Roxy's On TV!

This morning Channel 3's Dog Gone weather segment featured our dog, Roxy!  Hollie mispronounced Gerard's name though as many people do.  She called him Jerod.  I should have included the phonetic pronunciation (Jur-ard) in the email, but I just didn't think to do that.    

You can get your dog on too!  Just email a picture of your dog(s) to Holliestrano@wkyc.com with our name, city, and description of the dog.

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Hallmark Christmas Movie Sweater

Thanks to my husband, I now am the proud owner of a Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie Watching sweater!  This was one of my Christmas gifts this year and is very comfortable.  I do enjoy watching Hallmark movies and especially the Christmas ones!  Even though Christmas is over, I think they are still running some but just in case, I still have a few taped that I can watch.  There were only two left when my husband went to order this one for me!  He couldn't believe people snatched them up.  Who else has one?

Do you like the Hallmark Christmas movies?  Some are definitely better than others, but I enjoy most of them.

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American Ninja Warrior Was Disappointing

Just like last year, no one was able to finish the course in the finale at Las Vegas.  I can't get over the fact that they just declare no winner and that's it.  I think they should just give those that got the farthest along a second chance and let them keep competing until someone does win, like in baseball.

I admire the athletes and like to hear their stories but feel bad that no one won after all the effort they put into training for this.  It was just a big let down and anti-climatic to say the least!  None of the athletes made it to stage 4 this year.

What do you think about this show and do you agree they need to have a winner? 

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Kid's Baking Championship Was Fun To Watch!

Desserts from 2013 dessert auction at church

By accident, as in just flipping around channels when I was bored and looking for something to watch, I discovered The Kid's Baking Championship show on Food Network. Kids 9-12 competed in making all kinds of different desserts which then were judged by Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman who kept things fun.  I could watch this for hours! 

I was amazed at how much these kids knew about baking!  They did not use recipes and were challenged to be creative.  Some started baking at 2 yrs. old and some actually had their own business! They were judged on taste, creativity and presentation.  Some of the presentations were quite funny because some ran out of time and just had to pretty much throw it on the plate fast and not worry what it looked like.  It was heartwarming to watch these kids compete because they were willing to help each other even though the winner would get $25,000.  I felt sad though that there could only be one winner and it was all or nothing. 

Aidan won.  He nailed the finale with a beautifully decorated cake that apparently tasted good too and swirl ice cream to go with it.  Second place finisher, Justice, got nothing.  I really thought Justice would win because each week he was consistently in the top three and the judges raved about how good his cake was--Valerie even had a second piece!  The boys proved that baking isn't just for girls. 

I thought all the kids were fantastic!  Watching this show actually made me almost want to bake something which I might have done if I had an oven.  Check out their website (link above)--it has some great looking dessert recipes that are easy to make and you can see the videos of the kids who were in it.

Our annual spaghetti dinner/dessert auction youth fundraiser at church is coming up April 30 and I am looking forward to it!  I wonder if anyone will make any of the desserts from the show.

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What! Can't See The Browns Game? (UPDATED)

I never heard of Raycom Media until this week when they pulled Channel 19 from DirecTV so I can't watch the Browns/Steelers game tomorrow at home.  Now they also pulled it from Dish and Cox!  This is really mean and greedy of Raycom Media, owner of Channel 19.  Boo on Raycom Media!

I am upset about this but I guess I won't be watching many Browns games this season unless DirecTV can come to some sort of agreement.  Maybe one of my friends will be able to get the game, and invite me over to watch with them.  I can only hope!  Hint!  Hint!

As of Sept. 1 when this article was posted, Raycom is supposedly trying to reach an agreement with DirecTV but it doesn't look good:  Raycom Media Continues Negotiating With DirecTV.


UPDATE:  They reached an agreement the day of the game!  I was able to watch the Browns come from 27-3 at half time to tie the game and lose it in the last 10 seconds with a field goal by the Steelers.  Too bad they didn't start playing until the second half. 

There were some bright spots though:

1)  They actually had a running game going even with the first string running back hurt and out of the game early.

