G is for Go Go Gadget

Before I get into my "G" topic...

Let me start by saying the girls got together for a glorious time Saturday evening hence I never got over to glance at your great “F” posts.

However...I’ll be grabbing a look and leaving a comment after I give you the goods about the gluten free cake that graced our table after we gorged ourselves on chicken, with raspberry glaze, and a host of gourmet fixings.

Here’s the cake...it’s only 4” in diameter but about 6” tall; we five girls only managed to gobble half - and trust me, we weren’t worrying about looking gluttonous.

Damn...it was way too good for a wheat free/gluten free cake. It had four layers of luxurious dark chocolate silk filling and it was amazing.

☀  ☀  ☀  ☀  ☀  ☀  ☀  ☀

NOW, FOR MY ACTUAL TOPIC

It might be hard to focus after staring at the gorgeous cake but give it a go.

G is for Go Go Gadget

Today, in the role of Gadget Inspector, I’m going to share with you three gadgets I enjoy using when visiting blogs.

In no particular order, here they are:

1 - The Blog Archive gadget.

I particularly like Blog Archives where the Post Title is included as part of the drop down menu. 

When I’m visiting a blog I actually spend a little time checking out this gadget...but only if the Post Titles are there otherwise it’s a huge fishing expedition in which case I let the fish go.

2 - The Profile gadget.

I do read Profiles - not only for new blogs I visit - but for blogs I've been following for a while; surprisingly enough profiles do change...who'd've thought.

3 - The Blog List gadget.

My Blog List (Blogs of Note... ) lets me see whose updated their blogs, it acts as a condensed Reading List when I'm short on time, rather than using the one on my Dashboard. 

Your Blog List(s) gives me, or any visitor, exposure to the blogs you're reading. From these lists I have had the opportunity to read blogs I might not otherwise have found on my own.

A couple of questions for you:

Do you read Blog Archives to see what’s lurking in the past?

Do you check out the Profile Page to find out more about a blogger?

How does your Blog List work for you?

Is there a favourite gadget you like seeing on a blog?

Cheers, Jenny

F is for Fascinating Facts

“Are airline’s fat fares fair?” screamed the headline of a local paper I was perusing the other day. A sub-heading further shouted, “Pay-as-you-weigh.”

Source: Vancouver metro, April 3, 2013
Click to enlarge if you want to read it. 

Hmmm, interesting, thought I, and worthy of delving deeper.

I live on the North American continent, specifically in Canada. We have been known to be rather fit and hardy folks; we do, after all, live in the frigid cold most of the year; we travel to our igloos by dog sled and hunt and trap our own food; naturally we’re fit.

Well, that might have been so a hundred years ago but a lot has changed since then, including the size of our belts.

So this article tweaked my curiosity…

“Who would impose a fee for a person’s fat when flying?” ponder I, while me and myself rustled up a hearty meal of flash frozen fish from the freezer while waiting for my pot of fennel tea; it needed to steep for a full four minutes. (say that fast with a mouth full of fish)

Well, it appears Samoa Air has done just that. And, given the size of their plane you might just be nodding in agreement.

Source
The article that goes with this picture is great.

Now, while this may seem funny to some folks, it got me thinking. 

What if you were Ele Opeloge, the Samoan weightlifter in the +75 kg class at the 2012 Olympics, weighing in at a comfortable 270 lbs (124 kg).

Is it fair that you should pay more for the same space on Samoa Air than your teammate Maureen Tuimalealiifano, an archer who also represented Samoa at the 2012 Olympics, and weighs in at a measly 150 lbs (70 kg).

Think about this - are we to assume that Samoa Air will waive the extra 120 lbs that Ele carries because she is an athlete?

Is Ele’s extra 120 lbs necessary, she is, after all, the same height as her 150 lb teammate, Maureen? What purpose does her extra weight serve - other than to lift dead weight?

Should Ele be singled out to pay more?

