The Joys of Drivers License Renewal (or How did you spend the day before your birthday?)

Short Story: Went to DMV. Renewed License. Wanted Enhanced Drivers License. Couldn't because marriage certificate was invalid. Went home 6 hours later. Also, I am a super hero. Click here. My cape is hot pink taffeta. I thought you should know.

To learn the sweet, fun and gory details read...

The Long Story:

Yesterday I went to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to renew my drivers license. We live about an hour from the Canadian Border so I wanted to get the new Enhanced Drivers License (edl). I arrived at about 1:45 p.m. They close at 4:30. I took my number from the little machine by the door and sat down one chair away from a man whose number was about 20 ahead of mine. (I know 'cuz I peeked and since I don't do very well sitting quietly when there are human beings around...) I asked him how long he had been there. Now remember, it is about 2pm by now. "Well," he said, looking at the time on his ticket number (did you know they have entrance times on them?) "since ...11:37."

At this point I was wondering if I even had a chance of getting in. Then an announcement was made, "If you are here for your Enhanced Drivers License you will need the following: a certified birth certificate, proof of residency with correct address like a mortgage bill or PUD bill, your current drivers license, your social security number and if you are a married woman you will need a certified marriage certificate to show proof of the name change from what is on your birth certificate."

Okay, what?

Cycle Guy got his edl about a month ago when he hit his 4th twin digit birthday turned 29. He takes good care of me and made sure I had a bill and a birth certificate but didn't know about the marriage certificate. I wouldn't be getting my enhancement that day after all.

Knowing that the DMV opens their doors at 8:30 in the morning my plan was to arrive before then and be among the first in the door. At 8:25 I found myself behind at least 30 other people. Apparently mine was not an original idea. My number was 615. They started at 600 for the edl's. Other things had their own number systems. I only cared about the 600's.

First thing, Bill (the interviewer for the edl) wandered around the room answering questions and handing out fliers. On this flier we were informed that the marriage certificate must be official with a record number on it. Mine has a number on it, but no embossed symbol. I was beginning to worry so I asked him and he said, "Yup that's the number we need." Good, now I'll just sit tight and wait. In the meantime, I went to Safeway and bought a hot chocolate, canceled my piano lesson and tried to read. Did you know that it's really hard to concentrate when you have to watch the numbers at the front of the room not moving? Much easier to read in the dentist waiting room while your kids get their teeth cleaned. Just sayin'.

I am currently participating in a hydration contest and was feeling a sense of urgency for the young ladies room but at about 11:00a.m. #613 was called. 614 left at about 9 when she found out she needed a marriage certificate. I was next and wasn't about to miss my number because I was behind a closed door. So I waited. Finally at 11:35 MY number came up!

There was a group of people on the other side of the room having way too much fun and as I walked by a man offered me $50.00 to trade numbers with him. No doing... I had already been here for 3 hours and with #639 who knew if he would even make it in today!

Without so much as a smile or a hello I was asked for my name and documentation. Then, "This marriage certificate will not work." Screaming voices in my head: "WHAT, NO! I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 3 HOURS! ...BILL SAID..." Instead I calmly responded, "I wondered about that at 8:30 this morning and Bill told me that this number is fine." With the emotion of a gnat she says, "I'll check with the tech but it's not going to work." The good part of that is that she still put me through the eye test and spelling of my name.

Once again I took my seat only this time I sat with the fun group on the other side of the room.

Then I stood up and wandered around.

Then I sat down. (with the fun group)

Then I stood up.

Filled my water bottle. Again.

Sat down.

At 1:30 I heard a word that made my soul dance: "Jenette" (my name is Jenette. The name of an elegant fairy queen. I go by Jenny. The name of the mischievous imp fairy. I like it that way)

I was being interviewed by Donita. She was soooo nice. I worried after the gnat that first took my number but Donita was very nice.

She said, "We tried to do some overrides but the number on your marriage certificate is church generated. It can't be used to find you in the system." As I tried to wrap myself around this Bill leaned over the cubicle wall and apologized sincerely. Apparently most churches don't have a number on the certificates they give so he assumed my number was state issued. They were being so nice, but the voices in my head were back, " 5 1/2 hours I've been waiting! " But I waited silently.

(Trying to slow down. Trying not to sweat the small stuff. And other than valuable time spent sitting, it hadn't been a bad day.)