2)  QB Hoyer played very well the second half (except for that last series when they went 3 and out.)

3)  They did much better than I expected.  I thought they would get blown away.



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4 Friday Fragments: TV, Exercise, Dog, Question

Friday Fragments is hosted by Half Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. I have a few this week:

TV Day

When I was home sick on Monday I had a TV day with my cat and discovered an interesting show I never saw before:  "Sell This House." 

Exercise

I learned this week that there are even treadmills for dogs. Check out Amazing Girl Gets Shelter Dogs Moving to see a doggie treadmill.  I am so tired of waiting for warmer weather to go walking that I started walking around all of our 8 floors before work to get a half your walk in.  Not too many are there when I arrive so I can even sprint down some of the hallways! 

Houdini Dog

I put a jacket on Abby, our dog, when the temperature is below 20, but this week, she managed to get it off while on her walk. I have no idea how she did that because I had it under her harness!  She came back with the harness in place but no jacket. Guess she decided it wasn't necessary.

Which Fish?

For Sunday School this week, our lesson is on Jesus saying He is the "Bread of Life" after feeding the crowd of over 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. Since the boys like to eat, I thought I'd bring some bread and fish. Should I bring tuna or sardines? I'm thinking the sardines look more like the fish the boy had.  UPDATED 3/9:  I used some rolls and sardines.  Half the boys actually liked sardines and ate them!  I only had six there when we split up the food among us.  Caleb said, "You should teach at my school because you have such creative ideas and there would be more kids." 



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A TV Day

I normally watch very little TV, but yesterday I was home sick so had a TV day with my cat, Manny.  I basically spent the day on the couch except when I had to blow my nose and eat or drink something.  We watched "I Love Lucy," "Golden Girls," and "Sell That House," in the morning.  I was laughing out loud on Lucy and the Golden Girls which is the best medicine! 

This is the first I watched "Sell That House."  It's a show that helps people trying to sell their house for a long time figure out why it isn't selling and help the owners get it to sell.  I enjoyed watching two episodes. 

The first was a woman whose townhouse wasn't selling.  No wonder, it was so cluttered and messy and smelly from the fish tank.  I can't believe people actually show their house with the bed unmade and clothes all over I do remember when we were house hunting, we saw a home similar.  Here's a hint:  If you are showing your house in the hopes of selling it, clean it up and get rid of the clutter!  

The second was a large home with an asking price of $499,000!  It was so outdated though that potential buyers were turned off as soon as they entered the door.  The show convinced the owner to spend $30,000 to remodel the entire house and then they got an offer for $500,000. 

In the afternoon, I enjoyed watching several episodes of "Little House on the Prairie." I always enjoy that show!  Then I finally got off the couch and played some Lumosity games.  I actually did better than I expected!

I felt like this was a waste of a day, but I just didn't feel up to doing anything--not even reading!  Glad I feel better today and can go back to work.


 
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The Kitten Bowl Is Almost Here! (UPDATED Sunday Night)

Spunky Doodle and Manny Boy

Manny Boy:  Hey Spunky, you going to watch the Kitty Bowl?  (Spunky does not usually watch TV with us)

Spunky Doodle:  I might, but then again, maybe not.

Manny Boy:  I think it will be very fun to see 70 shelter cats displaying their many talents.

Spunky Doodle:  Yes, I'm sure it will help get some of them adopted once people see how cute kittens are.

Manny Boy:  I will definitely be cheering for the Tabbys!  There are four teams and they are having a playoff:  the oranges, the greys, the black and whites like you and the Tabbys like me!

Spunky Doodle:  Yes, I know.  I'm sure the black and whites will win it!

Manny Boy:  How can you be so sure?

Spunky Doodle:  Well, Manny, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but us black and whites are the cutest of all!