As you can see it’s not so easy to say to a fat person you should pay more because the person you ate for lunch needs to be accounted for.

Tell that to Ele and see if you survive her clean and jerk...that’s after she’s ripped your gizzards out!

Source

Now, lighthearted bantering aside...this is worth pondering because there are certain things about our physical makeup we cannot change - height, foot size, hat size and even bone density.

I would be very careful if I was Samoa Air...not all fat people are jolly and I can’t imagine many laughing at this poorly thought out money grab, least of all Ele.

Well...there you have some fascinating facts.

What do you think about charging a person by weight to fly?

Cheers, Jenny

E is for Evening's Endeavours

Source

As I went through my day, entertaining ideas for Friday’s E post, all sorts of exciting and enticing thoughts entered and exited my mind subconsciously.

As the evening wore on I stopped to eat an egg salad sandwich made with extra mayo; the energizing food of this late night erudite egomaniacal writer whose enthusiasm for the letter of the day had swiftly eroded.

Unable to elicit a response from my fingers, hovering over my keyboard, my evening’s endeavours suddenly changed.

I elected to escape, without leaving my cozy environment, by transporting myself electronically into your world.

Excited to see what you’ve been up to I enjoyed, with great enthusiasm, the words and pictures exposed to me on my computer screen. 

I was exceedingly well entertained and thoroughly enjoyed myself; to which I say “thank you”.

Satisfied that I had spent my remaining energy effectively I ended my day with a smile.

☀  ☀  ☀  ☀  ☀

How many “e” words did I manage to use in this post? 

Do you have a favourite “e” word?

Cheers, Jenny

D is for Definitely Different

I’m having fun winging it with these A-Z posts! 

Since I write these posts the night before each letter is due I do have the whole day to toss around ideas - the trick is to write them down before I forget them! 

I had the idea for this post back at B but was diverted by Big Buts, so shelved it hoping another opportunity to post it would come.

This post idea resurfaced this morning when I was blowdrying my hair - this seems to be the time when ideas take shape and I attribute that to the heat of the blowdryer warming up my few remaining brain cells.

But as the day progressed, and I was Doing Dishes, I thought, "hey that’s what I want to write about because I love Doing Dishes"; I can hear the whispers, something about a Daft Ding-a-ling (had to look up the spelling; I’m in butter knife mode) and you're wondering who in their right mind likes Doing Dishes. 

Anyway, after Dinner, Dishes and a bit of Daydreaming I decided to go with my first thought - which is usually my best thought. 

And, I think you will agree this would have made a brilliant B post too! 

Do you know who wrote this? Because I do!

Something DEFINITELY DIFFERENT can be found HERE.

When you get there...tell me what you read...in the post title.

Is that not definitely different...I thought so too. How clever; how inventive...and what fun!

If you're at all interested in gardening this is a blog you cannot miss! My brown thumbs are starting to turn green because of all the great tips and wisdom I've gleaned from this amazing gardener. And, to top it all off...he is a masterful storyteller.

Bushman, and his blog The High Cost of this Low Living have been one of my best finds out here in this vast web of blogs!

So, what about you...are you a passionate gardener too? 

How green are your thumbs? 

Also, do you know why this would have made a great B post?

Cheers, Jenny

C is for Cute and Cuddly

Due to lots of unexpected “stuff”, mostly from outer space, bogging me down I will regale you with the help of someone cute and cuddly. (remember, I did say I was winging this A-Z)

Please welcome Lucky, my little Jack Russell/Shih Tzu who turned thirteen this year. She looks young for her age; in human years she is ninety-one.

Besides Lucky I call her Lucy, Luce and Lucyfur when she’s being a little devil which is lots of the time.

I love her...and she loves me. 

I get help when I’m working on my posts.

Sometimes I get attitude.

And I get smiles; yes, Lucky smiles!

And other times I get this "please stop typing and play with me" look.

