Happy Birthday

It's May 5th. In part of the world we celebrate Cinco de Mayo. HEY -- a party that involves margaritas is not a bad deal in my book.

BUT today is also significant to rambling-mom for two other reasons.

It happens to be niece3's birthday.


Niece 3 is almost a high school graduate, who will be going to college in the fall. I'm quite excited because she's going "away" to college in my town. Course, as a college student I'm sure she won't have much time to join her old aunt in the minivan lane -- but I at least hope to be able to kidnap her for lunch once in a while (especially since her school is right by one of my favorite restaurants).

It also happens to be my best friend's birthday.

So I sit hear, quietly giving thanks that these two wonderful people are in my life. And I'm not calling Niece3 because, well she's in high school and I know better to call a high school kid before the crack of noon on a Saturday, and Crem, well last I checked he wanted a quiet, laid back kind of day so if he needs me he knows where to find me otherwise I'll leave him be and hope his FuzzForBrains

let's him take a nap.

Happy birthday Sweetie, Happy Birthday Handsome, MANY happy returns of the day.

This is like TOOOOOOOOOOO cute

Thanks to the efforts of one of the volunteers, the Critter Corral, a guinea pig rescue that we've adopted from and have sometimes done volunteer work for now has their own Myspace web page.

I decided to check it out and found this wayyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooo cute video. If you have kids, they'll love it.

The Guinea Pig Way



Add to My Profile | More Videos

News you can use

Well, at least new I can use. In this blog entry, I mentioned one of my favorite songs and libations. Now, I come to find that Jimmy Buffett is even more intelligent than we all knew.

From Reuters

Fruity cocktails count as health food, study finds
Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:36 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday.

Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture stumbled upon their finding unexpectedly.

They were exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage. Treating the berries with alcohol increased in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity, they found.

Any colored fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals.

Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.

The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

Boat drinks.
Waitress, I need two more boat drinks.
Then I'm headin south 'fore my dream shrinks.
I gotta where it's warm.


YO CREM -- need me to take you out for your birthday??

Favorite quote from the weekend.

My friend Christina spent the weekend at the Democratic convention in California. She gives a review here.

Reading this reminded me that I heard a sound bite that I liked. Now, I'm with those that are still "dating" the candidates and finding out stuff. Heck I have a couple months until the Illinois primary. I didn't really follow the proceedings in Ca, but I did hear one thing (probably on the radio) that just made sense to me.

People tell me I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington. But I promise you this, I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change.

Barack Obama

Can't argue with that.

vacation -- heck I'm MOVING

I read today on Reuters about a new tourist town in China.

Now a while back in this post I said that ... There are certain places I'd like to go in my life (I'd love to visit Alaska, Paris, and there's this beach I need to go to with my friend, JK). All fine and good places. But I think I've found my slice of heaven.

Excerpts from the Reuters article ...

"Women's town" to put men in their place
Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:09AM EDT
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese tourism authorities are seeking investment to build a novel concept attraction -- the world's first "women's town," where men get punished for disobedience, an official said Thursday.

The 2.3-square-km Longshuihu village in the Shuangqiao district of Chongqing municipality, also known as "women's town," was based on the local traditional concept of "women rule and men obey," a tourism official told Reuters.

The motto of the new town would be "women never make mistakes, and men can never refuse women's requests," Chinese media have reported.

When tour groups enter the town, female tourists would play the dominant role when shopping or choosing a place to stay, and a disobedient man would be punished by "kneeling on an uneven board" or washing dishes in restaurant, media reports said.

© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.

VISIT??? Hasta la vista boys & girls - I'm moving. Okay I haven't told anyone yet, and I need to get the kids passports and such in order, need to find some jobs, but I've found the near perfect place to live.


Signed -- she who must be obeyed.

A Happy Tail

My friend over at The Family Blender works at a vet and told of a sad day at work last week. I thought I might send in a happy tail.

Actually, when she first related her sad day at work, I was going to mention a furry friend of mine that I'll call Licorice. Licorice is a very sweet and friendly black lab (or mostly black lab) that was recently released to a local rescue organization. When the rescue worker went to the house to pick up the dog, the kids didn't even say goodbye. If someone tried to take Fuzzybutt from my house, trust that both my kids would be kicking and screaming.

Now, Licorice is sweet (as her name implies) but she's got some skin issues and some ear issues, all that are being taken care of by medicine.

Today, Licorice found her new family.

Her family has a wonderful fenced yard for her. Okay - the fenced yard is an acre in a suburb of Chicago (and in that burb a large yard is considered 1/4 acre) and the house is rather large from what I'm given to understand. There's also an inground pool. Licorice isn't going to be there for long though, as the family will be spending the summer at their Colorado home (which also has an inground pool). (I wonder if they need to adopt anyone else??? I'm available)

I was thinking about this -- judging from the description of their home, I have a feeling that this family is frigging bloody well offcould, if they wanted to, afford pretty much any dog they wanted. They could get some fancy "designer breed," or the kind of dog that is used as a "fashion accessory" by A list Hollywood Celebrities



But, instead they pick this mangy mutt...



Licorice is going to get exactly what she deserves. And I'm happy for her.

Oh My that is so close

What type of Fae are you?

Yeah -- but what's her average??

This picture is from the Chicago Tribune Photo Page



Zoe, a 19-pound Jack Russell terrier and the in-house mascot of King-Pin Lanes in Fox River Grove, steals 8-pound bowling balls from bowlers and carries them around like toys. (Tribune photo by E. Jason Wambsgans) February 9, 2007

To Old Blue Socks

A personal note to Sock Girl

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.