Manny Boy:  But Spunky, I'm not so sure everyone thinks so.  Besides, even if that is true, there is more to winning this than just being cute.  If you check out www.HallmarkChannel.com/kittenbowl, you will see that "the competition will consist of two preliminary playoffs and a championship match. Along with basic obstacle courses of hurdles, tunnels, hoops, jumps, weave poles, lasers, lures and toys on strings, “Kitten Bowl” will feature clever locker room strategies, player profiles and “interviews,” and camera work and audio recordings from the athletes as they play the game!" 

Spunky Doodle:  Hmpf.  You may be right, guess I will watch to see what happens.  I would have loved to be in that when I was a kitten!

Manny Boy:  This is the first year they are having it, Spunky.  I can't wait to watch with mom!  You can actually see previews of the competitors with lots of videos at the Hallmark Channel link.  

Spunky Doodle:  When is it on?

Manny Boy:  This Sunday on the Hallmark Channel at noon for us!  (11 c)

Joining in with Feline Friday today.

UPDATED SUNDAY NIGHT:

Manny Boy:  Congrats to the Bengals who won the championship.  Sorry to say both our teams lost.  My Lions were so close but right at the end when they had a good chance to score, they went the wrong way!  At least they didn't get clobbered like your team, Spunky.

Spunky Doodle:  I know.  The Black and White felines were more interested in napping and playing with each other.  At one point none of them were even on the field!  Maybe we should play a game of over own, Manny.    

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6 Friday Fragments (Kindle, TV, Moon, Life, Brain)

Friday Fragments is hosted by Half Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. I have a few this week:

Big News

Over at the Conscious Cat I learned about the Kitten Bowl that will be shown Feb. 2 on the Hallmark Channel. I am definitely going to watch this! It is part of Hallmark's pet project to help get more shelter cats adopted. We will be rooting for the Tabby Lions (Manny's favorite) and the Home and Family Felines (Spunky Doodle's favorite). There will be 70 kittens in this event!

Wi Fi Spot

Last week I was excited to discover that practically right across from where I work is a wi-fi spot where I can get my Kindle updated! I found it when the one farther down the street wasn't working one morning so I decided to give the other Arcade a try that is on the south side of Euclid Avenue and it worked!

Moon Names

I just learned last week that the full moons of the months have names! I posted about it earlier this week: Bus Stop Chit Chat Can Be Informative.

One More Hall Made a Difference

Last week at the nursing home, we were ready to leave but the lady that walks around with us wanted to show us the hummingbird puzzle she finished. Abby and Gerard stayed up by the nurses station but I went down the other hall with her and near the end of the hall we saw a woman lying on the floor calling for help. Good thing we went down that way! I went back to the nurses station told them about her falling and they came right away.

Brain Games

I got two DVDs of BRAIN GAMES by National Geographic for Christmas and really found them very interesting about how our brains work. I am very excited to find that this is an actual TV show and a new season is just beginning on the National Geographic Channel. Fascinating stuff!

 

 

Brain Exercises

I gave in and re-subscribed to Lumosity.com for individualized brain training--just 15 minutes a day for just $5 per month. I decided to use some of my Christmas gift money on this because it does help sharpen up my brain and some of the games are actually fun! I also like seeing how I compare with other age groups. I compare well with my own age group but very low to the 30 yr. olds. I do way better than the teen group which made me feel good. Check it out at lumosity.com. I think you can even play some of the games to try it without paying anything. It keeps track of your history so you are challenged to try to beat your previous high scores. Share this:

9 Friday Fragments ( Art, food, TV, hockey, prayer)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Art

Yes, the public does get to go inside the reading nest!

Remember last Friday I posted this funny looking thing that I saw in the library garden and wondered what it was? Daisy was closest--it's a reading nest! A few days later, I saw there was a sign about it.

All In The Family

Actress Jean Stapleton, three time Emmy award winner for her role as wife of Archie Bunker in the TV show, "All In The Family" died last Friday of natural causes at the age of 90! I remember our whole family enjoyed watching this show together which provided us with lots of laughter. Source: L.A. Times The show ran from 1971 to April, 1979--you can actually view entire episodes on YouTube! Here is the link to the theme song.

