MORE USELESS STUFF

If you've been reading this blog you may have wondered where in the heck I've been, and basically in a nutshell, I've either been sick or working on other projects.  But I'm back with more useless stuff.(lol)

Anywho.  Has anyone ever seen Evan Antin from Evan Goes Wild on the Animal Planet Channel?  Forget the fact that Evan is uber handsome; so good looking in fact, that he's been voted the Sexiest Veterinarian Alive twice  & the Sexiest Beast Charmer by People Magazine.  He also has over 1 million followers on Instagram. 

What made me fall head over heels in love and ready to move to California. was watching a rhinoceros, several dogs and an elephant actually kissing this amazing doctor.  Can you believe that?! You can just tell how much he cares about animals and their well being.

But before you pack your bags, he's very much committed and engaged to Videographer and Multimedia Journalist Nathalie Basha.  If you want to explore different countries and see exotic animals, check out Dr. Evan every Friday on the Animal Planet.

Allposters.com

Time Magazine

Did you know that Elvis Presley had a foot fetish?  As a kid, he enjoyed massaging his mom's feet, and supposedly he would only hang out with women who had perfect feet. 

F. Scott Fitzgerald also judged women by the beauty of their footsies.  Britney Spears loves having her feet kissed, and readily admits to her fetish.

Be sure to tell your boss that Friday, March 22 is National Goof Off Day and not to expect too much before you head home for the day.(lol)

According to the Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, writing your notes or to do lists in green or using a green font on our computer increases creativity by a whopping 30%, because we associate that color with "go".

True, the IRS may be somewhat understaffed, but their computerized 1099 matching system works just fine.  So if you receive a 1099 income statement, and either forget or don't feel like reporting it, they sure won't mind sending you a notice with a huge penalty.

If you're on the hunt for a bargain or a hidden gem in a thrift store, yard sale or consignment shop, be sure to carry a magnifying glass to check out the markings on jewelry and clothing tags.  Experts also say to empty your vehicle so you'll have lots of room, and bring along a blanket to protect your treasures.  Don't forget to check the back of the store for markdowns and more importantly, take your time to look around on top and lower shelves.

McDonald's was the #2 franchise in 2017, and it jumped to #1 as of October 2018, and all together there are almost 38,000 of them in the US and abroad.  Did you know that the start up costs involved to own just one building/business range from $1 million to $2.2 million?  Those numbers don't even include the actual franchise fees!

Despite the brand's popularity, there are a few places you won't find a Mickey D's any time soon such as North Korea, Bermuda, Iceland and Montenegro to name a few.

Are you a fan of popcorn and want to try something new?  This recipe is super simple to make.

Honey-Dijon Popcorn
Melt 3 Tbsp Butter in a small pot over medium heat until golden brown, 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat, then whisk in 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard and 1 1/4 tsp honey.  Pour over 1 popped bag of natural or plain popcorn from the microwave, then toss to coat. Yummy!

Everyone probably knows that cheeseburgers call out to me all the time.  But there is someone who has actually held the  Guinness world record since 2014 for the most hamburger related items.   Hamburger Harry(Harry Sperl) has a little over 6000 items, and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

If you've ever watched TLC, you may have noticed that they're not afraid the push the envelope, and lately it's with Sister Wives and Seeking Sister Wife. 

I don't get the polyamorous/polygamous/polygynous life, or agree with it, but the people I've seen on tv seem pretty nice, and it would be cool to meet them in real life.  Still, I sure am curious why there aren't any programs called Seeking Brother Husband or Brother Husbands.  I'm just saying.(lol)

TRIVIA & TREATS

Do you remember getting that one gift as a kid that either defined who you were later in life, or played with until every piece of it was hanging on by a thread or all taped up to prolong its life?(lol)  

Mine was a microscope.  Nothing was safe from being analyzed. Leaves, blood, pencils, hair, pebbles, an eyelash and, a piece of cotton, fingernails are just a few of the things I checked out every single day, and it drove my parents bonkers!(lol)


What about you?  Was there a toy or item that you were obsessed with as a child?

VEGGIE LOVE
More and more people are eating vegetarian or vegan meals, and there are lots of cool recipes to try.  Even better, going out is a lot easier for those who don't eat meat, and restaurants around the country are jumping on the bandwagon with mouth watering plant based main courses, and decadent desserts.

Plant - Hazelnut Cream Cake

Radish-Miso Butter Noodles (Laura Hayes)

Fancy Radish - Washington DC
Gracias Madre - San Francisco CA
Ground Control - Chicago IL
Leaf - Boulder Colorado
Plant - Asheville NC
Seva - Ann Arbor Michigan

SAVING MONEY
Thinking about making some changes with your Internet service?  Check out what works best for you and your family by visiting www.broadbandnow.com.  

Find out about every provider in your area as well as their rates and various plans.

ICE SKATING
Who remembers Peggy Fleming?  In 1968, she took home the only gold medal for the United States in the Winter Olympics.  Se was also 1st in the World Championships and the US Championships the same year.  It's so romantic  that she married her high school sweetheart, and have been together since 1970!

YIKES!
Speaking of relationships, in 1960 the divorce rate among men was 1.1%, and with women it was 1.7%.  Fast forward to 2017 where the rate with men was 10.9%, and among women it was 14.6%.    The state with the highest divorce rate as of 2016 was Oklahoma at 4.4%!  Apparently, the high divorce in this date are due to financial reasons.Almanac 2019

DOG FUN
Are you a puppy person?  The Westminster Dog Show will be the place to find plenty of purebreds in New York City from February 11 - 12, 2019.

