Fun with Wikipedia

Today’s mission, if you choose to accept it, is to visit Wikipedia, enter your high school name, and see which notable alumni attended your school.

Did you know Dawn Wells, Mary Ann of Gilligan’s Island, went to Reno High School? Neither did I! And I went to Reno High! We should have had her face plastered on all the walls, and a special monument erected to her. We could have been the Castaways instead of the Huskies.

I don’t often go sifting through Wikipedia nor high school memories, but a friend of mine uploaded her prom picture to Facebook. Being an 80’s New Waver, I didn’t have boys knocking down my door. This was the Preppy era. Through a Speech & Debate Tournament in Carson City, Nevada I met my senior boyfriend/senior prom date. Where is he now? Wikipedia says he is Grammy nominated music producer, remixer, and DJ.

This would be a good time to insert my prom picture, but I can’t locate it. I’ve searched through a few boxes, but have only come up with a stuffed stingray for Pearl and a photo of me and the Eck (Dennis Eckersley, relief pitcher for the Oakland A’s).

Here’s my hand: 1 missing prom photo with a DJ, 1 Gilligan’s Island alumni, and an Eck high card. Beat that!

Wedding Day Blunders

On Sunday December 21st 2003, Tom and I were married in our home, standing near our Christmas tree, with bare minimum of friends & family as our witnesses. One thing we didn’t count on was for the Reverend to be so hurried that he made a couple of mistakes. For one, he asked if I would take Rick. My husband’s name is Tom. Secondly, and probably the greater offense, the Rev. performed the dreaded White Rose ceremony.

Forgive me if you are a fan of the White Rose ceremony. Hubby and I did not request it, and couldn’t believe our eyes when those artificial flowers appeared. Two bogus, long-stemmed roses which must remain together as symbols of our love. If either of us were angry with the other, we were to remove one rose from the vase. Hold up! Vase? These plastic perennials were not getting their own vase! But I digress. Our partner would surely notice the single rose and clear the air.

Over the years the roses have endured much abuse in the hands of our two daughters. The girls have devised their own sport. Fencing with flowers. Invariably each night I mend the flowers and place them atop my dresser mirror.

Somehow the flowers have weaseled their way into my heart, and as strange as it may seem, I am comforted when I see them together. Perhaps they do represent our life. Exhausted and abused by our children daily, finding refuge in our bedroom each night.

Haha! The White Roses made it into this picture!

• What happened at your wedding that you didn’t foresee?
• Are you a fan of fake foliage?
• How do you know your partner is miffed?

Delicious Diet Foods + bonus

Psssst! Come here. Yes, you. Let me let you in on a little secret. I don’t like to diet. Diet foods taste awful! It’s my self-appointed mission to find delicious healthy foods. They’ve got to be out there. This week I’m 2 lbs. lighter and giving 2 thumbs up to:
 

Yoplait Delights in Creme Caramel. I AM delighted! These delicious parfaits have only 100 calories per serving. Come to mama!
 
 
 
Slim-Fast Blueberry Muffin Bar. Full of flavor and only 140 calories. Is that oatmeal? Are those blueberries? Sign me up!

 
 
 
Dole’s Hearty Italian Salad Kit. Knock me over with a feather. This isn’t your typical bag o’salad. This mix has leafy greens, garlic croutons, cracked peppercorn, chunks of aged parmesan, diced salami, and a Chianti vinaigrette. ::: slurp! ::: Fava beans not included. A slimming 180 calories per flavorful serving.
 
 
 
Just so I don’t completely bore those of you not dieting, here’s a blast from my past. My Dad made my big noggin out of a punch ball and paper mache. Crafty guy, huh?
 
 
 
• What are you eating that’s surprisingly delicious and low-cal?
• When’s the last time you paper mache’d?
• Are you ready for Halloween?

A Haunting @ Chuck E Cheese

Tuesday night while flipping through channels I stopped on Discovery’s Ghost Lab. I haven’t seen many ghost hunter documentaries, but those I have are all hype and zero evidence. Ghost Lab was different. Maybe it was their specialized equipment, or perhaps these two fellows have a real knack for enticing ghosts out of hiding. Yes, they had evidence, but I was still left scratching my head, wondering if it was all a hoax.