One Tough Guy

Hoping They Win Again!

During the hockey playoffs this week, Gregory Campbell, a player on the Bruins was hit so hard by the puck that it broke his leg, but he stayed on the ice for 50 seconds to help keep the Penguins from scoring! The Bruins won the game in double overtime. The guy actually skated off with a broken leg! We wish him a speedy recovery!

National Doughnut Day

In honor of this being National Doughnut Day, Giant Eagle has a good deal on them today--I think it was $3.99 per dozen while supply lasts.

Raisins

My hubby thought raisins were a healthy snack until he saw how much sugar is in a 1/4 cup serving: 29 grams! I learned raisins were high in sugar when I had a personal trainer at Fitworks and wrote down everything I ate.

New Food

Ever heard of dim sum? I didn't until I read about it over at The Kuantan blog.

New Cereal

My husband discovered two new cereals this week that he likes: Bare Naked-chocolate delight and True Love-carrot cake, yum yum!

Grumpy Cat

Thanks to YouTube and all her fans, Grumpy Cat has a movie deal! This cat always looks grumpy, even though she is actually sweet and playful. I discovered this big news when playing "Free Kibble" this morning.

Answered Prayer

Yesterday God answered my prayer to provide me lunch in an unusual way! Will share details in my Sunday Sharing post this week. (I had my yogurt, nuts, pudding and sardines but forgot my bread!)

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Poor Brenda--A Very Upsetting Tribal Council!

I usually enjoy watching "Survivor" but this past week, I couldn't get over how mean Cochran, Dawn and Sherri voting out Brenda after she gave up time and dinner with her family so they all could spend time at a barbeque with theirs.  That just blew me away and I felt so sorry for Brenda, especially being betrayed by Dawn who she was constantly encouraging and who she even found her false teeth that she lost in the water.

Up till now, I was pulling for Cochran but no more.  Now I'm pulling for Eddie or Erik.  I'd love to see Eddie win since he was an underdog all the way with only an alliance of three, two of which have been gone for awhile.

Brenda was not only nice, but also did well in challenges and didn't complain.  Her mistake was assuming others were nice too, especially Dawn.  Brenda never should have let Dawn win that immunity challenge, but I'm sure the fact that Dawn was mad at her for giving up their barbeque weighed on her.  At the time Dawn won the challenge, I was happy for her because it sort of made up for the huge disappointment from earlier.  However, after "stabbing Brenda in the back," I really want Dawn gone!

This is just really sad how greed can make people act so mean.   I know it's a "game" but really this show shows how the love of money really is the root of all evil!  I like the players who manage to win without be cruel to others, and yes, there were some! 

Brenda, you would be a GREAT friend!  I would not have given away that reward, you earned it fair and square!

What did you think about last week's show?

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7 Friday Fragments (charities, dogs, fitness, TV, Google, Sports)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Diabetes Research

You can now help fund Diabetes Research for free just by clicking on The Diabetes Site which is a new tab on the animal rescue site (among others). They also added a tab for Greater Good-your click will help send two girls to school for a year. The whole website has been redesigned and works faster now. Check it out!

Dog Age

Dog age translated to people years is not as simple as 1 dog year = 7 people years according to the Dog Owner's Manual published by Quirk Books posted at Dogster because the size of the dog also factors into it. According to their chart, Abby is 8 in dog years but 54 in people years.

Good Shape

When we had to evacuate our building at work this week, I learned I was in better shape than I thought. I wasn't winded, my knees, legs and hips all worked well without any pain and no stiffness or pain the next day either after walking down 29 flights of stairs! (For more details, see my post: Your Attention Please.)

The Biggest Loser

I am so happy to see Danni in the final 3 because she started out so badly and changed dramatically. She really looks good now and has a great attitude too. She stuck with Jiliian all the way through and developed a bond of friendship with her. For several weeks, she was the only one on her team and kept having big enough losses to beat the other two teams. She was also good in the challenges and I'm pulling for her! The audience can vote this week for the third finalist between Jackson and Joe and nbc.com (I voted for Joe.)