It just didn't feel like they were trying to make any closure. Donita went on, "We will go ahead with your interview, renew your regular license and keep a file with your name on it. When you get a state generated certified marriage certificate bring it in. Get a number but don't wait. Go directly to counter #1 and tell them the situation. They will know exactly where to find your file and add that information."

I didn't whine. I could have whined.

Donita was kind and respectful. She could have been annoyed that I was too dim to bring in the right document.

Bill was sincere. My document had a number. He faced me eye to eye and was sorry he made a mistake.

The system isn't working well. It's too bad people have to wait ALL day to renew a drivers license, but these people remained professional and kind. (well, except for the gnat at the counter, but we'll not worry about her. Maybe she'll learn from Donita and Bill.)

There is something to be said for respect and kindness. After a full day and an unsuccessful objective, I came away cheerful, the voices in my head had kind things to say, and I did renew my regular license.

Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn

This is Plagiarism. I did not write this. I copied every word from a paper I found all folded up on the desk by the computer this morning. It was probably a handout The Bean received from a Young Women activity or something. I love it and I am plagiarizing it.

Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn

For attractive Lips, Speak words of kindness.

For lovely Eyes, Seek out the good in people.

For a Slim Figure, Share your food with the hungry.

For Beautiful Hair, Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For Poise, Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived,
reclaimed and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a Helping Hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older you will discover that you have
Two Hands;
one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the Clothes she wears, the Figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her Hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen
from in her Eyes, because that is the doorway to her Heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but True Beauty in a Woman
is reflected in her Soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the Passion that she knows.

And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only Grows.

If you give a Mom a minute...she might accomplish something

I like being a stay at home Mom. I think sometimes people are a little critical because my children are all in school and they wonder what I could possibly do to stay busy all day. Sometimes I wonder too. There are days when I get a lot done and other days when running kids to appointments is all I can do.

I always accomplish more when I work outside in the yard and I have some theories on that...
1. I really love it. (house work not so much)
2. No distractions.

Tell me if this scenario is at all familiar: While cleaning the kitchen this morning, I notice by its pungeant scent that the dishrag was more than due to join the ranks in the laundry where I see that there is almost a full load of towel type creatures ready to be washed so I start the washer, put said creatures in and make my way to the bathrooms of Whoville in search of more similar creatures to complete the load. On the way back to the laundry room with arms full , I notice a pile (or piles) of articles at the bottom of the stairs awaiting carriage to the upper realms of the kingdom to be put away. I lay the towels on the step and load up with new piles.

While placing individual piles in the rooms of individual Whoites, I catch a glimpse in the mirror in Fashionistas room and notice that my ponytail was knocked askew somewhere in my journeyings. So I head to the Master Bath to fix the ponytail and figure as long as I'm there I may as well put on some makeup, so I start putting on makeup and with one eye beautifully complete I notice a wash cloth hanging on the bathtub faucet and remember the laundry.

Grabbing the wash cloth I tear downstairs knowing full well that it's been too long but with the lid still open the wash cloth and load I left on the step can still be added because even though it has already been through one wash cycle, the washing machine is still filled with water because thank goodness, it doesn't spin or empty with the lid up (too bad toilets don't have that same refusal mechanism!) I add what I have gathered and start the wash cycle over.

That's when I notice that I hadn't finished cleaning up breakfast because of the original smelly rag, so I go back to the kitchen and begin once again to clean it up... when I see my reflection in the kichen window with only one eye. Oh yeah, I need to finish my makeup.

Heading back to the master bath to complete the beautification process, I notice my unmade bed and of course since it only takes a minute to make a king sized bed (two if you get out the slide rule) I stop to make the bed... when the phone rings. It's my long lost friend from Jr. High who recently found me on Face Book. In the course of the conversation she has some facebook questions so I hurry downstairs to the computer to find another friend ready to chat online. The three of us chat for a while making plans and sharing memories when I hear the garage door open and the teenagers coming in from school. Breakfast is still on the table, my bed is yet to be made, damp towels in the washer will be found tomorrow and I can't figure out why they are looking at me sideways.

I wonder why I get more done when I work outside...

Daffodils and Ice Cream

It has been my dream for years to ride my bike through the tulip fields of NW Washington. That dream has never been able to come to pass. Today we thought we would try again. A few things made it impossible for that to happen this time. 1. Fashionista was up coughing all night and unable to go to school. 2. Downpour.