So that's what I did today...

Lucky and I went for a long walk in our neighbourhood. While I was breathing in the beauty of this glorious Spring day Miss Lucy was doing the same...well, maybe she was breathing in a little deeper at times than me!

Lately I've noticed she's lost her hearing; she moves a little slower; she sleeps a little longer...I want to make deeper memories...just in case.

We had fun today - she’s cute and cuddly - I think I’m the “lucky” one!

Are you taking the time to breathe in deeply and love the one you’re with?

Cheers, Jenny

B is for Big Buts

No Al, I did not forget the other “ t ”…

I know, Mr. Penwasser, it sounds the same but it’s not what you think, trust me this is a very clean and appropriate post! Seriously, ask my little pal Al, over Daily Bark, he’ll vouch for me, scouts honour!

But, I digress…

Is it okay to use the big “But” at the start of a sentence? 

Well, I decided not to go in search of an answer because I think it’s okay! 

And, if I think it’s okay to use the big “But” at the start of a sentence then I also think it’s okay to use his best friend “And” out there in front of the troops also.

Ah... I hear the rumblings of those that are all about writing it correctly and accurately and with all the right punctuation in all the right places.

Yes, indeed there is a place for correctness in the world of the written word. 

Particularly if you want readers to think you’re at least as sharp as a regular knife - not as daft as the butter knife, nor as sharp as my new Henckels Twins - but, you know, smart enough to know better.

How sharp are you?
But nothing...it's a simple question!

In places like this, the world of random thoughts and impulsive ramblings, (aka our blogs) I do think certain liberties can, and must, be taken. Unless, of course, your blog is about correct word usage and proper punctuation placement then you had best know what you're doing.

With all the “rules” and “wagging fingers” I think we must unite and band together; rising above the din of naysayers to have our voices heard... with the likes of:

"But, it’s just a blog... what’s the issue with my typos, overuse of those three little dots (yes, yes, I know they’re called ellipsis) or where I put my semicolons... really; it’s just a blog!"

“I am sorry you feel that way. But, from now on it’s going to be like this, that’s all there is to it!” 

“And that’s that.”

But, before I go... I was wondering... how do you feel about seeing the big “But” at the front of a sentence? 

Are you a fan of the big "But"?  

(Seriously, Al...stop laughing and answer the question)

And, as a little extra, I want to say thank you for understanding, and respecting, my usage of big Buts here at Pearson Report.

Cheers, Jenny

A is for Awesome Alfie

Who better to jump the first A-Z hurdle
than

Awesome Alfie.

Al is a mixed breed dog rescued from a puppy mill in the States. 

Our best guess is that he is a Chinese Crested/Border Terrier mix; he weighs in at a whopping six pounds. Al was rescued with his brother, Fogel, and spent six months at the Dhana Metta Rescue Society. 

The folks at Dhana Metta Rescue Society were having a tough time finding a home for little Al because he looked like a malnourished waif that could barely stand. Those that thought of adopting him couldn't see beyond his exterior appearance thereby overlooking his incredible potential.

My daughter, Courtney, stepped up to the plate and took in this little sweetie giving him lots of love, to the point where he now feels safe and well cared for. 

Alfie has filled out, as much as a little waif can, and just loves to run...and I mean run! This little guy outruns the big dogs when they head over to a neighbourhood park.

Courtney takes Al to Agility Classes where he shines! In fact, his recent class is full of girl doggies. As the only boy he loves showing off for the girls; they in turn just adore him as they vie for his attention. 

However, the girl doggie that remains his favourite is Lucky - they love hanging out together.

You can find Alfie hanging out at Daily Bark, his really cool website.

Alfie and his Ma, Miss Courtney, are taking part in the A-Z Challenge with some really awesome posts - so drop by and give Al a big High Five!  (he loves giving the High Five for treats too)

What do you think about rescuing pets? 

Is it something you would do?

Cheers, Jenny