CENSORSHIP
It's 2019, and there are still requests for books in a school or library to be removed based on content, and include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hate U Give, Thirteen Reasons Why, I am Jazz, and Drama.

BLOOD NEWS
Did you know there is an age limit to give blood? James Harrison of Australia has donated blood 
1,173 times, and at 81, gave for the last time due to his age on in May 2018.

Anyone over 70 and healthy can only continue to donate blood if they have done so within a 2 year period, but for those donating blood for the first time, the age limit is 66.  Don't forget, the American Red Cross is always looking for donors to help those in need.

VIRUS
If you're trying to avoid the flu, University of Arizona researchers suggest wiping off that grocery cart handle with a sanitizing wipe to kill off any lurking bacteria.  Also, mine is always a disaster on the inside, but did you know that 80% of the bottoms of our purses are friends with the flu virus?  Be sure to clean purses regularly, and avoid laying them down on dining room tables or kitchen counters at home or in restaurants to avoid germs.

BLACK FOREST TRUFFLE - MINI (David Venable)

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
• 1 pkg brownie mix
• 2 oz cherry brandy
• 1 container whipped cream topping
• 1 jar dark cherries
• 1 (8 oz) dark chocolate bar
• 4 Amaretto cookies
• 8 small straight-sided glasses

Preparation:

• Prepare the pudding & brownies according to the directions on the package. Let brownies cool.



• Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid and 8 cherries for garnishing. Rough chop the remaining cherries. Crumble about half of the brownies into a bowl, sprinkle on the cherry brandy, and mix gently.



• With a knife, shave the chocolate bar into thin shavings. Set aside.



• Lightly crumble the Amaretto cookies. Set aside.



• With all of the ingredients organized, begin layering them in the glasses. Start with the brownie mixture, followed by the whipped topping and chopped cherries. Drizzle on some cherry syrup. Repeat the same 4 layers again. Finish with chocolate pudding on top. Garnish with crumbled cookies, chocolate shavings, and a cherry.

Speaking of chocolate - January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day.

Did you know that it's considered offensive to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose in Fairbanks, Alaska?

Also, if you own a flamingo and live in Juneau Alaska, please don't take them to a barbershop.
www.dumblaws.com

DO FRIENDSHIPS HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE?

According to a recent survey from the University of Scranton, 80% of people fail to keep their New Year's resolutions, so for the past 4 years mine have successfully been either book, or social media driven. 

I stay away from actually making formal resolutions about losing weight, but it's still in my head, and maybe in one of my planners, because I know I'm just going to screw it up.(lol)

Webster defines a friend as "a person you have a strong liking for and trust, a person who is not an enemy".  Another definition indicates there is a bond of mutual affection and is exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Wouldn't it be great if friendships lasted forever and ever?  I've been fortunate to have quite a few friends for 20+ years, and it's still going strong. Friends who are constructively honest and  supportive are great, and make us the best persons we can be.  It's also neat when friends have different views and interests because that's a great way to learn new things. Even though these things haven't happened to me, the instances mentioned below have happened to other people I know, and it's so sad.

Friends shouldn't get a pass to say/do mean-spirited or underhanded things, or to cheat and secretly text with your husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend. They're not going to do or say things behind your back to intentionally hurt you. It's also very uncool for a friend to give you something, only to come to your house every Christmas to take your gifts back, and then re-gift them to others because you haven't used some of the items fast enough. Is your relationship one-sided? When confronting your friends, at the very least there should be some sign of remorse or an apology to address the hurt feelings. If you've got friends like this, or worse, 2019 is your year to quickly run in the other direction.  No one deserves these types of headaches.

SOAPS
Have you ever watched a soap opera?  Do you remember All My Children which started in 1970?  Susan Lucci, as Erica Kane was super popular and nominated 19 times for an Emmy before finally winning in 1999.  On the soap, she was married to 6 different guys, but in real life, she's been happily married to Helmut Huber since 1969!  The series ended on television in 2011, but the online version ended in 2013.

COLORS
Have you ever heard of Blue Zones?  These areas are home to some of the healthiest and oldest people in the world, with many living to be 90-100+ years of age.  I would definitely have to give up my cheeseburgers, because almost all of these places emphasize plant based food, beans, fruits and veggies as part of their diets.(lol)  Also, walking, resting and family bonding are part of their lifestyles.

I'd just like to point out that there are NO cold places on this list, and you know I love cold weather.(lol)

1.  Sardinia Italy
2.  Okinawa Japan
3.  Ikaria Greece 
4.  Loma Linda California
5.  Nicoya Costa Rica

FREEBIES
In addition to coupon shopping, which I've been doing for years, I love finding freebies on the Internet along with my good buddy Mary over at scarymarythehamsterlady.blogspot.com/ who shares her freebie haul every Friday.  In the UK, there are  these great freebie sites:

https://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk,  

https://www.magicfreebiesuk.co.uk

In the US, try www.sampables.com, freebieshark.com, or reddit.com. Here are a few things I've picked up over the past couple months.

Sephora

2019 Calendar

2019 Calendar

This stands your phone up and is super cool.

Hummus

Can't say this seaweed was my fave-lol

These wipes worked perfectly

This coffee was pretty good and did suppress the appetite.

Carlie C's Friday Freebie - What is Sipping Soup?(lol)

Cat Food I'll be giving away

Yay!  Tea

Nice perfume

These are my 2019 Planners that I love, and I thank my good friend Elizabeth from alteredbooklover.blogspot.com
for sending me lots of amazing stickers to use this year.  

.

Not guaranteeing anything(lol)

Sara Bareilles said it well in 2013, and it works this year too. "You can be amazing , and I want to see you be BRAVE"