Friday, October 15, 2010

Fact and Thought of the Day!

Man gets $650,000 for lap dance injury?
A South Florida man may have a few more dollars to toss around at strippers after he won $650,000 in a settlement for injuries he suffered during a lap dance. In 2008, Michael Ireland was poked in the eye by a stripper's spiked high heel when he got a little too close during a performance at the Cheetah Club near West Palm Beach. The shoe of a stripper named "Suki" punctured his eye socket and broke bones around his eye and nose and the man has permanent double vision, his attorneys claimed. The strip club decided to settle out of court Thursday instead of going through with the lawsuit and possibly paying more in damages.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39675697?gt1=43001

Thought of the Day!
I often wondered if it was true if they wore underwear under an Irish kilt! So, I tried one on and it's true, we don't!!!

Yours truly,
 
Word of the Day!
Mnemonic - assisting or intended to assist the memory

Example: Mnemonics are used as a memory aid to help learn lists or sequence of important facts.
Red - Richard
Orange - Of
Yellow - York
Green - Gave
Blue - Battle
Indigo - In
Violet - Vain

Try to use the word of the day several times today; you will impress not only yourselves but also those around you!

The Irish Poet
~From the mind of an Irish Poet

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Fact and Thought of the Day!

How to zap your microwave into cleanliness:To get out all the splatters and spots that end up caking the interior, fill a microwave-safe bowl with a cup of water and a few splashes of vinegar, or wedges of lemon or lime (which of course have the added benefit of smelling terrific). Zap it on high heat for a couple minutes until the water starts to boil and the window gets steamy. Wait 15 minutes for the bowl and water to cool, and for all that steam to penetrate the stains, before opening the door. Follow up by wiping down the interior walls and rubber door gasket with a clean cloth or sponge (and if the window is still grimy, use a half water/half vinegar solution to get it shiny). That’s it—so easy, right? I just tried it and am deeply satisfied with the results, the fact that I didn’t need to use any chemicals, and the whole process in general, which kind of feels like a grade school science experiment.

For more information: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/haven/how-to-zap-your-microwave-into-cleanliness-2398639/

Thought of the Day!My thought today goes out to a man who passed away named Mike. I had the privelage not only to meet Mike but to play guitar with him also! His songs will fill his wings with the Irish angels, and he will smile down from Heaven forever knowing he has enlightened our hearts!

Yours truly,
The Irish Poet

Word of the Day! Coalesce - to grow together or into one body

  Example: The two lakes coalesced into one.

Try to use the word of the day several times today; you will impress not only yourselves but also those around you!

Gratitude

Yesterday was truly an enlightening day!  I won't go into any details because they aren't important.  But I will say that regardless of where we think we are in our lives, be it good or sorrowful, rest assured that we have so much to be thankful for!  There are many people out there that are less fortunate than ourselves.  So, I want to invite you to feel gratitude, to feel thankful and blessed for all that you have in your life!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Habitual Creatures!

Isn't it amazing that I just wrote about being better about what I consume and already forgot about it?  I just walked around the corner to see if we had any fried fish left, which thankfully we didn't, and I found the ice chest full of ice with nothing but diet coke's.  I grabbed one and sat it on my desk and remembered that I vowed not to have one.  Gosh, we really are habitual creatures!  And apparently I'm addicted to eating throughout the day, even if I'm not hungry, and drink too many diet cokes.  Don't worry, I put it back, but I can't believe how quickly ideas come and go, regardless of our great intentions!  UGH! 

Today is the best day of our lives!

So, today is one of those mornings that we hope will never come.  I got terrible news that a friend of mine, a coworker, has passed away.  He was overweight and had liver problems, which caused him to lose his life far too quickly.  We all seem to think that we have so much time on this earth left, but all we really have is today or actually right now, this moment.  Today is the best day of our lives!  Today is really the only day that is promised to us!

Before I heard of my friend passing, I did one thing that I normally do, before even getting ready for work; I weighed myself.  I have been playing games with myself and the scale for a while now, and never hoped I would EVER see this number.  So, as I relish in my last plate of terribly fattening food (our office catered lunch for us today), I contemplate how silly I am for even indulging in the first place.  Sure, I'm a tall girl and hide the weight well; as a matter of fact, I look pretty darned great for what I weigh; I ride so many miles on my bike each weekend.....I wonder how long I would have continually given myself excuses, while the weight gets further out of control. 

So, in honor of myself, in honor of my friend, in honor of the only day I have promised to me, I am going to put all of this nonsense to rest.  It is embarrassing publishing this on a blog, even with no actual subscribers yet (haha), but if I don't make myself aware and put it out there for others to read, then maybe I will just continue living in my hopeful little head that I still have "the rest of my life" to finally get skinny, or more importantly, healthy.

I will not post my daily "food journal" and bore even myself with those contents, though I will keep one.  But I will post all of my proud exercise accomplishments, at least until I form a daily habit to get in the gym, which is only just a few steps away from my office.  Sigh.  So here's to finally getting it together and to my last diet coke.....

