Happy Halloween!

Newspaper coasters

These are my latest invention (but I am probably not the first to make them-lol).
I am trying to finish them to give to Trav's sisters for Christmas. I need to find the right ribbon to put around the sides...

How to make smiley face pancakes

Who doesn't love a smiley face pancake!

read more | digg story

How to negotiate with a car salesman

Tips for how to deal with negotiations when shopping for a vehicle.

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How to keep white clothes white

Excessive bleaching or washing white laundry with dark colors can create a dingy look to your clothes. Check out this article that has a few tips for keeping your white clothes sparkling white for years.

read more | digg story

Bummed out polar bear

We went to the Tulsa Zoo yesterday and the polar bear was acting so depressed. I sat and watched him for about 20 mintues and he swam back and forth in the same spot and stepped out of the water in the same place for about 2 seconds. Every time he stepped out of the water to turn around he would tilt his head twice EXACTLY the same right before he went back in the water. It was almost eerie.

I googled his actions and found out that this is common for captive polar bears. They will someone walk or pace in the same place for a large percentage of their day. In most cases the zookeepers will try to discourage the bear from doing this by trying to stimulate it or letting it go in and out of its den at its own leisure. Some have suspected it to be a sign of depression or discontent.

After reading this I was so sad because last time we went to the zoo the same polar bear was walking in a methodical circle the entire time we were there.

I sent an email to the zoo asking if they are trying to remedy the behavior and how long he has been doing it. I bet they hate it when people do that. I can't stop thinking about it though...

Our zoo.

Here is a packet of pics of our pups. (Say that three times fast) :)
Diesel, Babes and Penny Lane. Penny is getting along nicely with Diesel but Babes is taking longer to warm up to her. She still misses Maggie and lays around a lot still but I think she's doing better every day. Penny is a crazy little puppy. She is still a little too rough with Jack so they don't get to play together very often. At least until he stops trying to sit on her which gets her riled up and spastic. That is her fetching which she LOVES to do. She has already been swimming too. She's not as bad as Maggie was about wanting to "live in the water". If there was a puddle nearby Maggie would be rolling around in it for hours. Penny is still kind of shy with the water but she will lay in the water dish all day. She also likes to chew on the cement as she is doing in one of the photos. Not really but it looks like she is eating the cement in the pic. She was actually trying to pry the wood separator from the cement. Gotta love puppies!

My ehow business

http://www.ehow.com/members/Bfastattiffanys.html

This is a link to my profile on ehow. Check it out! :)

In Memory of Maggie (Magnus)

We lost Maggie yesterday when the dogs got out of the gate and went onto the interstate. There are no words to describe how perfect Maggie was.

Things Maggie enjoyed:
1. Swimming- it was her favorite thing to do, especially if we were swimming too. She would sit on the pool stairs and watch and just love life.
2. She loved chasing mud. Travis and she had a game called Kamakazee Magnus where he would dig a pvc pipe into the ground and fling the mud across the yard and she would chase it. For hours sometimes until she was panting so hard we thought she would fall over. She still would not stop until Travis put the pipe down and even then she would go stand by the pipe and beg him to throw more. It was so entertaining.
3. The Beach- She swam out in a cove in North Carolina and drug a bouy to shore that was attached to a cinder block. Anything that was floating she had to have. We threw a stick into the ocean over and over -hundreds of times and she had to bring it back every time.
4. Diesel and Babes- She loved her brother and sister. They would not go anywhere without each other. Diesel was her shadow and he would always lick her ears after she swam. Those two are beside themselves downstairs right now. There is a strange quietness in the house and from them.
5. Jack- She would sit in the baby pool with Jack and let him pour water on her. She would just sit and "smile" at him, like in the first picture. She loved when he was outside and had to be right there with him.
6. Life- I wished so often I viewed the world as she did. She was always happy. Always.

We will miss you Maggie. Thank you for the years of complete joy you brought to us. Rest in Peace.
Love,
Your Family

Snack attack

Two of my favorite foods: olives and Corona. This is going to hit the spot!