Product Review: True Lime, Lemon, & Orange

Waterflavors
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

In a word: EXCELLENT!

I like flavor in my water occasionally, but not sweetness. These have no sweetener whatsoever. They are good, solid, thirst-quenching flavors. They taste just like you squeezed a piece of fruit into your water.

The first time I tried one, I put it in a 20-ounce bottle of water. Way too water-y. But they do well in the smaller bottles that are around 16 ounces.

LightPlay

While visiting Minnesota, the four cousins got to spend some quality time together. When they were all very small, they were together a lot and my sister and I in general raised them together to be like siblings. The kids miss each other now that we are gone.

My sister bought a trampoline for their back yard and my kids took advantage of our "your house, your rules" theory and jumped on it as much as possible. We do not allow them to jump on tramps here.
My brother-in-law gave them light sticks one night and we played with slow shutter speeds.

Of course I could not resist doing some micro-managing. (They are used to this and played along nicely.) Here they are spelling out a word. Hey. It was the only 4-letter word that came to my mind!

State Slogans

Alabama: At Least We're not Mississippi

Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't be Wrong!

Arizona: Dehyd-rific!

Arkansas: Litterasy Ain't Everthang

California: As Seen on TV

Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother

Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only Dirtier and With Less Character

Delaware: Wow..... you're in Delaware

Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids

Georgia: We Put the "Fun" in Fundamentalist Extremism

Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death to Mainland Scum, But Leave Your Money)

Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes... Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Are Real Good

Illinois: Gateway to Iowa

Indiana: 50 Million Years Tidal Wave Free

Iowa: Land of James T. Kirk

Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States

Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names

Louisiana: We're Not All Drunk Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Slogan

Maine: Cheap Lobster

Maryland: A Thinking Man's Delaware

Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)

Michigan: First Line of Defense From the Canadians

Minnesota: For Sale

Mississippi: Come Feel Better About Your Own State

Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work

Montana: Land of the Big Sky, the Unabomer, and Very Little Else

Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest

Nevada: Whores and Poker!

New Hampshire: Go Away and Leave Us Alone

New Jersey: You Want a F$%&in' Motto? I Got Yer F$%&in' Motto Right Here!

New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets

New York: You Have the Right to Remain Silent, You Have the Right to an Attorney

North Carolina: Tobacco is a Vegetable

North Dakota: Um... We've got... Um... Dinosaur Bones? Yeah, Dinosaur Bones!!

Ohio: Don't Judge Us by Cleveland

Oklahoma: Like the Play, Only No Singing

Oregon: Spotted Owl, It's What's For Dinner

Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal

Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island

South Carolina: Remember the Civil War? We Didn't Actually Surrender

South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota

Tennessee: The Educashun State

Texas: A Great, Big Flat State

Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus

Vermont: Yep

Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs and Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?

Washington: Help! We're Overrun By Nerds and Slackers!

Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?

West Virginia: One Big Happy Family -- Really!

Wisconsin: Come Cut Our Cheese

Wyoming: Wynot?

Thanks to: http://monster-island.org/tinashumor/humor/stateslogans.htm

Strangers. And yet...not

MplsBridge7
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Last week my husband and I went to the the Old Mill City district in our hometown of Minnepolis to see the collapsed 35W bridge. We walked across the Stone Arch Bridge, where we could see St. Anthony Falls on one side, and the 3rd street bridge on the other. There were many people on the bridge that day, one week after the catastrophe.
There were a few memorials, but not many. Really, only about five mementos that I can recall. A couple of signs and some small flower bouquets.
I told my friend Julie that I thought it was fitting that this bridge is NOT just heaped high with flowers and posters...that it is not surprising that the outpouring of grief and concern is muted. This is a region full of folks of Scandinavian heritage. A reserved demeanor is common here.
I took this photo of these people looking at a memorial poster. I like the range of emotions we see here.

Product Review: R.W. Garcia Spicy Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips

These? Were not bad. At first I thought they seemed a little bland. Not spicy enough, not salty enough. But kept eating them over the course of a week (I don't eat many chips in one sitting...I CAN eat just one Lay's potato chip...),they kind of grew on me. I still don't think I'd call them spicy.

The flaxseeds do get lodged in your teeth, though.

Tree of Thorns

I have no idea what this tree is. It's on the property of a commercial bakery in Indianapolis. I ran across it when I went over there to sit at a picnic table to talk on the phone. The thorns are very very sharp.

I picked off an interesting bit of the thorns that was just resting there...it had broken off, but not fallen to the ground. I have it hanging from my rearview mirror right now, but need to get it off there. I'll have it sitting on my desk.

When we got home Sunday night, we unloaded the car and got everything put away in just a few minutes. I sat down to go through the mail and when I glanced out into the family room, Mensa Boy and Taylor were watching "Who Wants to Be a Superhero."
When the show was over, they both sighed in satisfaction.

"It's good to be watching quality TV," Mensa Boy said.

Out The Outhouse Window

Out The Outhouse Window
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

HERE!

HERE!
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

Well, we are here. Back from "Up Nort." Glad to be home. Maybe. It's stinkin' hot here. And our lawn is burned up. But the jalapenos I hung up to dry in the kitchen and the garage didn't mold, and the house is cooling down nicely after being left at 90 degrees. I've reconnected with a couple of my friends and all is right with the world.

Tomorrow? Massage and then some serious writing.

And the blog entries will come between the paying work. In the meantime, here is my photo of the day, unedited. Brother Lis testing to see how fast I can do the manual focus lens on my camera. Obviously? Not that fast. You can't even see the little reed she is holding up. But she looks pretty darn clear, doesn't she? Of course, my camera naturally navigates toward her anyway.