The Bible Mini Series

This week in "The Bible" mini series on the History channel, it was quite an exciting week with the prophets and kings and battles against the Philistines. I think my favorite scene was the battle of Jericho. I liked the actor who played King David but didn't like that Nathan didn't tell David the parable when confronting him about his sin with Bathsheba like it's recorded in the scripture. I liked David's reaction to the parable. What did you think of it?

Google Reader

Thanks to a couple of my Facebook friends, I just saw that the Google Reader RSS feed will be gone as of July 1! Although I do not use this a lot, I do use it some and have it available on my blog. This is what bugs me about technology--it's constantly changing! I already feel like I'm behind the times again, not having a tablet, iphone or even a clue as to how either works or how to use one. Guess there are alternatives according to "8 Google Reader Alternatives That Will Ease Your RSS Pain."   In Transitioning from Google Reader to Feedly, it says if you give Feedly a try before July 1, "you'll be able to migrate seamlesly."  I remember a time when this news would not have bothered me one little bit!

UPDATE 3/16/13:
I just realized, I don't ever use Google reader.  I use the Blogger reader (thought it was the same thing but it's not).  Yea!  I noticed there was a link on the right of my feeds that says "view in Google reader."  That's when I finally got a clue that I don't use Google reader.  Ha, ha.

Sports

I'm really liking the additions the Browns and Indians have made to their teams. I'm actually excited about the Indians this year, so far! The College Basketball March Madness tournament bracket is announced Sunday. Still deciding if I want to enter one at work or not. It's like throwing away $10, but it's fun being in it the first couple days.

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7 Things We Learned This Week

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Van Repairs

So far so good with the duct tape holding up my mirror on the driver's side of my van. It just dropped off while I was driving last Saturday, held only by a wire! My van passenger door stripping came loose again, and our repair shop said I needed to take it to a body shop to get that fixed, ugh.

A Hole In Our House

When the guys came to upgrade our new water meter, they told us our dryer cover came off where the dryer pipe is. Again, duct tape to the rescue until we can get to Home Depot or Loew's for some caulking to put around it. Good thing they told us, it's on the side of our house that we really don't pass by in the winter. Who knows how long its been off!

Vet News

Spunky and Abby went to the vet Monday. Spunky went from being obese down to being overweight and everything was good for her . . . until we got the results of her stool sample the next day--Giardias (intestinal disease)! They say I should brush her teeth every day though instead of just once a week. Abby was all good except she has a broken tooth and needs an x-ray of it and a dental cleaning. They may have to pull the tooth out too depending on what the x-ray shows. Manny goes next month. Going to the vet is very stressful--never know what they'll find!

Power of Cute

Spunky Doodle as a Kitten

Looking at cute kitten pictures promotes positive emotions in both male and females which promotes more focused attention according to findings at Hiroshima University:

Each test proved that viewing images of kittens and puppies prior to performing a task led to an improved performance, even when compared to seeing pictures of adult dogs and cats, or extremely appetizing food.

But what is it about cute animals that makes a better impression on our attitudes towards work? Each experiment showed candidates had more focused attention after the adorable images triggered positive emotions in both female and male subjects.

--See whole article: Kawaii--The Power of Cute

Monopoly Token Vote

Over at Acting Balanced's post Classic Monopoly, Changes are Coming! I learned that one of the tokens will be discontinued and a new one will take its place. People can vote for their favorite tokens on a Facebook page. Follow the link to read all about it and go vote! I voted to keep the car and of course I chose the cat for the new token. I think they should get rid of the iron.

Super Bowl Commercial Preview

You can see several Doritos 30 sec. commercial choices over at Dogtime and vote for your favorite. Two feature dogs and one a goat. Did you know one 30 sec. Super Bowl commercial costs $3.8 million? This is insane! I can't help but think how that money could be better spent making the world a better place and helping people in need.

Cat Owners

Know what state has the most cat owners? I didn't until I played the Freekibble game today and learned it is Vermont with Maine coming in second. That surprised me about Vermont because it's such a little state.

