property. One afternoon we took a drive around the community looking for prime spots to display the posters. We first stopped at the local dollar store to buy some push pins and some scissors (so that the telephone number could be easily torn from the poster). With the price of gas, it was much more cost effective to drop by the dollar store in Hurley than drive all the way back to the farm for the scissors we forgot. We stopped by the local grocery stores, the feed store, and the hardware store. (Does your community have a local feed store? LOL) One grocery store's bulletin board had been stolen; only its frame remained. Most had a cork board outside the entrance. Mostly there were ads for vehicles, lawn mowers, tractors, and dogs. Of course, there were the posters about the various services people could perform, like housekeeping and lawn care.
Today, I quickly jotted down some of the many ways I've used a cork board:
Posted pics of my favorite things
Posted my to-do list
Posted an ad to sell something
Posted a pic of a dream (vacation spot, new car, those profit margins)
Posted a reminder (dental appointment card)
Posted some info don't want to lose (phone number)
Posted a message
Posted tickets that I did not want to lose
Posted tickets for the show I wanted to remember fondly, often
Posted a receipt for something I needed to handle (for taxes, for reimbursement, for a rebate)
Posted info to help me organize my thoughts
Today, I'm reminded that the cork board is a great invention -- one that can be used to stick just about anything you want to remember or to announce. Sure, we've got the PDA, e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, wikis, e-Bay, Craigslist, postits for the desktop, etc. However, the corkboard, although a sort-of old- fashioned concept, definitely still works and is a valuable tool for many.
Here's a little video I'd like to stick on my cork board of things to celebrate -- it's a creative little stopmotion video created using the cork board:
We're starting our celebration early this year. Taking a little break to enjoy the family. Maybe we'll go fishing and spend some time at the beach too. The grill is already ready! Have a great holiday. We'll be back soon, reporting things to celebrate everyday!
A day for all couch potatoes to celebrate! Today is celebrated by many as the date when the remote control was first introduced.
The first remote intended to control a television was developed by Zenith. It was officially called Lazy Bones. The first remotes were actually connected to the television set by a wire. Many complained about tripping over the cable. Later, a wireless remote was developed. Wikipedia notes that the remote is often called a "clicker" because of the sound the early remote made when the user pushed a button on the remote control. The remote has reportedly changed network television programming. They now split the screen so that you simultaneously view credits during the last moments of a broadcast. More commercials are placed in the middle of programs with transitions into the next show directly. The networks don't want you to switch that channel and they don't want you to miss their sponsors' commercials.
The remote has given viewers opportunity -- opportunity to interact with your tv. Viewers can easily change their minds and not watch a show because they do not want to continuously get up to turn the channel. It drives me crazy when someone constantly is changing the TV channels though. I once had a college roommate who would try to keep up with multiple shows being televised at the same time. She was constantly clicking back-and-forth, switching channels during commercials. The remote was practically glued to her hand. The remote definitely comes in handy for those with DVRs. Because of the DVR unit, we start watching the show a few minutes late and then we just fast forward passed those pesky commercials using the wonderful remote control. We generally only look forward to the commercials during the Superbowl!
Things have certainly changed a lot during my lifetime. I grew up in rural America and we were lucky to get three tv stations in our area. There was no cable and no satellite. In our house, the kids had responsibilities. One had the responsibility of changing the channel at Dad's request. Another had the responsibility of standing outside and turning the TV antennae to make the picture as clear as possible! I was very glad when my little brothers grew older and were able to share these duties. I don't miss those days. However, I am reminded of them when we go to the family farm for vacation -- still no cable or satellite and still dealing with what channels are avaiable without sending someone to the antennae. Of course, that will change in 2009. In less than a year, that antennae will be worthless and will be replaced by a little box required to convert the signal into something our old tvs at the farm will recognize.
Perhaps your coffee table is full of remotes -- one for the TV, the DVD player, the cable/satellite/DRV box, the CD player, and the amplifier. Don't forget about the remote for the ceiling fan and the lights. It's been reported that the average American home has four remotes. They sell remotes for remotes -- those universal remotes that magically "learn" or duplicate the signals of the other remotes you have in your home. I've also seen those cool systems where you have a small touch-screen panel where you can control all your systems, replacing the stack of remotes. That is what I want!
The remote is often a topic of discussion in our house. You frequently hear, "Who's got the remote?" or "Where did the remote go?" Many times it slips and falls between the cushions on the sofa or chair. I usually keep the main remote in one spot, but have a decorative small chest that includes my collection of remotes. I generally must spend several minutes looking for the remote after my nephews leave though. They frequently will carry the remote out of the room with them (if they can get away with it) because they don't want their channel changed -- leaving you to sit and watch the commercials and unable to mute the sound. Do you even remember how to change the channel without the remote? If you just change the TV's channel, you'll often lose everything when dealing with cable/satellite/DVR boxes. I often need a "finder" or a "locator" for the remote.
At my Mom's house the entertainment system is quirky. There are multiple remotes and multiple ways to turn on the television and select a channel. However, we've learned that there is only ONE CORRECT way to do it. The challenge is learning and remembering that correct way. I wish Dad had written down those instructions for us all. Maybe it's time for a change. We need someone to evaluate how things are installed and make it easier. You know when it's wrong -- there is a familiar, awful little "pop" related to the surround sound system, followed by the voice of Mom down the hall reminding us there is a proper way to turn on the tv. Now, I usually just ask her to turn it on and keep it on until she turns it off.
Today I found a video about a group of guys who tried to create the ultimate universal remote -- a remote to not only turn on the tv, but one that would put their hot dogs on the grill and open their beer. You can see a video about this ultimate remote here:
My goal is to remember at least one reason to celebrate each day. Regardless of the stress of the day and hectic schedules, I plan to take a moment each day to celebrate life. Hopefully you will find something here to bring a smile to your face. I'm looking forward to the challenge. Join me on this adventure! Brighten someone's day and share a smile.
Welcome to my blog.
Everyday is a gift and worthy of celebration. I enjoy blogging and hope that you visit my blogs on celebrating life, cake decorating with cut-up cake patterns (that I created), opinion research, making wikis, and wiki'd places to visit on the web. Hopefully you'll find something that interests, amuses, or informs you. Brighten my day: post a comment and share this blog!