Nevertheless...we headed north to Mt. Vernon, Washington and the tulips.

Well, looks like we arrived about two weeks to early. The daffodils were in beautiful full bloom. Beautiful, bright yellow fields of daffodils.

The rain ceased for a little while and ice cream was plentiful. We still had a great day. Check out the fun we had.

The Flats come to Seattle

How well do YOU know Flat Stanley?Flat Stanley is a boy who while at school had a bulletin board fall on him. Thus becoming quite flat, so flat in fact that he could fit in an envelope. After that he became quite the world traveler.

We have a niece and a nephew who are participating in Flat Stanley projects at their schools and we got to be a destination. We are an awesome destination! Flat Stanley and Flat Dakota had a blast with us. They went to school, book fairs, The Seattle Center and even a visit to the Fremont Troll. I wish we had remembered to take them along to the gum wall!

Check out Flat Stanley and Flat Dakota visiting the Fremont Troll......and the magic I performed with Photo Shop Elements.

You can't even see Cycle Guy's arm holding them up.
It's the magic of the Fremont Troll!

Okay, so I'm still learning but unless you look very closely you can't tell where I erased (cloned) the people out of the pic. Just Dakota and Stanley! No one else around!!

Respect and Self Reliance. Can we teach it? Yes we can!

I taught a class of 14 -15 year old young women today in church. The lesson was fascinating for me. I think I learned more as the teacher and a parent of teenagers than I taught them.

We began by discussing about their current stage in life. They are becoming more adult and taking greater responsibility for their actions. They may sometimes feel hampered by the restrictions of childhood. Other times they may feel insecure with the responsibilities of adulthood.

This can be a scary time for them but this is also a difficult transition for parents. Parents as well as youth are learning how to manage through these changes and sometimes they make mistakes. Young people need to be forgiving and remember that parents are always trying to do their best.

There was a roll play where a daughter asked her dad if she could do some work around the house to earn money for some new shoes. When her dad asked her why she couldn't just wear her sisters old ones, she got mad and stormed out of the room.

Of course my young women saw that the father was wrong for not helping his daughter earn some extra money. But they also pointed out that if the girl had been calm and explained her desire to have nice new shoes and she was willing to buy them with her own money that maybe her dad would have paid more attention.

How true it is. If one of my children is demanding and whiney about something I either tune them out or stop them. But... if they will patiently present their case in a grown up manner I always work with them.

It was also a good reminder to me that I need to treat my children with the respect I would give another adult. When I do this, they act more grown up, our conversations are more interesting and informative and our relationships grow in ways they never do when I hover, demand and control.

The young people in our homes have tender hearts and feelings. No one likes to be criticized and more than anyone else in the world they need to know that we believe they can accomplish anything. If they believe that we believe in them; they will believe it too.

Here are some quotes that I think really hit the mark:

1. Parents become used to teaching and giving specific instruction to their children. And it is sometimes difficult for them to remember how important some things are to their children. “Parents, remember when you were young; remember why you wanted to do some things you wanted to do; remember how eager you were for social acceptance, how sensitive you were to ill-timed criticism, and how easily your hearts could be hurt, and how some things, which now seem less important, once mattered very much. All this as parents we ask you to remember” (Richard L. Evans, 1968)

2. It is painful to a parent to be treated disrespectfully. “Parents … have hearts that can be hurt; … they, like you, are sensitive to ill-timed criticism and to misunderstanding of their motives. Remember that there is nothing, in righteousness, they would not do for you” (Richard L. Evans 1968

Beaner was in a different class than the one I taught, but she had the same lesson. She told me later that one of her friends said, "I wish my Mom was having this lesson today." The Bean responded, "Tee hee, my Mom is!"

I guess they could see that this was a good lesson for Mothers as well as youth!

Well, I know I'm going to work harder at being respectful and kind this week. How about you? Do you have some good ideas for helping young people learn respect and self reliance? I would love to hear your ideas!

In the words of a Cyclist

Do you have friends out there who own more than one bike, call themselves a cyclist (not a biker) and seem to have a language all their own? It's a little like Spanglish... you know, when you hear English sprinkled through the sentence but much of it leaves you grasping for meaning.

Thank me now because today I am here to school you on some (because I am still learning) of the "Language of the Cyclist".