Fact and Thought of the Day!

Spooky homes for sale:
What if every day was Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at your house? Some homes have creepy pasts, and a few owners think it’s really cool to live among ghosts. With the help of MSN Real Estate’s listings partner, Realtor.com, we tracked down homes where Halloween happens throughout the year.

‘Get out!’:
One of the creepiest streets in America is Ocean Avenue in Amityville, N.Y. In 1974, at 112 Ocean Ave., Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr. shot six members of his family to death in their beds. What came next made Amityville a legend: A year later, George and Kathleen Lutz bought the house. They stayed just 28 days and fled, saying they’d been forced out by a demon. The Lutzes’ story was told in "The Amityville Horror." "Get owwwwwt!" the demon famously commands a priest attempting an exorcism. It’s supposedly all a giant hoax, but spend $890,000 and decide for yourself, down the street from where all the madness ensued. This stately six-bedroom, 3½-bath Victorian at 34 Ocean Ave. was built in 1905. The big lot (260 by 60 feet) has a kidney-shaped swimming pool, 260 feet of waterfront, two boat slips and a separate two-bedroom cottage. The murder house itself sold in August for $1.15 million.


Spooky town: Houses not creepy enough? How about a haunted town? The town is Cuchillo, N.M. Artist Josh Bond — owner of several properties here, including the 180-year-old adobe Old Cuchillo Bar & Hotel — asked the West Coast Ghost and Paranormal Society to investigate mysterious whispers he’d heard. They collected 120 hours of video and audio recordings, which picked up unexplained growling, voices, clanking bottles and footsteps. They also smelled rose perfume and watched a shadowy black figure float from room to room. You're close to all this creepy action in a sweet adobe-style house in Truth or Consequences, N.M., 15 miles from Cuchillo. The house, built in 1932, is in the Hot Springs historic district. It has three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms, refinished hardwood floors and mosaic tile in the kitchen, bathrooms and fireplace. The cost: $159,000.


Bodies in the garden: This two-story Sacramento, Calif., Victorian has a truly ghastly history. It’s the former board-and-care home where landlady Dorthea Puenete reportedly killed tenants and stole their Social Security checks. After seven bodies were unearthed in the yard in 1988, the home changed hands several times. After a foreclosure in June 2009, it sold at an auction in late August for $215,000. New owners Barbara Holmes and Tom Williams fell in love with the home and were undaunted when they heard its history. "My husband is an unpublished mystery writer. He was totally intrigued," Holmes told The Sacramento Bee. Built in 1930, the 1,834-square-foot duplex has three bedrooms and a bath upstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs.


For more information: http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=25672563

Thought of the Day!  ~From the mind of an Irish PoetHaunted

Trouble sleeping? YouTube has a 30 minute vdeo called "Sounds of a Rainstorm." These sounds will put you to sleep quicker than any sheep counting!
Yours truly,
The Irish Poet


Word of the Day!

Affinity - a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc

  Example: Dad usually buys her gourmet chocolates because she has an affinity for anything sweet.

Try to use the word of the day several times today; you will impress not only yourselves but also those around you!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Fact and Thought of the Day!

Get Your Heart In Shape!

1. Get trim: Steelers backup quarterback Charlie Batch dropped 12 pounds and reduced his total cholesterol about 20 percent between the end of last season and the start of this one. (Major diet changes: making better choices when eating out; swapping wine in place of apple martinis, sugar free Jell-O for gummy worms and popcorn for Doritos.) Losing as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of your body weight can result in better blood pressure, lower risk for diabetes and improved cholesterol levels, according to various research studies.

2. Cut back on "bad" fats: When Casey Hampton (aka "Big Snack") arrived at training camp in July 2008 too heavy to play, Leslie Bonci, the Steelers nutritionist, worked with the team’s chef to create meals designed to slash Hampton’s intake of calories and saturated fats, which can elevate "bad" LDL cholesterol, leading to plaque buildup in arteries. In place of fried chicken wings, Bonci gave Hampton grilled chicken strips with low-fat dipping sauces. Other ways to reduce saturated fat: replace butter with olive and canola oils, which contain good amounts of heart healthy monounsaturated fats; choose lean meats, poultry, fish and beans instead of higher fat meats; select nonfat or low-fat milk and yogurt in place of whole milk versions; eat full-fat cheeses sparingly. Avoid trans fats, which also increase LDL cholesterol, by skipping foods that contain "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil" in their ingredient lists. (Big culprits include packaged snacks, crackers, bakery goods and some margarines.)

3. Eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily: Studies link a high-fiber diet with a lower risk of heart disease—one reason Bonci suggests that players, and everyone, reach for fiber-rich foods all day. Soluble fiber in oats, beans and citrus fruits, like oranges, helps reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. Opting for whole grains, such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta, boosts your intake of total fiber (by way of insoluble fiber, which is also good for digestion) and can decrease levels of triglycerides, another "unhealthy" fat in the blood, as a diet rich in refined carbohydrates may stoke the body’s production of triglycerides. See how quickly the fiber adds up when you make smart choices. A cup of oatmeal (4 g) with a half cup cup of raspberries (4 g) and a 456 calorie dinner—bean soup (9 g), a spinach salad (2 g), a whole grain baguette (5 g) and an orange (4 g)—will get you to 28 grams.

4. Have fish twice a week: Doing so may reduce your risk of heart disease by 30 percent, research suggests. Omega 3 fats in fish lower triglycerides and blood pressure; they also can help prevent irregular heart rhythms. Have trouble fitting in fish? Speak with your doctor about fish oil supplements—taking them daily helped current Pittsburgh Steelers to improve their cholesterol profiles, according to a January 2009 study in Sports Health.

5. Practice healthy habits: If you make three lifestyle changes to help your heart, they should be to ...

Quit smoking

Exercise for 30 minutes nearly every day

Make friends with your doctor

For more information: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/heart-and-cardiovascular/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100251410&gt1=31007

Thought of the Day!


Have you ever noticed that a tropical drink tastes better in the tropics! A hot dog tastes better in the baseball field! And a steak tastes better on your backyard grill! You gotta love it!!!

Yours truly,
The Irish Poet


Word of the Day! Abrogate - to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal

  Example: to abrogate a law

Try to use the word of the day several times today; you will impress not only yourselves but also those around you!

Game Day Pup!

So, here is my little darling, Roxy Carmichael all dressed up on Saturday for LSU gameday!


Friday Bike Ride Around the Lakes

Working until noon on Friday really has it's perks and advantages. We packed our bikes on the truck and headed to the LSU lakes. Our goal was to do a decent little ten mile ride. Our first stop, after about four miles of riding, was to hit our favorite coffee shop, Highland Coffee's.



Then we headed on our way. Next stop planned was Mike's habitat. We usually get pretty lucky and get to see him up and about, but today was extra special. Mike did all sorts of cool stuff for us. We got to see him really up close and personal.



We got to see him take a big poop. I know, I know, but it's a huge tiger, so everyone was watching. I won't post that picture here. Ha ha ha. Then we got to see him get in his wading pond. Awe, he's such a darling cat! I swear that I would snuggle up to him and pet him to sleep if it ws safe to do so.



And then we finished our mileage, 11.5 miles, and got back in the truck. And then we saw the most beautiful sunset. All of the egrets rousted in for the evening on their favorite trees. What a gorgeous sight!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Fact and Thought of the Day!

Will Holding It Cause Your Bladder To Burst?Maybe you want to avoid using the portable toilet at a rock concert. Or you’d like to get some miles behind you rather than visit the rest stop on your cross-country trip. Or maybe you just don’t want to get out of bed when duty calls in the middle of the night. We’ve all "held it" before, for whatever reason, but does holding off on urinating do any damage to our bodies? And what about the notion that your bladder can actually explode if you hold it too long—is there any truth to that?

Though it’s something most people don’t think about often, how the bladder works is pretty remarkable. Before a child is potty trained, a simple reflex controls the timing of urination. A layer of smooth muscle lines the bladder, and as the bladder fills with urine, the muscle stretches. The stretch signals the spinal cord to tell the bladder muscles to contract and the urethra (the tube that brings urine out of the body) and pelvic muscles to relax. These changes allow urine to exit a baby’s body. Babies can’t control the process—which, of course, is why they wear diapers. As a baby grows, the bladder enlarges and can hold more urine. The child also learns to sense when the bladder is filling, and to control the muscles of the bladder, urethra, and pelvis. Eventually, the child can reliably decide when and where to "go."

So what about those of us who take our potty training to the next level, and try to hold it long after our bladders tell us it's time to empty them? The worst that’s likely to happen is that you’ll become increasingly uncomfortable until you finally give up and empty your bladder. The idea that your bladder can burst by waiting too long to urinate is largely myth.

For more information: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/urinary-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100252112&gt1=31062


Thought of the Day!Beautiful days are among us; get out and enjoy the great outdoors!
Yours truly,
The Irish Poet

Word of the Day! Timorous - full of fear; fearful

  Example: The noise made them timorous.

Try to use the word of the day several times today; you will impress not only yourselves but also those around you!
~From the mind of an Irish Poet

Welcome to Adventures in AimeeLand

So, I've been thinking about doing a blog for a while now.  I enjoy writing and publish a daily, "Fact and Thought of the Day!" with my boyfriend.  So, I will definitely be posting those here to keep you on your toes.  I try my best to have a positive outlook, so if you are looking for a biased left/right wing post, you're not going to find that here.  I'm very creative and look for the most fun and inventive stories to start the day. 

Besides working as a Professional in Accounting for an international fortune 500 company, I'm also a Professional Golden Tee Player!


I'll soon post my "Fact and Thought of the Day!"  But for now, here is an actual picture of me!


I'll post soon......
Aimee