Saturday, November 14, 2015

Is It True? Are Men Really Happier Than We Are?


 
(Microsoft ClipArt)
MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE
Needs no explanation...and is fun to read no matter your gender.  Men Are Just Happier People --
   
 What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

  Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks.

   A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Two pairs of shoes are more than enough.. You almost never have strap problems in public You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color.. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. 

     You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives On December 24 in 25 minutes. No wonder men are happier.

   NICKNAMES   
· If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.

· If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.

EATING OUT   
· When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.   
· When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
· A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.   
· A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
   BATHROOMS   
· A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.   
· The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS   
· A woman has the last word in any argument.   
· Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
· A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
· A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

MARRIAGE   
· A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
· A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
   DRESSING UP   
· A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone read a book, and get the mail.
· A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.   

NATURAL   
· Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.   
· Women somehow deteriorate during the night.    
   OFFSPRING   
· Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite  foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
· A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing. 


 (Thanks to Tom Z, Bob A and Mary F for sending this post.) 
 

Holidays=Photos of Friends and Family. Make Sure Pictures of You Show You at Your Best!

 
Warning!!  The photos are of professional models/actresses.  So we're not advocating that the fantastic outfits would look great on all of us or that we should go out and splurge on what we see.  But the tips ARE great!
 
 
"The Worst Poses to Strike in Photos (and How to Make Them Better)"
 October 12, 2015

 We’ve shown you several ways to look better in photos—squinching, anyone? But what should you avoid in order to look your absolute best and the most photogenic? Well, we tapped photographer Mike Coppola from Getty Images (which has a talented team of expert photo specialists led by VP of entertainment Roxanne Motamedi) photographer Mike Coppola—who constantly snaps celebrities and knows what works and what doesn’t—to spill on the worst poses you can strike in photos, along with what you should do instead
Bobby Schuessler   by Bobby Schuessler .

Keep scrolling for your dos and don’ts to make your next snaps that much better.


A Great Place in the USA to Visit if You Can Convince the Owners to Guide You to Fly Geyser.

AMAZING...by Justin Majeczky
 
In the early twentieth century, a farmer decided that he needed to improve the agriculture on his
 ranch in Nevada. He figured that a well needed to be dug to bring water and nutrients to the soil
 above. He lived in a barren desert and the water stored deep beneath the Earth’s crust would have
 provided a more sustainable crop for this harsh and dry area. He knew that a well with ample water
 was needed to supply bountiful crops. What he didn't know was what was waiting for him deep
below the soil . He began to dig a deep well when problems soon arose. After digging deep into
the Earth searching for water, he found what he was looking for. The problem was that the water 
was incredibly hot. Over 200 degrees in fact, making it impossible to create a well at the time.
He capped off his ventures and was forced to forget about supplying the area with a sustainable
water source.
 

 
  A team came to the area with better drilling technology in 1964, in order to create a successful
well. Their plans didn’t go as expected as the water was still too hot for them to deal with. The 
drilling operation was immediately suspended and abandoned. The team that came in 1964 didn’t
 cap their drilling ventures properly and they created a small geyser. Under extreme pressure and
at extreme temperatures, gasses, water, minerals, and nutrients flooded to the surface. This small
geyser has grown at an incredible rate creating something that nobody expected. It is not a typical
geyser at all. This type of geyser is actually called a fly geyser and it pumps the nutrient rich water
above ground where these nutrients and minerals have collected, creating a colorful mountain that continues to grow to this day.
   

  The fly geyser in Nevada started out as an attempt to create a well but the drillers got much more
than they bargained for when they were faced with scolding hot water. After the operations were abandoned, a beautiful monument created by nature was formed and it has taken on a life of its own, continuously growing and changing. The mineral-rich water has created a mountain of colorful
formations that have stunned the world.
   

   
The fly geyser in Nevada has created its own unique ecosystem in and around the water.
 
   
If you get close enough, you’re able to see small fish swimming in the hot spring waters and
many birds flying around feeding on the organisms that have come to call this magical fantasy
land, home.
   

 
  The different nutrients, gasses, and minerals that are expelled from this fly geyser in Nevada
react differently to the sun, as well as the oxygen in the air. This reaction creates some magnificent
 colors that are constantly changing. The longer this geyser flows, the more beautiful it becomes.
 Look out Yellowstone. It looks like you have some serious competition in Nevada.
 
  
 
  
    
   
The fly geyser in Nevada is located on private land so you would need permission to see the rare
sight. Many people have contacted the land owners with offers to purchase the land in order to
transform this desert oasis into a tourist attraction. The land owners have no intent of letting that
happen. This is their own private oasis and they are happy with keeping it that way. They have
refused all offers and keep their property fenced in to prevent the hoards of people that flock to
this area to see the geyser from ruining their land. Few people, family and friends, even a few photographers have been allowed access, but this is someone’s land. I can understand the owners
not wanting too many strangers trampling the beautiful rural area.
   

  The land owners will give you a guided tour if you can get a hold of them. The price varies on
their mood and the time of year, so if you want to make plans to see this place you better be nice
to the owner and his family.
   
 
  
   

  Check out this amazing aerial video of the fly geyser in Nevada
Text, photos and video by Justin Majeczky.  See Majeczky's website at justinmajeczky@varient.com
 
(Thanks to Bob A for giving us a fantastic place to visit n the USA ...if we can convince the owners to guide us to the site.)
 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Summer's Over. Now What?

(Photo by Dick Bevevino)
OK, we've had our morning coffee.  It's time to face reality.  Summer is almost a memory, and if we've been lucky, we've been able to spend time with those we love best, both at home and on vacation.