1. Cyclist: A person who rides a Bicycle regularly, for fun, to commute, for money(only a few, for the rest it's only a dream) for exercise, for the adventure(that's me!)

2. Biker: Be careful not to call a Cyclist a Biker. A Biker rides a Harley Davidson.

3. LBS: local bike shop

4. Spandex: Cyclists actually like wearing it. And if you look close, which I suggest you don't, you will notice that there's a lot of bulk in their sitting area. That will be discussed in #5.

5. Chamois: Often referred to as the diaper. Chamois is cushion placed in the sitting area of the spandex to make those tiny bike seats a little more comfortable. Chamois also has a way of causing Spandex to quadruple in price.

6. Century: You only thought you knew... A Century is a 100 mile bike ride. Unless you live in a metric state of mind, then a Century is a 100 kilometer bike ride. Maybe I should move to Canada because that's only 62.5 miles.

7. Pelaton: the main group of cyclists in a race.

8. Break Away: the lead group of cyclists in a race. This usually consists of about 3-6 riders who take off ahead of the Pelaton. Watch the Tour de France this summer and you will hear this talked about a lot.

9. Bonk: When you run out of gas on a ride, hit a wall.

10. Jersey: Of course you do, but a cycling jersey is a little different. Made out of fabric that both breathes and wicks, a cycling jersey is very light weight. It zips down the front anywhere from 1/4 to all the way down. It has a snug fit. My favorite thing about a cycling jersey is that it has pockets in back. Great for cell phone, chapstick and an extra gel. Also good for keeping pepper spray close, you never know when a ferocious dog will try to attack causing you to crash, break your shoulder and miss your first opportunity for a double century.

11. Bibs: This has nothing to do with babies. These look a lot like spandex overalls and are worn under the Jersey. I've heard that the main purpose for wearing this type of shorts is to hold an oversized gut out of the way.

12. Cycling Socks: The most comfortable socks you will ever wear. Ever. These amazing socks fit like magic, wick away sweat, rise about an inch above the ankle and never slip around in your shoe. I love cycling socks. Except when Cycle Guy tries to talk the boys into wearing the Jolly Roger ones to church. Click here.

13. Kit: When jersey, shorts, and socks all come in a matching set. This normally has a team name and logo. Sometimes it also includes shoes, helmets and water bottles but that's pretty much only for the guys who are lucky enough to get paid for riding. Cycle Guy swears he will never wear matching everything while riding a bike, uh huh we'll see.

14. Clipless pedals: Bike pedals that cyclists clip the bottom of their shoe into. These are often the cause of new cyclists tipping over when coming to a stop because they forget to 'unclip'. Really, your foot doesn't just slip off and this is the longest "crash" you will ever experience. What? No! That's just what I've heard.

15. Platform pedals: The flat pedal that everyone else has on their bike.

16. Cleat: The thing on the bottom of a cyclists shoe that clips into the clipless pedal.

17. Cadence: How fast your legs are moving the pedals around in a circle.

18. MPH: How fast your pedals are moving your wheels around in a circle causing your bike to propel forward. So, is it KPH in metric?

19. Draft: when riding closely behind another cyclist, the draft is the protection from wind the back rider has. The back rider doesn't have to work as hard as the front one.

20. Paceline: A line of cyclists one in front of the other. Intermittently the riders rotate position so that they each take their turn leading the pace line and enjoying the draft. A group of riders in a paceline move much faster than when each cyclist rides on their own because of the "rest" they get when not in the lead position.

21. Wheel Sucker: A cyclist who won't take his turn at the front of the paceline; always hanging back taking advantage of the draft from the others.

22. Derailleur: A device for shifting gears on a bicycle by moving the chain between sprocket wheels of different sizes.

23. Sprocket Wheels: thin wheel with teeth that engage with a chain. Depending on the bike, there are 2-3 sprocket wheels in the front and several smaller ones in the back.

24. Triple: When a bike has 3 sprocket wheels in the front. This gives you another set of easier gears. 'True' cyclists claim 2 is enough but I like having a triple.

25. Granny Gear: Using that 3rd sprocket. Love it!

26. Onyerlef: On your left. What people say when passing you from behind. It's important because bikes are so quiet that you often don't hear them coming. Unfortunately, unless I'm on a trail where there are people walking I don't get to say it.

