Endoscopy

Thankfully, I never knew what happened. Good news--I do not have Barrett's Esophagus. Bad news--no one knows why food will not go down into stomach. And, knowing I was in hospital and stressed, daughter screamed at me over phone.

Then, I had another doctor's appointment right afterwards. Good news--I got paper to get handicapped tag. Bad news--he is upset I won't take medicine.

More later.

Left-Hander Day is Tomorrow, August 13th

I understand that left-handers' items (left-hand scissors)cost more and are more rare. Since I am right-handed with strong tendencies to use my left hand, I understand a bit of the left-handers dilemma.

Tuesday is your lucky day.

Here a few facts about left handedness:

Sinistrophobia is the fear of left-handedness or things on the left side.

While many people are left handed, very few are 100% left handed. For example, many Left handers golf and bat right handed. On the other hand, there is a high percentage of righties who are 100% right-handed.

Lefties are also called "southpaws". The term was coined in baseball to describe a left handed pitcher.

Tuesdays are Lefties luck day.

Only about 10% of the population is left handed.

During the 1600's people, thought left handers were witches and warlocks. 

International Left Hander's Day was first celebrated on August 13, 1976. It was started by Lefthander's International.

They say everyone was born right handed, and only the greatest overcome it. (he,he,he)

It is believed that all polar bears are left handed.    

There is a rumor that octopuses have but one right hand. Scientists are diligently studying this issue\

.........................................................................................
For some reason, I can only pour from a pitcher or pan with my left hand. I can paint with either hand. If I am painting the trim or wall at the left of a door, I just switch to hold the paint brush in my left hand. My mother pointed out the pot pouring part. Friends pointed out the fact I could paint with my left hand.

Your turn
If you are left-handed, are you celebrating tomorrow? Which hand do you use for whatever you do?

It's NOT the Mayo in Potato Salad That Makes You Sick

I really tire of the admonitions to not eat food with mayonnaise in the summer at picnics. People long ago warned me about making sandwiches for my children to take to school. I was considered foolhardy, risking the life of my little children.

First of all, I only use Miracle Whip. My mother made egg salad sandwiches for us in the 1950s. We took them to school and stored them in a school with no air conditioning. We also ate pineapple/MW sandwiches, peanut butter/MW/banana sandwiches, pimiento/cheese--all made with Miracle Whip. I understand this is less likely to spoil than mayonnaise.

So, I have no fear of these foods or Miracle Whip. I do keep potato salad cold, very cold and take ice to place under the serving bowl no matter where I take potato salad, which I rarely share at dinners away from my home.

I decided to Google information to present to you, information I read a few weeks ago that exonerated mayonnaise. The information was elusive, but I did find a Snopes entry that points where the elusive article pointed--to potatoes. People who become ill do so from a food borne earth pathogen that is found in potatoes. Sooo, the potatoes introduce the culprit pathogen!

 

Then, the article went on to implicate onions in illness. Thankfully, I never eat the raw, chopped onions offered at outdoor venues for hot dogs and hamburgers sold. However, I will store half an onion for later. Long ago, I quit eating potato salad brought to an event unless I personally knew who brought it and if I trusted that person. If I serve potato salad outdoors, I do toss the leftovers even though the bowl is in ice on the picnic table.

Oh yes, an onion in the room does not collect germs from the air, leaving you with clean air.

The article asserts that the mayo is a factor in keeping the food from spoiling. I believe that, but I will still refrigerate any food that says to "refrigerate after opening." I am just silly that way.

Read this article to find out more.

Mayo-less potato salad recipe
This recipe on the grill looks great and could be adapted for indoor cooking. I cannot post a video, so just follow this link for a scrumptious recipe..


Your turn
Do you, like I, still serve mayo or Miracle Whip without fear? Do you send sandwiches or take sandwiches that contain mayo or MW to store for eating later?

Thelma Got Her Groove Back

TWO eggs today!

I am not uncaring or cheap, but I do like getting two eggs when I have two hens. Thelma has been laying these large eggs for four years. She is a large hen. Patsy Cline is smaller and will always lay smaller eggs. Thelma laid the larger egg, almost three inches long and quite heavy and with a large girth. This is also exciting because I have not gotten two eggs for five weeks.

Thelma was attacked and Lucy was killed on July 7, 2013. Thelma was quite depressed until I got Patsy Cline for her to snuggle with. She also stopped laying. Actually, Patsy Cline gave Thelma a reason to live--to put Patsy Cline in her place. So, after a month, she is back in all her egg-laying glory.

Not only am I thrilled to see more eggs, I am happy for Thelma because this indicates that whatever injuries she sustained have healed well. I had resigned myself to the fact her laying days were over. Not so. Is this a sign her injury has healed sufficiently?

Now, I can return to freezing two containers of two eggs each week in anticipation of a winter slowdown in egg production!

Be sure to enter the Bear Grylls giveaway right here if you want to win a survival bracelet. The deadline is August 13 at midnight.

Your turn
Would you take Thelma's egg as a sign she is healed sufficiently? That no more trauma exists on her body? She is the first injured hen. Most just end up dead.

Chicken Salad Ingredient; Ultrasound Report; UTI; Giveaway

thigh bone

One day this past week, I felt horrible and bought a deli chicken salad as I passed the deli on the way to purchase milk. As I ate it, I found a bone, half of a wish bone at least two inches long. A few bites later, I found about an inch and a half of the back bone. Soon, I found the other half of the wishbone. I am paying by the pound for inedible bone. Besides, a person could choke or break a tooth.

 

Two days later, I went back to take advantage of a sale and took the bones from the refrigerator, and folded the paper plate over and took it to the store, presenting it to the manager. He was furious and insisted I get my money returned at the service desk. I decided that chicken salad deserved another try and got another chicken salad.