Friday rolled around and I had the (ahem) privilege of taking my daughters to a Chuck E Cheese birthday party. It was a long trek across state lines giving me plenty of time to think.

  
Welcome to Ghost Lab. On tonight’s episode, Brad and Barry Klinge investigate a haunted Chuck E. Cheese.

This animatronic mouse is not plugged in to any outlet, yet Chucky’s proprietor has heard a man’s voice coming out of the speaker on several occasions. The Klinge Brothers wait until the sun sets, then enter the establishment to have a little chat with the ghost.

Brad: Let’s be very quiet.
Animatronic Mouse: squealllllll!!!!!!
Barry: Did you hear that? Do it again!
Animatronic Mouse: squealllll!!!!!

Later, in the Ghost Lab, the team analyzes the audio track.

squeallll…… inaudible…… crackle….. squeallll…. inaudible…

Let’s play it again, this time with subtitles.

Brad: Let’s be very quiet.
Ghost: Order up!

The crew goes wild! Order up is pizza lingo! That was definitely our ghost!

Day two, the Klinge Bros. meet a direct descendant of the founder of Chuck E. Cheese.

Founder Descendant: I got up early to take a picture of my friend dressed up like an old time pizzeria employee. When I had the film developed, we saw my great, great, not so great uncle in the background! This is not photoshopped. It’s film, and the image is on the negative. My lips are moving, so it must be true.

The Klinge Bros. decide to set up their special “ghost motion detectors” in the kitchen. As added bait, they bring in their lovely assistant. She dares the ghost to touch her arm. No sooner are the words out of her mouth when the detectors alert us to the presence of the ghost! Everyone grabs their cameras and starts snapping pictures while the bells and whistles continue to sound.

Later, in the lab, each frame of film is analyzed. After many tedious hours of scanning the images, the team hits pay dirt! A “shadow person”is visible in one photo.

There is one more room left to inspect. The haunted toilet! The team yucks it up. What kind of ghost would haunt a public restroom? The detecting devices are in place. Again Brad calls for quiet. There is no apparent sign of the ghost until the audio track is analyzed.

Brad: Let’s have a minute of silence.
Ghost: Geez! Can I get a courtesy flush?

Well, that seals it! This Chuck E Cheese is indeed haunted. The Ghost Lab is heading to a town near you.

This story is based on Ghost Lab’s look at haunted Tombstone. Actual ghost voice recordings were heard (or rather, subtitled) to say, “Choose!” and “Right quick.”
 
• Do you believe in ghosts?
• Have you seen Ghost Lab?
• How much credence do you give to recorded ghost voices?

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Update: Here is a scene from Ghost Lab: Portrait of an Apparition. Click Me!

Slim-Fast

I’m getting back on my Slim-Fast wagon. I’d like to lose 7 pounds. This is the game my body plays. I eat healthy and exercise, then relax into my old eating habits. I yoyo between 145 and 152 lbs. Between size 10 and 12. Between “You’ve lost weight!” and “When is your baby due?”

Slim-Fast used to be about drinking 2 shakes and eating a sensible dinner. It has really come a long way! You can actually eat 3 healthy meals plus 3 healthy snacks. This doesn’t come naturally to me. Santa Claus used to bring me fruit once a year. That’s a blog for another day.

Slim-Fast’s interactive website is free. No trial membership. No limited time offer. Just free.

They even have a Vegan meal plan. Seriously. Vegan.

You don’t even have to drink their chalky shakes.

Register and your menu for the entire week (and future weeks) is at your fingertips. You can swap out anything that doesn’t sound appealing and exchange it for another healthy item.

Today I’ve enjoyed a blueberry muffin bar and some vanilla yogurt. Lunch will be a large spinach salad with fresh sliced mushrooms and juicy mandarin orange slices. I’ll snack on dried cranberries before my delicious dinner of Hearty Chili. This is my favorite chili recipe! Even when I’m not dieting, I prepare it.

FYI: Slim-fast doesn’t endorse that dollop of sour cream.

The Slim-Fast site also provides you with activities, tools, support and a community. Did I mention it was free? Yes, all free!

So, wish me luck, and if you are dieting, I wish you luck as well!

• Do you have a favorite weight loss program?
• Does your body yoyo or is it more like a slinky?
• What did Santa stuff in your stocking?

