PensionersRants

Friday, April 25, 2008

Snow Again.


I guess you would call this a spring surprise. Looked out the window this morning and there was the ground covered with snow. I wasn't expecting that. Yesterday I was looking at the grass and thinking, that soon the lawnmower has to come out. But it won't be today.

Received my passport the other day. Only took a week. And I need that because.... a couple of weeks ago my son asked me if I would like to go to California. So California, here I come. Going to L.A., driving up the coast and back by another route. He has a friend who has an association with the Gallo family, so we may get a tour.

Doing my walking every day, so I can get in shape for chasing a streetcar. We will be gone nine days.

Filled up with gas last night. Only needed half a tankful. A bit of madhouse, cars pulling up to the tanks in both directions. In this province we have gas regulation, which means that the price of gas stays the same for a week. It changes every Thur. night. So if you pay attention to the news, you get a bit of a warning. There is no instant price increase when the price of a barrel of oil goes up. So no gouging. There is a two week lag. The price will be higher today. So that is the reason for the rush last night. I paid $1.269 for a liter. And for you americans that would be $4.80 a gal. I have a van and it cost me $50.00 for half a tank. I better keep this page open until I find out the price today.


So I did go out and the price today is $1.338 a liter which is $5.06 a gal. My head still works in gals. so that sounds worse. Anyway, that's how it is. Tomorrow it may be one cent less. For some reason, they do that on Sat. An adjustment I guess.

Also bought some groceries. They are also going up. And money as groceries in the pantry gets more interest than money in the bank. And you can't eat nthe money in the bank. You may not be able to get it.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Wonder Foods


Here's why these three foods are practically a staple among health - conscious celebs and foodies - plus how to pronounce them, so you can casually order an açaí smoothie with all the cool of George Clooney.

Açaí berries (ah-sigh-EE or ah-SIGH-ee) Brazilian surfers eat theirs with granola, and we know what their bodies look like! Packed with twice the disease-fighting antioxidants of blueberries, açaí has already made Oprah's list of Top 10 Superfoods and The Washington Post called the blackberry-flavored fruit the "new pomegranate." But you may find it easier to sip yours: Celestial Seasonings sells an açaí-green tea blend, and açaí martinis are on chic bar menus everywhere.

DIY açaí fruit soda: Just mix chilled sparkling mineral water with a few ounces of açaí juice, available at health-food stores. Sip. Look cool. Feel healthy.

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) Dry quinoa looks a bit like sesame seeds but when cooked it becomes fluffy with a hint of crunch, making it an excellent substitution for rice, cous cous, and pasta. Quinoa's major claim to food fame, however, is what
RealAge researchers call its "nutritional profile." A cup of quinoa has more protein than a quarter-pound hamburger and more calcium than a quart of milk. Yowza. It's also loaded with iron, magnesium, and a bevy of other minerals and B vitamins. No wonder the Incas named it "the mother grain." Try it in this warm winter salad from our friends at Eating Well.

Quinoa and Black Beans
Stir in your favorite jarred salsa for extra zing. This is also good the next day for lunch.Makes 2 servings, about 1/2 cup each

1 teaspoon canola oil 1/2 bell pepper, chopped2 tablespoons chopped red onion 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed2 tablespoons broth (or water) 1/2 cup hot quinoa (cook according to package directions)

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook until almost tender. Add beans and broth (or water) to the pan. Cook until heated through. Stir in quinoa.

Per serving: 162 calories; 4 g fat (0 g sat); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 60 mg sodium; 224 mg potassium.

Matcha (MAH-cha) When you drink a cuppa matcha (also spelled maccha), you're getting green tea's powerful antioxidants to the max, because you're actually consuming the whole green tea leaf in powdered form. In Japan, slightly bitter matcha is traditionally served syrupy thick. But in the US, you'll find matcha stirred into lattes, sprinkled on ice cream, and used to bolster energy drinks and turn smoothies into pick-me-ups (it's said to boost alertness). Just be respectful of matcha if you're caffeine sensitive: Ounce for ounce, it has almost as much caffeine as coffee.

To rev up a hot homemade latte, whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of the powder.

For a quick summer cooler, blend 1 1/2 teaspoon with a cup of milk and some ice cubes.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

I Think You'll Like This!


CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE
1940's, 50's, 60's and 70's

!First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.


Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Nandos.

Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......


WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.��

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY,

no video/dvd films,


no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........


WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were noLawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!�

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...

We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them
!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

RUGBY and CRICKET had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and bully's�
always ruled the playground at school.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!


Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO
DEAL WITH IT ALL!


And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!


PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore

Monday, April 7, 2008

A GREAT SENIOR MOMENT


A very self-important college freshman from Ottawa University took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen standing next to him while waiting for a bus, that it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

"You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one," the student said, loud enough for the other passengers nearby to hear.

"The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars,computers with light-speed processing and ...

" When the student paused for breath ...the Senior took advantage of the moment and said: "You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young ... so we invented them.

Now, you arrogant little wimp, what are you doing for the next generation?"

The applause was resounding..

Friday, April 4, 2008

All About YOU: Why Too Much Vitamin A Is Bad


Somersaulting down the sidewalk isn't the only thing that's bad for your skeleton. So is taking too much vitamin A.
Your body definitely needs some vitamin A, but more than 2,500 international units (IU) a day could hurt new bone formation.

Know Your Limits

You can't OD on food sources of vitamin A -- carrots, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and the like. Just make sure your vitamins and supplements don't put you over the 2,500 IU limit -- and choose supplements that contain the beta carotene form of vitamin A. Other things that are bad for your bones: cigarettes and excessive alcohol.

More Ways to Boost Your Bones

Keeping bones strong is easy! Just follow this advice:

.Beware the supermodel diet. What's that? High protein and diet cola. Here's why it's bad for bones.



.Get plenty of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K. Here are some good food sources of K.


Know your osteoporosis risk, so you know what you're dealing with. Take this risk assessment right now!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

THE HUMAN BODY


The human body is a machine that is full of wonder. This collection of human body facts will leave you wondering why in the heck we were designed the way we were.

-Scientists say the higher your I.Q., the more you dream.

-The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

-You use 200 muscles to take one step.
-The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.

-Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.

-A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.

-A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.

-The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.

-The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

-It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

-The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.

-Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.

-At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell.

-There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

-Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.

-The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body.

-Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born.

-When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you are looking at someone you hate.

-Your thumb is the same length as your nose.

At this very moment I know full well you are putting this last fact to the test...

now remove your thumb from your nose and pass this on to the friends you
think might be interested in comparing their thumbs to their noses as well...

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Subject: English....The importance of...


Why is it important to learn English when you live in an English-speaking country?


Have a great Day..

Infection: Eye Health: Diabetes


Over 2 million Canadians have diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness in North Americans under 65 years of age. Diabetes is a condition where the body either cannot produce enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or cannot respond properly to insulin (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is important because it moves glucose, a simple sugar, into the body's cells from the blood. Glucose, which is used by the cells as a source of energy, comes from the food people eat. If insulin isn't available or doesn't work correctly to move .....