• March 25, 2013 •

Good morning! Saturday I had Canadian Bacon for breakfast, cleaned the house, cross stitched, took the dogs out, had Dinty Moore beef stew for lunch, completed the lace doily I was working on (2nd pic), & worked on my plastic canvas Day-Timer page book cover. My Sim-self got more done. She had autumn salad for brunch, made nectar, spent time with the pets, granted one of her personal wishes which as to learn the gardening skill, spent time with Sim-Pete, had waffles for breakfast,

showered & headed to bed. Back IRL on Sunday I took the dogs out, went through the Sunday paper & clipped some coupons for crafting supplies & one for a nice spring dress. I'll use the 1st of the crafting coupons while I'm out tomorrow to meet the meetup group in the afternoon. I finished the Sunday paper just in time to go to the station for an officer's meeting which was pleasant & very productive, came back & cleaned the toilet, neatened my end table, dusted the dining room blinds, neatened the cabinet I keep the dishes, bowels & glasses in, dusted the Wii system & my PC, fed the pets, & swept the kitchen. I delegated dusting the ceiling fans to Kyle, bid on more flower seeds for my spring garden, did my weekly check of facebook & took my game turns, took the dogs out again, had Dinty Moore beef stew for lunch (again), worked on my latch hook rug, quilt crocheted, & shopped on Ravelry which turned into bidding on yarn on eBay. Ravelry had nice project bags, but I will be making my own with Plastic canvas which I like better because they'll be much more personalized. Yarn however is something that I'm always in need of, so I placed a bid on a very large lot of 12 skeins of matching yarn. I hope I win that one. :) My Sim-self again got more done. She started her garden, cleaned the house, made spaghetti for dinner, worked on her painting, spent time with the pets, started a Sci-Fi novel, showered, spent time with Sim-Pete, had pancakes for breakfast, & went to bed. Back IRL this morning I took the dogs out & updated the apps on my iPad mini & downloaded a free Leisure Arts app. My Sim-self did her weekly workout & cleaned the house. Back IRL, LCFD training on pumping 6534 & traffic tomorrow evening @ 7:p.

Effective interdependence can only be built on a foundation of true independence.

Favorite items on McDonald's menu in America top 10:

1. Snack Wrap
2. McGriddles Breakfast Sandwich
3. Premium Salads
4. Chicken McNuggets
5. Big Mac
6. Egg McMuffin
7. Happy Meal
8. Double Cheeseburger
9. Apple Dippers & Baked Apple Pie
10. French Fries

Ferrari's around-the-world relay stops in L.A. (2007):

On this day in 2007, an around-the-world relay celebrating Italian sports car maker Ferrari's 60th anniversary passes through Los Angeles, California. The relay began earlier that year, on January 28, in Abu Dhabi and continued on through 50 countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Australia, Mexico, America, Canada and Russia, before ending on June 23, 2007 at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello, Italy. Thousands of Ferrari owners and their cars participated at various points of the relay, serving as symbolic bearers of a relay baton featuring 60 badges representing key innovations in the luxury automaker's history.

The relay was officially kicked off in January 2007 by Piero Ferrari, an executive at the company founded by his father Enzo. The elder Ferrari was born in Modena, Italy, on February 18, 1898 (although his birth wasn't registered until two days later due to bad weather). Starting in 1920, he began racing cars for Alfa Romeo and later became head of the company's racing division. After leaving Alfa Romeo in 1939, Ferrari went on to found his own manufacturing firm; during its early years, which coincided with World War II, the company built machine tools, not race cars. In 1947, the first Ferrari sports car, the 125 S, which featured a 1.5 liter, V-12 engine and a prancing stallion logo, made its debut. In the decades that followed, Ferrari earned a reputation for producing powerful, pricey sports cars and high-performance racing vehicles.

The company experienced one of its first major racing victories in 1949, when a Ferrari driven by Luigi Chinetti won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 24 Hour race. In 1951, Ferrari collected its inaugural Formula One win at the British Grand Prix. The next year, Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari won the Formula One World Championship. Ferrari would eventually become Formula One's oldest and most successful team: As of 2009, Ferrari had collected 15 driver championships and 16 constructor championships, along with numerous other records. The list of drivers who have competed for Ferrari over the years includes Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher (who won a record-setting seven driver world championships).

The final car to be developed under Enzo Ferrari's leadership was the F40, which was introduced in 1987. Enzo Ferrari died on August 14, 1988, at the age of 90. The Ferrari brand continues to be a compelling one. In May 2009, at an auction held at Ferrari's headquarters in Maranello, a black 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold for $12,402,500, setting a record for the most money ever paid for a car at a public auction.