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6 Friday Fragments (Blogs, TV, Animals, Sports)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

New Blog

I discovered our youth pastor has begun blogging at Daniel JF Adams--The Life and Times of a Youth Pastor. Having once been a youth director and still having a love for teens, I found his posts interesting. Please visit his blog and welcome him to "Blogland."

Hockey and The Biggest Loser Return

Gerard is really looking forward to hockey starting again. Does anyone else care? He loves the Boston Bruins! Me, I'm glad The Biggest Loser is on again and Jillian is back on the show.  Click the link to see my post about it including some suggestions on how I think the show could be improved. 

Horses

I was surprised to see Mountain Woman's horses enjoying the snow in Vermont when it's so cold there but she said, "Horses love cold weather as long as they are fed and watered. No bugs bothering them."

PJ Party Again

Love you, Abby!

Well, Abby woke us up again last night around 1:30 and would not let me sleep. Even when I went on the couch, she still would not settle down until finally, after about 45 minutes, she hopped up with me and then laid ON me. It was cute but Gerard wasn't eager to take pictures. We had a nice bonding time but I did not get much sleep.

New Coach

The Browns have another new head coach--Rob Chudzinski is back. He was with the Browns in 2007 and 2008 as offensive coordinator and was with the North Carolina Panthers last year. I wish they would have brought Mangini back or offered the job to Jim Tressle (OSU's former coach). Oh well, what do I know? We'll see what
happens.

New Year's Resolutions

I am happy to report I am doing well with my new year's resolutions. How about you?

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Some Suggestions for The Biggest Loser Show--Love It!

Me and my cat, Manny, love "The Biggest Loser" show!  It started on Sunday night for two hours and followed up with another two hours on Monday.  I DVRd it so it only took me three hours to watch instead of four.  I had planned to just watch the first show but it was so good, I couldn't stop and watched the second show too. This show is so inspirational when you watch it from the beginning to end and see the contestants transform both in attitude and appearance.

Jillian

This season, for the first time, they are including three obese kids, all of which are very likable and you just can't help but pull for them.  I loved that they get to participate in the challenges with the adults in fun ways.  They train separately and are not at the ranch the whole time so they can continue their normal life at home but the trainers check in with them and all three trainers get to work with all three kids.  The kids are very happy to be there and I was glad that the trainers took a different approach in training them than they do with the adults.  Even Jillian (the mean trainer) was actually nice to them and related to them well, sharing some of her background.

Another change they made at least at the beginning this season, is that the contestants do not get to vote off anyone, but instead the one who loses the least weight on the losing team is the one to go.  This is a fairer weigh of eliminating people; however, because of the second week "curse" (if someone loses a whole lot the first week, usually the second week is a bad one for them).  In this case, I felt it was very unfair that Nathan had to leave even though he lost 25 pounds in just two weeks (20 the first week, only 5 the second week).  Yes, his team lost but others on the show lost less than he did.  I just didn't seem right to me and I am not the only one.  When I read their Facebook Fan page, there were lots of comments about the unfairness of this.  I'm thinking somehow, he'll be back, I hope!

Here are some suggestions I think the show should consider making:

• I suggest that they address the second week "curse" issue by using a combined weight loss including both the first and second weeks to compensate for this occurrence.  Either that, or let those who lose 15 or more pounds in the first week get a free pass the second week.  

• The first three weeks I'd like to see them work with the trainers without teams.  If they would wait to set up the teams, they could see who clicks best with which trainer, and balance out the teams better.  Just sayin'.  I don't know why they don't do it this way.

•  Tell Jillian to clean up her language and treat the contestants with respect.  I don't know what got into her, but she was beyond tough, she was downright disrespectful.  She does liven things up on the show and I like how she pushes them to do better; however, she needs to treat people with respect.  

• I would appreciate not seeing the people actually vomit.  That was just disgusting.