So what now?  It's time to think about one of our favorite topics again:  VACATIONS !  Last summer we had some great advice on river cruises from Pam and Alan, Carol and Ray, and Ruthanne and Ted.  Now let's consider other ways to enjoy getaways, both close to home and abroad.

Our friend Terry has just returned from a trip to France, Italy, and Switzerland.  On a tour?  In a manner of speaking.  Terry and friends booked a guided walking tour with www.northwestwalks.co. Their hike covered 112 miles in 10 days.  But wait!  Before you scream, "Yikes, who can do that?" remember that the group hiked 12 miles a day with the following schedule:  Hike/break/hike/lunch/hike/break/hike/dinner with ice-cold beer.  Terry's advice?  Add squats and lunges to your exercise routine for 6 months before the trip. That strengthens your legs for those inclines.  Take your hiking sticks with you, too. A side benefit?  Using those hiking sticks makes the hike more doable and also burns more calories at the same time.   And best of all, enjoy the magnificent vistas all along the way.

Would you rather walk this winter or spring instead of in the summer months?  www.macsadventures.com offers walks in places like Southern Spain and Portugal as well as trips through the British Isles, their base of operations.  You can explore the site by putting in your level of ability (Whew!  There is an "easy" category.), the dates of interest, and other info that will aid in showing you their offerings.

Microsoft ClipArt
Many of us like to stay closer to home.  If you would, consider this.  Bob A. has just returned from a bike trip starting in  Burlington,Vermont and ending in Quebec City. Bob was on a Sojourn tour. And they offer a number of different bike tours to various locations within the USA. The Sojourn tours are in Canada and the USA are ranked:Bob's was an "intermediate tour" covering an average of 55 miles per day. Bob felt the tour guides were very knowledgable, both from a historical standpoint and also about cycling tips. Starting on Sunday, the riders experienced some "rather easy flat ride days along Lake Champlain on lightly traveled roads and some scenic area as well as lots of very green pastures and farm land.  Most breakfasts, a few lunches and several dinners were included in the trip fee. The tour ended in Quebec City, and on Thursday, we had a day off the bike and all of us participated in a Walking Tour of Quebec City with an interesting guide." On Thursday, Bob joined 4 others on he optional  long ride:  85-90 miles."  Since it was Bob's 16th tour, he was well able to finish, but he cautions that this option was "arduous."  There are loads of US bike tours for all levels of riders so there's no need to shy away because of the challenges of his trip.

Other tours?  Walking?  Camping?  Kayaking?  For families?  For couples?  For singles?  Many tour companies serving the USA offer these.  http://grandamericanadventures.com/tourtypes There are even tours for those of us who prefer to amble along at a slower pace.  Now, that sounds great to me!

(Our thanks to Terry and Bob A for sharing their amazing adventures.)




You Think You've Had a Bad Day? Think Again!

Your day hasn't been as bad as this...AND your hair definitely looks better!
(The Chicken Chick)

Living Our Lives Well and Brightening Every Day

                    6 Little stories 
(Microsoft ClipArt)
 
1. Once all the villagers decided to pray for rain.  On the day of the prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That's faith. 
 
2.  When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her. That's trust. 
 
3.  Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next morning but still we set the alarms to wake up. That's hope. 
 
4.  We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That's confidence. 
 
5.  We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. That's love. 
 
6.  On an old man's shirt was written a sentence, "I am not 60 years old...I am sweet 16 with 44 years of experience." That's attitude. 
 
Have a happy day and live your life like these 6 stories!
 
(Thanks to Cheryl who forwarded these six stories from her cousin, Jane.)

On the Road...With Caution

(Microsoft ClipArt)
Sometimes we need to post information on the recent ploys by criminals to stop us on the highway.  Sadly, we all need to be even more aware now.  Careless drivers, inattentive drivers, and impaired travelers are already on our radar, but the three situations below definitely deserve our attention, no matter where we drive.  This applies to drivers in all 50 states and is taken from a message by the Office of Attorney General:  State of Michigan.

Ploy I:  A child's car seat covered with a baby blanket is placed on the side of the highway-usually in a secluded area of the highway.  Thieves hope you will stop.  If you do, the consequences could range from robbery to physical assault to death.  Instead of stopping, call 911 and tell the operator about the car seat.  Do not stop and do not even slow down.  The police will send someone to investigate.

Ploy II:  Thieves will throw eggs at the windshield of a car, hoping the motorist will activate the wiper solution.  That coats the windshield with a smear that can keep you from seeing virtually 100% of what's ahead.   They wait for you to pull over so that you can clear the window.  If it happens to you, don't try to use the wipers/wiper fluid.  Drive carefully, but do not stop.

Ploy III:  Many of us are already aware that thieves are using the unmarked car/flashing lights ploy to make drivers think they are being asked to pull over by a policeman.  The rule is to never pull over for an unmarked car with lights flashing.  Instead, the traveler should keep driving until he or she is able to pull in to a gas station or similar safe place.  But many of us aren't aware that we should use our cell phones to call 112. This number reaches a police dispatcher.  Tell the police dispatcher about the unmarked car with lights flashing and explain that you will not pull over until you find a safe place to do so.  This emergency operator will check to find out if a valid unmarked police car is in the area.  Most of us are unaware that police must respect the motorist's right to continue driving until a safe place like a gas station appears.  The number 112 is a "direct link to state trooper information" and applies to every state.

(Thanks to Joan & Len H for sending this valuable  and potentially life-saving information.)