Gas shortage out here is getting a little better. But there's still some pretty long lines, & it's hurting California's top tourist attractions out here. Are you familiar with Lion Country Safari? Well, it's down in Orange County, on the way to San Diego ... to get business down there, they had a new half-price deal. You can enter Lion Country Safari today on a moped. And yesterday, 38 people took them up on that offer, & today there's an auction for 38 slightly used mopeds. -Johnny Carson 1979

Icelandic pop singer Bjork makes splash at the Oscars (2001):

To some, Oscar night is more about the fashion than the awards themselves. Much of the audience tunes in to see who looks fabulous, who takes the biggest risks, and--of course--who’s the most egregious fashion disaster. Of the latter, the infamous “swan dress” worn by the Icelandic pop singer Bjork at the 73rd annual Academy Awards on this day in 2001 is among the most notorious.

Born and raised in Rekjavik, Bjork won a radio contest at age 11 and received a contract to record her first album, released in 1977. She first gained international notice as a member of the successful guitar rock band the Sugarcubes, then launched a solo career in the early 1990s. After three acclaimed albums, Debut (1993), Post (1995) and Homogenic (1997), Bjork’s fame had reached cultish proportions by the end of the decade. She was working with the Danish film director Lars von Trier (best known for 1996’s Breaking the Waves) on the score for his next movie, Dancer in the Dark, when von Trier asked her to play the lead character, Selma.

A Czechoslovakian immigrant who works in a factory in Washington State during the 1960s, Selma suffers from a hereditary disorder that is gradually making her go blind. She escapes her daily reality by performing in community theater productions and watching movie musicals with her friend Kathy (Catherine Deneuve), who describes to her what is happening on the screen. Bjork earned critical praise for her portrayal of Selma (writing in the New York Times, A.O. Scott called her performance “miraculous”) as well as the polarizing film’s only Oscar nomination, in the Best Original Song category.

On Oscar night, the ever-quirky Icelandic singer turned heads by showing up on the red carpet in an outfit resembling a dead swan. Over a nude body stocking and above a large white tutu-like skirt, the swan’s neck was draped around Bjork’s shoulders like a shawl, with its head lying on her chest. Bjork took the stage to perform her nominated song, “I’ve Seen It All,” which lost in its category to Bob Dylan’s “Things Have Changed,” from Wonder Boys.

Other winners at that year’s Academy Awards, which were hosted by Steve Martin, were Russell Crowe (Gladiator) as Best Actor and Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) as Best Actress. Steven Soderbergh won the Best Director award for Traffic over Ridley Scott, but Scott’s bloody Roman epic, Gladiator, was the Academy’s choice for Best Picture.

In India, McDonald's serves Chicken McCurry, & the name for a Big Mac is a Maharaja Mac.

Leisure Arts:

Feed your creative passion for The Art of Everyday Living – new books and patterns will be added regularly, so CHECK BACK OFTEN!!! The Leisure Arts app is your ultimate resource for how-to books on all types of arts and crafts, from knitting and crochet to sewing, quilting, cooking, holiday entertaining, home decor, painting, papercrafting, scrapbooking, embroidery and other needlework, and general crafts.
Digital versions of our best-selling books and individual patterns are available for instant download at approximately 50% off the printed book, with all the pages in PDF format so you can start right away on your chosen project. Take advantage of your iPad capabilities to zoom in on pattern instructions, diagrams, and charts. Everything you need to know is right there at your fingertips!
Features:
• Instantly purchase downloads of all pages in PDF format so you can start right away on your chosen project
• Zoom in on pattern instructions, diagrams, and charts
• Browse by skill category
• Export your favorite patterns to iBooks for enhanced usability
• Gather your library of Leisure Arts downloads in one place
• Email your discoveries to friends who share your creative passion
• Print your projects with the new Air Print functionality in iOS 4.2
One of the most trusted names in instructional publishing, Leisure Arts is a leading publisher worldwide of lifestyle how-to books, DVDs, and on-line content. The inspiration behind many of our projects is the philosophy that "If it's handmade, it's from the heart." We enjoy catering to caring people who want to enrich their lives with relaxing pastimes, creative fashions and gifts, unique home decor, and so much more that contributes to The Art of Everyday Living!

Stale, flat beer makes an excellent furniture polish.

Sun's rays can cause skin damage in as little as 15 minutes, & both UVA & UVB rays can penetrate water. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen throughout the day to ensure full protection.

There are many places on earth where you can't get "super sized"; as of today, over 98 countries are Mac-less.

When lunching w/ your boss, put ketchup on his steak.

Yelp:

Looking for a burrito joint open now? An Irish pub nearby? A gas station you can drive to before your tank hits empty? Yelp for your iPhone or iPad is here to help. Use us to search for places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play then read reviews from an active community of locals in the know.
FEATURES:
★ Search for businesses near you
★ Tap quick links to find nearby bars, restaurants, cafes and more
★ Narrow your searches by 'hood, distance, price, and what's open now
★ Browse reviews to read what's great (and not so great) in your city
★ Find great Deals offered by your favorite local businesses on iPhone
★ Add tips, photos, and draft reviews for your favorite businesses
★ Check-in and share on Facebook and Twitter
★ Make reservations on OpenTable without leaving the Yelp app
★ Look up addresses and phone numbers for thousands of businesses, then call or map them from your iPhone or iPad
★ Yelp does augmented reality with Monocle. Overlay business information onto the world around you.