• Finally, for the time being, I hate when teams get pound advantages in the weigh-in for winning a challenge.  This really doesn't seem right at all to me because it could hurt the team who lost the most weight which is what this show is all about.  A better reward would be an extra hour of training one-on-one with the trainer of their choice or even a personal type reward.  

What do you think about this show and my suggestions for improvement?  Do you watch?  


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8 Friday Fragments Pretty Late

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Comforting Newtown, CT

I was shocked and saddened to hear about the shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, CT like everyone else was. I couldn't even watch the news about it because it is just too upsetting to me. I was in a funk for several days as it was. A friend from church shared the following:

The USPS has set up a dedicated P.O. box at if you want to send them a note of comfort or encouragement:

Messages of Condolence for Newtown
PO Box 3700
Newtown CT 06470

or

Newtown School District
4 Fairfield Circle South
Newtown CT 06470

Cutest Christmas Story Video

Check out Lin's post at Duck and Wheel with String called "It's Almost Better Than Charlie Brown."

World Vision

I just discovered this week that World Vision meets many different needs worldwide. I always just thought they were all about providing food to the hungry but they do way more than just that. I experienced so much joy in helping others through donating while making gifts in honor of some of my friends and co-workers. See my Advent Conspiracy post if you missed it.

Mary Connealy

I discovered a new author this month that I like a lot! She writes clean western romance novels with humor. I loved The Kincaid Brides series of three books set in the 1800s.  My review of the last one of the series, Over the Edge, will be up on Grab A Book From Our Stack tomorrow or Sunday.

Survivor Philippines

I enjoyed "Survivor" this season and liked all the final three. I didn't know who would win, but glad glad Denise won. I thought she really did play the best game. She was definitely an underdog with her tribe losing all their challenges at the beginning. I was also happy that Lisa won the fan vote for a nice amount of money too. I didn't like her character on "Facts of Life", Blair, but I did like her in real life. Did you watch?

Nature's Miracle

I tried getting out an old stain on our upstairs carpet with Nature's Miracle on a co-worker's recommendation, but the stain is still there. I think it's a little lighter but it may be hopeless since I tried other stuff on it first.

Snow

Well, the snow came here to Parma. Downtown after work, the wind almost blew me into the street! I had to hang on to a pole at one point to keep from being blown away. My bus came late this morning and coming home it took me an hour and a half to get to my bus stop, but then about 10 more minutes to brush the snow off my van (normal is 45-50 minutes). I hope everyone who wanted snow for Christmas is happy now.

Amazon Gift Card

Image from Amazon

My pets are very happy I got an Amazon Gift card for my birthday because now I will order Snoopy's Mischief Master Class book written by dogs, two cats and a turtle (all who blog)!

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4 Friday Fragments: Photos, Sports, Books

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

1. Photos

   Photo Editing Discovered picmonkey.com at the Creekside Cottage Note Card Party post.
   
   I participated in the Note Card Party blog hop this week for the first time and found lots of new blogs! This one is the third Wednesday of the month, not every week. Whew!

2. 

   
   Sports

   Love that the Detroit Tigers defeated the New York Yankees and are heading to the World Series. We are rooting for them! C'mon Tigers, go all the way.
   
   I am so happy the Browns finally won a game last week! Hope they can win the next two and get some momentum going in the right direction. Looks like we'll be getting another new head coach soon. Oh, and what's with the Patriots??? That was just terrible losing that game last week not holding on to their lead!!!!

3. Not A Fan

   We are doing the Not a Fan (but committed follower) study at church which involves journaling, viewing a DVD each week and discussion. I was surprised to see the NOT A FAN on TV--on one of the religious channels at 4 a.m. on Monday. I DVRd it just to see if it was the same thing as we were doing, and it is! Have you done this study?

4. Children's Author

   
   
   I recently discovered some wonderful children's books that I enjoyed very much too! They were by Pete the Cat! That's right, a cat. He co-authored three books with his mom, Peg Kehret that are very fun reads with suspense. I think any kid (or adult for that matter) who likes cats would absolutely love these books. They are The Stranger Next Door (about arson), Spy Cat (about burglary) and Trapped (about animal cruelty which is my favorite of the three). You can click to links for my reviews.  Both my cats highly recommend them!