 

As I was talking to the assistant manager, I told her it looked like a heart in the salad. I figured I could just pick it out. I went to the car and could not resist eating it right then. The bone above was on top of the salad. The end of the bone was the "heart" I thought I saw. I turned off the car and took it back in. The manager turned red and marched back to the deli. They insisted I just toss it out. I would not let them take it, telling them it was fine, minus the bone. They insisted I take an extra salad.

 

So, chicken salad was on the menu the next day. Have you ever found bones, so many bones in chicken salad from the deli? Most days, there are bone chips, skin and cartilage....yuck.

 

Ultrasound

I had the ultrasound and thought I would pass out from the pain of the instrument the technician rubbed/pressed on my body for liver, gallbladder, and pancreas pictures. The pain was directly under my breastbone! I don't think it is supposed to hurt that much. The doctor's office gave me the results--nothing wrong with my gallbladder! I am not convinced. There is one kidney stone far back in calyx of right kidney. But, I knew that from CT scan 20 years ago and last week. It causes no pain, I am told.

 

UTI

When exbf was here, I started shrieking as I peed. He yelled to ask me what was wrong. "I am peeeeing!"  Whew! It was hard to keep peeing. I just wanted to stop and never pee again, ever. So, I called the urologist and started taking Cipro on Thursday.

 

Today, I have been up, out of the house for 12 hours, so I feel terrible. However, I did make a bit of money on a mystery shopper job and collected more money on the resume which we had to redo today.

 

Tonight, after I arrived home late, I called him and then had to pee, so I just did. I took the phone away while I shrieked. He was upset, asking me what had happened. He says he has never had pain on peeing. That is an exquisite experience I could do without.

 

Bear Grylls Giveaway

Go here to enter. 

 

 

Your turn

Any bone or foreign objects in the food stories? Don't you love a UTI? Thoughts on ultrasound? Have you entered to win a survival bracelet?

Sturdy, Unusual Bench

bench along highway

As exbf and I were driving along hwy 278, right near my house, he spotted this unusual bench. I have no idea why it is so sturdy or out of what it is made. It appears wood has been recycled. There is another in front of the same store. This is not a black and white photo, but it appears so. The sidewalk suddenly slants, so the cap block is to make the seat even sittable.

What a sturdy seat!

 

These look like two by sixes on the seat to me. I don't know if the metal legs and back support were recycled or made especially for the bench. You can see on the front edge that the blocks between the boards obviously were there before anyone thought to make this a bench. Does anyone know where this configuration of wood is found in construction of any kind?

I doubt anyone will purloin the heavy bench.

Don't forget to go here and enter to win a Bear Grylls survival bracelet.

Your turn
Is this sturdy enough for you? Can you think of where the seat would have come from? herehere here here

Giveaway: Bear Grylls Bracelet

Let's do something different today. My bargains and plants and coupon deals are interesting, but let's do this.

 

This bracelet has a whistle on it! Win it!

... An official Bear Grylls Survival Bracelet from Gerber! Taking advantage of Gerber's decades of experience and Bear Grylls' adventure knowledge, this survival bracelet's design provides 12 feet of high-strength paracord to help you work your way out of a difficult situation. Weighing less than an ounce, it has an easy, one-hand size adjustment and an integrated whistle.

Keep reading.

Would YOU Get Out Alive?

Renowned British explorer and survivalist Bear Grylls is back with the ultimate survival competition, Get Out Alive! Airing Mondays 9/8c on NBC!

In #GetOutAlive, 10 teams of 2 compete to survive in the beautiful New Zealand wilderness with Bear Grylls as their guide. The teams are faced with various survival tasks as they battle the terrain, mountains, gorges, glaciers, rainforests, rivers and rapids. Each week, one team is eliminated, and the last remaining duo will win $500,000!
And most importantly, don’t forget to watch the unmissable #GetOutAlive SEASON FINALE on August 26!

With this amazing GET OUT ALIVE app, you can watch action-packed and hilarious GIFs from the show, take the WOULD YOU GET OUT ALIVE? quiz, and get to know the contestants by watching inspiring videos about how they have all overcome huge obstacles in life.

I copied and pasted all of the above.

When I was contacted about having a giveaway, I accepted. Of course, my first question was, "What is in it for me?"

Soooo, I will get a survival bracelet, too.

https://archive.partnershub.com/embeds/124/get-out-alive/banner/get-out-alive-product-promo/


I was prepared not to like this show, but I really do enjoy it.

https://archive.partnershub.com/show/4/get-out-alive/widget/get-out-alive/

Oh, pooo. That is supposed to be an app. Is it? How do I make it an app that appears in the post and not on a sidebar? Mike, where are you? Rats, I want that bracelet, and I won't get it if this is not correct!

Let me try this again. App coming up:
https://archive.partnershub.com/embeds/16/get-out-alive/widget/get-out-alive/

No, that is not an app either. Is it? Just click on it.

Okay, go on the site and take the quiz and tell me: Would you get out alive? What was your score?

Here is how this contest will work. You can enter three times. 1) Anyone can comment and get an entry. 2) If you follow my blog, say so in another comment and you get another entry. (you can follow my blog right now.) . 3) If you take the quiz and post your score in a separate comment, you can get another entry. I will draw the name of a winner from all entries submitted by midnight August 15, 2013.

I got four out of five and was declared a survivor!



I am working with NBCUniversal and they have supplied the prizes. .

Your turn to enter by submitting one or three comments that comply with my rules. Send me your email address with your entry or to my email address at the under my header. I must submit your address to the sponsor. The contest ends at Midnight on August 13, 2013.