27. Rail to Trail: When a former section of railroad is removed and replaced by a paved trail. These are often several miles long and great for a quiet "no motorized vehicle" bike ride. They are also good for teaching children to ride and a beautiful place to walk. (Just remember if you are teaching a child to ride a bike on a trail that they need to stay on the right side of the path and to watch out for other cyclists. Oh and call your kid a cyclist, they will love it.)

28. Ascent: to climb up a hill. Often done in Granny Gear.

29. Descent: to fly down a hill. Often done without remembering to change out of Granny Gear thus causing you to spin out of control at the bottom. They (you know They have opinions about everything) they say that you're not going fast enough if you feel in control. Nope. Jenny must always feel in control. Cycle Guy doesn't just have to wait for me at the top of a hill but at the bottom also.

30. Trainer: This is a piece of equipment that you set your back wheel on thus turning your road bike into a stationary bike. Not nearly as fun as riding outside but helps keep you in shape so when you do go outside you are up to the task of riding beyond your own neighborhood block.

31. Spinning: Riding a stationary bike for long periods of time. You may have heard of spinning classes at your local club.

32. Rollers: A piece of equipment that you set your bike on to ride indoors. Your bike is not connected to rollers and you still have to balance. Much like a treadmill that only moves when you ride the bike. I've heard it is more like the real thing than a trainer but like I said, you still have to balance and I couldn't even get that far. Yay for trainers!

33. Gel: I think I mentioned gel in #10 as something you should keep in your jersey pocket. Gel is a wonderful pudding like invention that comes in a small packet similar to a ketchup packet. It has magical powers that when you feel yourself getting weak, you suck one of these down and the carbs, sugars, and electrolytes enter your bloodstream for long lasting energy. Warning: They do not curb hunger. When riding a long bike ride don't depend on these as your sole sustenance. Bring along some kind of energy bar or better yet stop at a taco truck and eat something truly delicious.

34. Chamois Cream: AKA Butt-er. Remember #5? I know that was a long time ago and I have given you a lot to remember. Don't worry it's an open book test. Well, Chamois Cream is a cream that you rub anywhere there might be friction in the chamois (sitting) area of your body. Makes a world of difference, try it. (Lance Armstrong uses shaving cream. No rubbing needed, just spray a bunch into the spandex for that fast non friction ride. Never tried it, never will. I'll just trust him that it works.)

There is only one more I will give you today. This list is far from complete but it will give you the ability to amaze your friends at parties with your extensive knowledge of cycling terms.

Here it is last but not least. Well, maybe least...

35. Shooting Rockets: I have heard this also happens on the farm or at the Father/Son campout. This is done by holding one nostril closed while blowing vigorously out the other nostril. Two things are very important when doing this on a bike. 1. make sure no one is directly behind you. And 2. make sure you have plenty of clearance over your shoulder or under your arm. (it's a guy thing, nice lady cyclists don't participate in this kind of behavior.)

~Scan through every day or so and add a new cycling word to your vocabulary. The test won't be for a few days

Enjoy the Ride

I've been thinking about you today. Because today is a beautiful day where ever you are and what ever you're doing. If you find yourself content or lonely, happy or sad... today can be a beautiful day.

Check this out. It brought joy to my day. Click here.
You can also click right here:
http://www.lshs64.com/enjoytheride.html

Thanks Jaci for sharing this with me, it made me happy.

Make the most of today and Find Love.

Babe Tag ~Thanks Tanielle!~

Tanielle from The Polka Dot Daisy tagged me in this game called "Keeping it Real".

Here are the rules:

Take a picture of yourself right now.

No primping or preparing.

Just snap a picture.

Load the picture onto your blog.

Tag some people to play.
That's it, easy as PIE

...no make up...that's life...

Now I get to pass it on.....
Here goes....
I know...
You're sitting on the edge of your seat ...
HOPING it will be you!

everydayMOM
Joy for your Journey
Jacy at Rogers Family
Brittany at Goings on at the Glenns
JoLyn at Uphill Both Ways
Jenny at 867-53oh9
Kim at Hibler House
Kim is a Card

Have Fun, I can't wait to see your pics!!
~now Tanja, don't you wish you had your blog up so it could be you?

At the Wall of Gum

The break that we call Spring was anything but Springy unless you subscribe to the notion of April Showers bringing May flowers. Then you would be right. Until Friday, beautiful Friday.

Not only was it dry, it was warm. And beautiful. And felt like a good day to go to the city. Really a great day for a bike ride which is what Cycle Guy did with Lightning.

Beaner and her friend Jakenzie had friends visiting from out of town, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. Kudos to Jakenzie and her parents Jen and Mr. Fixit for letting the boys stay outside in their trailer. We salute you! Jen and Mr. Fixit have two other daughters whom we love like our own, K.C. and Mcessica. Someday I will blog about them and the adventures we have shared through the years.

Jen and I herded Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, Beaner, Jakenzie, Fashionista and Mcessica into the car and headed south. After an hour of loud music and chatter we arrived in Seattle.

Free Hydration from the good folks at Vitamin Water and a walk through town brought us to Pike Place Market and...
... the Wall of Gum. Yes, the famous Gum Wall of Seattle is a very important stop when being a tourist in this great city. The Market Theater in Post Alley at Pike Place Public Market is a No Gum Allowed theater. Over the years a tradition started as people stuck their gum on the wall while waiting in line to buy tickets.

The story is that owners of the theater decided to stop cleaning the gum off the wall and since then, the tradition has extended beyond theater goers. The wall (now expanded to the entire alley) has become an attraction all its own.
Here we are adding our own gum to the famous collection.Fashionista likes the Wall of GumNext time you are in Seattle be sure to find the Wall of Gum and add your own gooey mess to the collection. (Just be sure you bring the hand sanitizer along)

Spring Break in Whoville

Yes, it is spring break for the Who-ites? Who-uns? Who-ligans? Who-ever they are, they are free of school for one week. And since next week begins a new quarter, they are also free of homework.

And so the adventures begin (okay so they began as soon as school got out on Friday, whatever)

Our home has been filled with flying ping pong balls, Rock Band, laughter, movies and all sorts of fun.

Beaner's friend even taught her how to make Chicken Alfredo yesterday. Enough leftovers for the rest of us to have for dinner. All I had to do was add garlic bread and bruschetta. Sooo good. (Want the recipe? I could blog about that:o)

Coolio aka Bondifaj (pronounced bon-dee-fojh) is spending the week in Chicago with friends. Having the time of his life. Check out this pizza!Fashionista has spent much of her week with her friend from down the street. They really wanted me to take them on a bike ride to the coolest school playground in town for a picnic, but good grief it hasn't stopped raining since February. We drove in the car, got some treats and it even stopped raining for about an hour while we played on the toys.The other night at about 11 as I was on my way to bed, three of my teenagers stopped me and asked if they could invite friends over to play Midnight Risk. What, you may ask is Midnight Risk? That would be playing the board game Risk starting at 12:00 midnight.

Oh the adventures of Spring Break.

We actually said yes and the texting began. By midnight, trips had been made to the store for goodies and kids surrounded the table for Risk. I could hear the babble of voices and laughing and rolling dice for the rest of the night. Poor Cycle Guy still had to get up VERY early the next morning to go to work. (Of course Risk was still going when he left.)

By the time I got up kids were sprawled around the room watching Office reruns trying not to fall asleep.

Gotta love those crazy kids. (And envy them a little that their bodies can do that! Remember when?)

Coolio is coming home tonight. I'm excited to see him. I'll bet he'll want to sleep for the next two days.

Ahhh, Back to school on Monday.

Crepes

The children of Whoville all love to eat Crepes.

Their names are Thing 1
and the Beaner and Cool
Fashionista and New Kid.
Trust me, they rule

Eating Crepes on a chair
or a table or floor
They don't care where they eat them
They always want more

They would eat them with foxes
And even with Apes.
They would eat them in t-shirts
or wearing their capes

Would the people at your house
Like eating crepes too?
Make them today
This how to is for YOU.

Ingredients: Water (not hot, cold is fine)
Milk (2%, Whole, Skim, doesn't matter)
Salt (Iodized...it's better for you)
Flour (White, Unbleached)
Oil (I use Canola~ oops not pictured but VERY important!)

Pour 1/2 cup water into BlenderAdd 1/2 cup MilkAdd 2 EggsBlend WellWithout turning off the blender, Add 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp saltAdd about 1 Tbsp. oil

Blend well, scraping sides of blender (be careful, don't scrape while the blender is blending.)Heat small non stick skillet on stove. Spray with cooking spray.Pour small amount of mixture into skillet, pick up the pan and roll the batter around to cover the bottom of pan.Cook until the shine is gone from the top of crepe. Layer carefully on a platter.There are so many ways we like to eat them. Butter and sugar. Raspberry Jam. You could even make it savory with sausage and scrambled eggs. How about PB&J. My favorite is with Nutella and sliced bananas.

One of the Whoville favorites is butter and powdered sugar. Another favorite is cherry pie filling and whipped cream.Crepes are a huge favorite in Whoville and get requested on a regular basis for both breakfast and dinner. Try them on your family and friends, they won't be disappointed. And neither will you!

Sesame Street, Snopes and Computer Speech

Three. It's a magic number. Yes it is. It's a magic number. Because 2 x 3 is 6 and 6 x 3 is 18 and the 18th letter of the alphabet is R. There are 3 R's we're gonna talk about today. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....

Jack Johnson tells us about 3 important R words in this song. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Click on his name to see him perform it live.

I have three important S words I want to talk about today. Because the 19th letter of the alphabet is S.

My first S word is Sesame Street (two words? whatever.)

I love Sesame Street. Mr. Hooper, Gordon, Susan, Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Grover and many others are familiar names and faces in my world. By the time I became a mother Mr. Hooper had passed away, Elmo had been added to the cast, Oscar had a pet worm, (Slimey) and everybody knew about Mr. Snuffleupagus.

The most exciting part of becoming a father for Cycle Guy was to have an excuse to watch Sesame Street again. (Although he did become quite an expert diaper changer.)

I heard they handled Mr. Hooper's death really well. Honestly presenting it in a way that helped children grieve and connect with death as well as fondly remembering Mr. Hooper. I would love to delve into the archives and see that episode.

Spanish, Cooperation, Sharing, Compassion, Diversity (Bert!) and how to count are all things a child learns on Sesame Street. It is an icon of my childhood and that of my children. Thank you Mr. Henson and all of you many many other wonderful people for creating this remarkable program.

An error was made in my post yesterday about the Letter K. I repeated a rumor before I confirmed its validity. Don't worry~ Cookie Monster is still named Cookie Monster. Please click here to read about the rumor and an interview with Cookie Monster about his love of cookies as well as all things healthy.

Which brings us to my next S. Snopes. Snopes also known as the Urban Legends Reference Pages, is a web site that is the best-known resource for validating and debunking urban legends, Internet rumors, e-mail forwards, and other such stories of uncertain or questionable origin in American popular culture.

I use Snopes often for finding out if email rumors are true. Most recently to find out that Cookie Monsters name really had not been changed. Here I found my answer. Another fun thing I did at this site is click on Cokelore. Every rumor you ever heard about Coca-Cola is here. Find out if Coke ever contained Cocaine, whether the company was ever owned by the Mormon Church, and how many calories really are in a Diet Coke.

The best part about Snopes is that Barbara and David Mikkelson, the founders and organizers of Snopes really do their research. It is not a place where the Mikkelson's simply share their personal ideas. They do in depth research to discover the truth behind the rumors. What a fun job!

My third S word is Computer Speech (Lingo doesn't start with an S)

I have to add many words to the dictionary in my computer these days because with the 'invention' of the internet (Thank you Al Gore-hmmm maybe I should look that up in Snopes) comes the invention of many new words. Sometimes its the usage of an old word that has changed.

Let's see: email, blog, Snopes, text, i.m., site, URL, web, Wikipedia, Avatar, Emoticons, Link, Message Boards, Forums, Facebook, MySpace, social networking, and dot com, ...just to name a few that come to mind. click here for definitions to many of these.

This is an example of Emoticons

Cute, Eh?

Then there's the whole acronym scene... like LOL. There are so many of these I'm not even going there, but you can click here for an alphabetical list.

Fashionista also knows how to use different letters and symbols on the keyboard to make different shapes. Stuff like the smiley face :-)

I have an affinity for today's 3 S's. How about you?

• Do you have a favorite Sesame Street moment or character (did you know there are around a thousand Sesame Street Characters? Click here to see them all).
• What interesting facts have you learned from Snopes?
• Maybe you have a computer acronym that you just can't live without...

Leave a comment and let me know!