Remember, tomorrow is Sweetest Day--surprise your sweetie!

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Funny Show is Gerard's Favorite

Animal Planet has done it again!  I like watching "My Cat From Hell" which shows homes with major cat trouble and Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist comes and helps the people learn how to get along with their cat(s) by recommending how they can change things to rectify the cat(s) annoying behaviors.

Now Gerard has found a funny show called "Bad Dog" that is mostly about dogs but also lets other pets participate to, going for the title of Bad Dog.  In this show, it shows the bad behavior of the pets but does not address correcting it.  This show certainly makes us appreciate our dog even more!  She could never qualify for this show, she's just way too good!  Some extreme cases were a dog eating trash and getting its head stuck in the trash can which was funny, pets who were escape artists and could get out of the cages and some even out of their houses, and the dog that chewed up a huge section of carpeting.  This is one show I do not like Abby to watch!

Here is a link to Animal Planet's Bad Dog website where you can view different episodes!

Here are links to the Pet Olympics in Blogville today:

Couch Potato Peeling ~ http://lovablelily.blogspot.com/

Gymnastics ~ http://downhomeinnc.blogspot.com/

(We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.)

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5 Things We Learned This Week 21 of 2012 (TV, pets, trees, Casino, hats)

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. We like to share what we've learned each week.

1. Parenthood

   Really glad to see Parenthood got renewed! We both like this show--it's both funny, dramatic and heartwarming!

2. 

   I'm so happy I won!

   Winner

   
   I am very pleased to announce that yesterday I was informed that Spunky Doodle won Lisa Unger's Pet Contest and will be in one of her upcoming books! Thanks to all who voted for her!

3. Fruit Salad Tree

   When I read Need You Now by Beth Wiseman, I learned that there is a tree that has several different fruit on it called a fruit salad tree. This is a Christian Fiction novel that doesn't have everything hunky dory, but shows how even Christians have struggles. Click on the link to see my review.

4. Cleveland Casino

   The Cleveland Casino opened this week, located right on the square downtown, within a 15 min. walk from where I work. There were long lines to get in, but that is one place I do not think I will be going. I don't have money to throw away. I only "gamble" with play money--that's fun.

5. Straw Hat Day

   May 15 was National Straw Hat Day and I missed it! I'll be ready for it next year with my Safari jungle hat.

(50 cents per legitimate comment during May goes to Joni and Friends for family retreat scholarships for those having special needs children.)

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6 Things We Learned This Week 16 of 2012 (golf, words, TV, zoo, animals)

 

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. We like to share what we've learned each week.

1. Bubba

   I was thrilled to see an unknown golfer (art least to me) win the Masters this year.  Bubba Watson won using a pink driver! Here's a link to the post I did about him: Congratulations, Bubba!



2. New Talk Show

   Guess who is going to have a talk show in September. . . Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor! I'm going to DVR it at least for a week to check it out. I like him and am curious as to what topics he'll be talking about. He twittered about it.

3. Zoo News

   

   Aye-Aye (image source: Zoo magazine)

   A new animal that I never heard of arrived: the aye aye. It is a small animal with big ears, long claws that looks kind of like a lemur. Here's a link to National Geographic to learn more about this unusual creature from Madagascar.


4. May 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., people can come ride their bikes all through the Cleveland zoo!


5. Kallie, a 29-yr.-old female elephant arrived from the Pittsburgh zoo and already knows three of the ones here from being with them before.

6. Doula

   This is a word I just heard last night at our Women of Wonder ("W.O.W.") meeting from one of the ladies at my table who said she wants to be one. I had no idea what it was, but she explained it's someone (a non-medical) person who focuses on supporting a woman giving birth, kind of like a labor coach. According to Wikipedia, the goal of a doula is to ensure the mother feels safe and confident before, during and after delivery.

(50 cents per legitimate comment during April goes to Paralyzed Veterans of America.) Share this: