SOME STUFF YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW

Have you ever noticed that whenever someone's car alarm goes off, no one actually does anything?(lol)  Mostly, everyone just sort of looks around to be sure they don't have to run to their own car to shut it off, thinking it's a glitch or something. Then they just go back to doing what they were doing. (lol)

The first Margaritaville was opened in Key West, Florida in 1977 by Jimmy Buffet, but there are lots of them around the world these days.  If you can't make it to one of their locations, be sure to check out Margaritaville: The Cookbook, which has lots of fun and craveable recipes from their restaurants that are perfect for the summer season.

I chose this one because the ingredients not only grabbed my attention, but that's actually the name of their bars too.

5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE
1/4 Cup Light Rum
1 Tablespoon Passion Fruit Tequila or Silver Tequila
2 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Pineapple Juice
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Grenadine
Crushed Ice
1 Orange Wedge
1 Cocktail Cherry

Place the rum, tequila, orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and grenadine in a shaker some ice,  shaking well to combine.  Fill a tall glass with ice and strain the mixture into it.  Garnish the with an orange wedge and the cherry, then serve immediately.

FAMOUS CLOCK
Big Ben in Britain weighs a whopping 6 tons, and can be heard up to 5 miles away!  It's accurate up to 1 second, but it was wrong just once.  In 1949, a flock of birds landed on the minute hand causing it to be off by a little over 4 minutes.

Are you a Book Blogger, and looking for more ways to get books for FREE?  Be sure to check  out http://www.booklookbloggers.com/

SNAG THIS GIG
If you have time to spare from Sunday through Thursday each week, feel free to work for Bustle as a Lifestyle Writer right from your own living room! All you need is 1-2 years writing experience (yes blogging counts!) and a sense of fun. Click here- Bustle 

MAMA MIA!
They say that everything is BIG in Texas, and as the new winner in the Guinness World Book of Records, Moontower Pizza Bar proves it with their slightly over 8 foot long commercially available pizza.  But this isn't just a publicity stunt.  If you give a 2 day advance notice, you really can order this mammoth 1 Topping treat called  "The Bus" for just  $299.95 + tax to feed all your friends and family, or maybe even the whole neighborhood.

MOVIE NEWS YOU'VE FORGOTTEN
If you were born in 1961, the biggest movie was West Side Story, ($43.7 million) and the best picture winner was West Side Story. 

But even if it didn't win the Oscar, it still was a movie that people still raved about.

If you were born in 1972, the top grossing movie was The Godfather which raked in $135 million in the US, and it also won top honors of best picture too.  

If you were born in 1982, you definitely phoned home as ET earned a whopping $359 million in the United States .  But Ghandi took home the Oscar for best picture.

If you were born in 1992, Aladdin grossed $212 million in the US, but Unforgiven, which happens to be the only western I've seen 8 times, and starring the amazing Clint Eastwood won a Best Picture Oscar. 

VALUABLE BRANDS
Even if you don't use them, these brands are still at the top of the list according to Forbes.

1.  Apple - Brand Revenue:  228.6 billion
2.  Google  - Brand Revenue: 98.4 billion
4.  Facebook - Brand Revenue: 35.7 billion
5.  Amazon -  Brand Revenue: 169.3 billion

FOODIE FLAVORS
Do you love experimenting with different flavors when cooking, but can't find the right ingredients?

Try shopping at these sites for something unique:

www.Latienda.com - Spain
Tokyocentral.com - Asian
Mediterraneanfoodsny.com - Greek

THE END IS PERMANENT
About 3 years ago, a friend gave me this pretty amazing kate Spade bag that can hold everything.  It's one of the only purses I haven't destroyed. (lol) 

Anthony Bourdain would have been 61 today, June 25.  I have a few of his books, and have watched him on television for years, falling in love with his sarcastic wit.

On June 18, the stats for veterans were released stating that suicide rates had increased for both Veterans and Non-Veterans, underscoring the fact that suicide is a national public health concern that affects people everywhere.

This is not my platform, and to be honest, it's normally a topic I stay away from because it hits so close to home, as a veteran and a daughter. 

I found my mother in our basement dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Screaming, I called the police then ran back downstairs, hoping there was something I could do to save my mother.  Holding her head in my lap, she whispered she was sorry, as she struggled to hold on.  I wondered if she wished she could have changed her mind, and put that bullet back into the chamber, as I prayed that she would make it. Shortly thereafter my brother arrived,  as we waited numbly for the police and ambulance. 

We  hear about these things, never thinking it could happen to someone we know.  Once it does, the reality of it is almost unbearable.  Those pictures in your brain, and the feelings inside can't be undone.  The loss of a loved one is traumatic in itself, but it leaves those left behind with confusion.

We were questioned for a few moments, but it seemed like hours,  as we begged to ride in that ambulance with our mother, only to be denied.

Only 17, and with a 16 year old brother, we tried to make sense of the whole thing, wondering what we did wrong, or if we should have come into the house earlier, somehow preventing what had happened.  What were we going to do?  To make matters worse, the hospital sent me a bill for my mom's death and the cost of the ambulance, which I had to fight to have removed.

It took us years to overcome feelings of guilt and regret, so I know the families left behind from those who commit suicide are grieving and wondering what could have been done differently.  

The tragedy was painful, but has made me sympathetic to the plight of those who suffer from mental illness.

We didn't understand about depression back then, but there are many options and crisis resources out there now for those who feel hopeless or alone.  Please reach out to someone for help, and don't give up.  You are not alone.

If you know someone who's in trouble, you can still help, even if you're not a mental health professional.  Remember the #5, listed above.



National Suicide Prevention Hotline

Call 1-800-273-8255

Available 24 hours everyday, including a chat line

Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255.