Ringing Memories

If you're a high school graduate, you probably know all about class rings high school. I still have mine, and it brings back fond memories whenever I wear it. It's all about the sense of camaraderie and a simpler life when I wear mine. I think about friends and a time when life was all about classes and friends. After high school, and then college, life just gets a lot more complicated. Wearing my high school class ring brings me back to a time when I enjoyed life and had little to worry about beyond passing a test or who I was going to go out with on the weekend.

Bloodier and Bloodier

True Blood has been a can't miss show for me from the early years. Just about every time you think they can't go any further with it, they find a way to twist it. I have to say this season so far, it's only been a few weeks, has been the most twisted and turned around season yet. It's great. Every episode is a cliff-hanger and keeps you coming back for more blood!

Learn New Things

With about 30 years of home owning experience behind me, all in older houses, I've learned a lot about taking care of them and doing things. I never stop learning though. I've thought about hanging a mid-size flat screen on the wall in the bedroom to free up space on the floor, but have always been afraid to hang heavy stuff (not to mention expensive stuff) on a simple dry wall surface. That's where drywall anchors come in handy. They spread the weight off the object over a much larger surface, but you can't see it. The anchors spread out behind the wall to secure it. It's still a good idea to be careful about how much you put on them, and buy the appropriate size anchor for the job you are doing, but now I have a nice hanging flat screen, and lots and lots of floor space.

This Particular Old House

I've only been here a year but I've done so much to this old house. It seems like it's a never-ending to do list though. I still have the bathroom to do. Now I need to re-do the kitchen floor. It's going to need a new roof soon, but that's just way beyond my "handy man" capabilities. I did buy a new electric lawnmower this week though. The old gas one is just too hard for me to start. Electric mowers can be a bit of a pain with the long cord, but if you don't have the arm power to pull-start, or the money to buy an automatic start lawnmower, electric is the way to go.

New Life for Old Cars

If you have an old car you have to get rid of, in this economy you probably will have a hard time selling it. However, you can do good with it and still get benefits from the results. You can use an old car to make a donation. These car donation can be written off on taxes as a charitable donation for you, and charities profit from them in one of two ways. The first way a charity can profit from a donation of a car is to use it, or give it to someone in need. The second way charities often profit from large donations such as cars is to auction them off. The money is then used by the charities instead of the car. It's a great way to make use of something valuable that is hard to sell.

Drop Dead Diva

Okay, I've often said I'm a day late and a dollar short when it comes to watching movies. That's because I don't care to go to the theater much, and prefer to watch them on DVD or when they are on cable. However, that isn't the case with "Drop Dead Diva." That's a regular show on regular cable. I've seen it often and just ignored it. The title sounded like one of those crazy reality shows and I wasn't interested. I just happened to see the beginning of it today and was mesmerized. I had to watch it, and now it's set on my DVR, hoping to catch all of the back episodes, but I will probably end up buying the sets of seasons since it's been on since 2009. That's right 2009! This isn't a reality show. It's a hilarious comedy about a diva aspiring actress who dies... but not quite. She ends up coming back to life, just not in her old body. She's trapped in the body of a slightly heavy, very savvy female lawyer. For anyone who loved Harry's Law, this is a definite win. It's sort of like Harry's Law in its ensemble, except "Harry" in this case is a younger woman. It's funny, witty and at the same time relevant and powerful. Just goes to show: you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, or a TV show by its title.

Safety First

I see a lot of posts on Facebook and other places reminding drivers to watch out for bikers on the road. Of course all drivers should take care when there are smaller vehicles present. Motorcycle riders should also be careful not to take advantage of their size and dart between cars or out in front of oncoming traffic. No matter how safe both sides are, there are always going to be accidents. After all, the reason they are called accidents and not 'on purposes' is because they aren't something you can always control. So make sure you always wear a good, strong helmet and proper clothing when you ride. Every time I see a biker in shorts, sleeveless shirts and no helmet is just scares me. Sure, leather is hot, and helmets aren't always as comfortable as you'd like them to be on a really hot day, but they both beat road rash and head injuries. Make safety first and have fun the safest way possible.

The Big Year - Review

Watched "The Big Year" on HBO last night (had it DVRd). This was a really sweet movie. I expected a lot more comedy than it had considering the stars were Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. Plus there were lots of other big name actors and actresses with small parts such as Angelica Houston playing a very funny, kind of curmudgeonly fishing / sightseeing expedition ship. Of course, it was funny in lots of places, but no big guffaws, just lots of cute giggles. Most of the story was more heart-tugging than funny. Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson all play characters with wildly different backgrounds all brought together with thousands of other people on a wild chase around the globe in search of "The Big Year". The big year is an National Audubon Society convention where people set out to see as many unique species of birds in one year, and it is a competition with the top ranking birders listed in their magazine. It's worth a watch for sure, and I enjoyed it. I especially like that the three main characters all got a lot more out of their "big year" than just the bird-watching.