PhotoShop Tips V: Add Text to Photos

Thank you to Steve for this tutorial suggestion.

Part 1: Downloading Fonts from the Internet

done

Check out FontSpace.com for free fonts.

Choose your free font, download it, and unzip it (doubleclick on the zipped file). It will appear in your download folder.

Launch your MAC hard drive (click on Finder or the icon for your hard drive). Click on System, Library, Fonts. Drag the new font file from the download folder to the font folder. If your computer requires a password to add fonts or programs, you will be prompted to enter your code. The font is now in your system, and will appear when you launch your applicable programs.

Part 2: Adding Text to Photos

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Step 1:
Launch PhotoShop and open the jpg file you would like to work with.

Step 2:
Select your Text Tool (the uppercase T on your side toolbar). Drag your mouse over the area of the photo where you will type text. Font selection is on your upper toolbar. Scroll through the fonts and make your selection. You can also select color via your side toolbar.

Step 3:
Type your text. To quickly change the font size, depress Apple plus A, and tap your > or < keys (greater than or less than). While on your pointer tool you can drag your text anywhere on the photo.

Step 4:
Make sure your Layers window is open (Window, Layers). Click on the lowercase f to make style changes to your font. Options include Drop Shadow, Stroke and Outer Glow. Experiment with the options. You will see the previews for these styles on your text prior to clicking OK. You can simply hit Cancel if you do not like the effect.

Step 5:
To warp text, click on the lopsided, underlined T on the top toolbar.

Step 6: When you are satisfied with your text, combine the layers. Layers, Flatten Image. Then Save As (change the name of the jpg if you do not want to damage the original file.

Upcoming tutorials may include the scrumptious Mayflower Martini and finding my own a** with both my hands. Some say that later one can’t be done.

Remember, I’m always open to your suggestions.

PhotoShop Tips IV: Create a GIF

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Thanks to Zero_Option for this tutorial suggestion.

This technique creates a gif with fading images. If you do not need to modify your jpgs, simply number in sequential order (see note in red below), and begin at step 10.

Step 1: In PhotoShop, open the two jpg files that you would like to animate.

Step 2: Enlarge the canvas of one jpg to give it a plain white border. Image, Canvas. Increase your width/height by 1″.

Step 3: Enlarge the canvas again to make room for the 2nd jpg. In this case, anchor the main jpg to the lower left, then increase width by 5″ and the height by 3″. Use the measurements of the 2nd photo to give you an idea how much of an increase is needed.

Step 4: Using your pointer tool, drag the 2nd jpg onto the 1st jpg.

Step 5: While on Layer 1 (the photo you have just dragged over), lower the opacity so you can see through it.

Step 6: Use your pointer tool to align the 2 photos. Code (the apple key) plus T allows you to transform. Shrink the photo to fit, and rotate to align. Make sure you hold the Shift button down keep proportions accurate. Otherwise your image will warp. Now return the opacity to 100%.

Step 7: Crop your image to remove any excess canvas. You are now ready to prepare your files for animation!

Step 8: Merge the layers. Layers, Flatten. When you save, create a new folder. File, Save As, 1.jpg.

Step 9: Undo the merge by pressing Code (the apple key) plus Z. You could also choose Edit, Step Backward.

Step 10: While on Layer 1, lower opacity to 90%. Merge the layers (Layers, Flatten). Save to your new folder as 2.jpg.

Repeat the process of undoing the merge, lowering opacity, and saving in numerical order.

Note: if you will have more than 9 final jpgs to combine, you will have to be creative with your numbering. Instead of naming the files 10, 11 and so forth, choose 91, 92, 93. The 10 would appear directly behind file number 1 and would throw things off.

When all of your files are ready, launch Adobe ImageReady CS2 (free with purchase of Adobe PhotoShop CS2).

Step 10: Choose File, Import, Folder As Frames. Select your working folder.

Step 11: On top of the Animation Box, click Animation and choose Select All Frames. On any of the frames, choose a speed (i.e. .2 seconds). Press the Play button to view the animation. Adjust speed if necessary.

Step 12: If it is all to your liking, select File, Save Optimized As… Change the default format to Images Only. Name your gif file.

Your GIF is ready!

If you have a suggestion for a future tutorial, please let me know.

Elvis Cupcakes

Maybe we shouldn’t be turning to Elvis for culinary inspiration. Regardless, The Cupcakery has transformed Elvis’ Bacon, Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich into this Trip To Graceland cupcake. I’ll admit I was anxious to taste it.

I arrived an hour before closing, and bought one dozen cupcakes including the last 2 Elvi (plural of Elvis) available.

When I returned home with the goodies, my eldest daughter spotted an Elvis and called dibs. Her verdict: thumb up! Youngest daughter also took a bite earning Elvis his 2nd thumbs up. Hubby said he’d sample it in the morning with a side of eggs.

After seeming enamored with Elvis, the girls became bored and wandered off. I saw my chance to pounce!

• Bacon topping ~ crisp and smokey.

• Banana cream frosting ~ oh so sweet and banana-y!

• Chunky peanut butter cake ~ FAIL. No PB flavor. No chunks. Dense and dry, like cornbread.

I took a bite, wanting to try the combination of all 3 flavors. That didn’t help. The salty bacon and creamy banana trumped the weak peebee cake. I didn’t Love It Tender. I wished I had a Blue Hawaiian to wash it down. Anyone want a half-eaten cupcake? I was afraid of that. Return to Sender.

• Would you try the Elvis cupcake?
• How could this cupcake be improved?
• What other combinations would you like to see in a cupcake?

The Cupcakery has locations in Nevada and Texas.

Baby Burros

Oatman @ the turn of the century and today.

In the early 1900’s Oatman Arizona was a gold mining town. The mines have closed and miners are long gone, but their burros remain. Oatman is now a tourist attraction drawing in visitors from around the world to visit this ghost town off of Historic Route 66.

Although the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently requested that the public stop feeding the burros, I noticed visitors with bags of carrots and hay cubes. One exuberant guest shared a few of her cubes with my daughters who fed the friendly animals. Baby burros (who were still nursing) wore stickers bearing the universal sign for, “Don’t Feed Me Carrots”.

We popped into a few of the shops which line Main Street and admired the assorted souvenirs. There were polished rocks, hot salsas, desert-themed ornaments, Route 66 t-shirts, roadrunner statues, scorpion and tarantula paperweights to name a few. We bought a canned soda and continued our stroll. Cowboys with rifles caught our attention, and I knew a loud gun battle would ensue. Throughout the day there are staged bank robberies and gun fights. Normally I would stick around to enjoy the show, but my daughters’ are sensitive to loud noises, so I herded them back to the car. We had a great day and a nice excursion.

• What attractions draw tourists to your area?
• Do you like burros and staged gun fights?
• What sticker should be on your forehead?

Margarita Festival

Friday night we attended the 12th Annual Fiesta & 10K Give Away otherwise known as the Margarita Festival. Eight businesses competed for Best Blended and Best Rocks. Our employee & friend, Brenda, won tickets from the local radio station and graciously gave them to us. Thanks Brenda!

I wasn’t in a festive mood until two lovely pirates draped beaded necklaces on hubby & me and handed us Shipwrecks. The Avi Resort & Casino’s Shipwreck margarita deservedly won Best Rocks. It was bright red and so delicious! If I had to guess, I’d say the secret ingredient was either pomegranate or pineapple.

Mohave Steak House served a scrumptious Mango margarita. It was fresh and cheery.

I don’t recall which competitor offered the Pink Panties margarita. Their hostesses were dressed in camo & fishnets, and their cocktails came with sugared rims and little green army men.

Sol de Mexico’s Soljito (mojito margarita) recipe can be found here. Let me tell you, hearing Tom ask people all night if the mint leaves were stuck to his teeth never got old!

We didn’t stand in the long line for Aquarius’ Banana Split margarita, but they won the People’s Choice award.

Edgewater & Colorado Belle won Best Blended with their Peach Bellini margarita. You know a guy is proud of his trophy when he tongues it. Personally, I would have given them an award for having the best “keepsake” highball glasses, thank you very much!

Lemonade Dogeritas were served by Mad Dogs’ hotties and dog-faced Jimmy.

After trying 7 out of 8 margaritas (some repeatedly) we were feeling no pain.

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• How do you like your margarita?
• What’s your favorite festival?
• Have you ever licked a trophy?

Actual friends. Not actual size.