Saturday, September 27, 2014

Fruit flies

It's time for fruit flies to invade again.  I thought I posted what I did to try to catch them last year but didn't so I had to look online again for the magic recipe.  Not that we caught very many last year but at least it made me feel like we were doing something.  I'm using the same recipe but found an addition for this year at this site http://everydayroots.com/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies

This is what my traps looked like last year

I added a paper cone this year to make it harder for them to come out and also left some red wine for their enjoyment.

 Don't think I got any in the wine but they loved the apple cider vinegar.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

WD-40 Uses

I got this from Facebook (Trish posted a share.)  I've seen the uses of WD-40 before but this is a good place for me to keep it so I can refer to it.

Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40?
No Cheating.....
WD-40 ~ Who knew!
I had a neighbour who bought a new pickup.
I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray
painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown
reason).
I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.
He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do ....
probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.
Another neighbour came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off.
It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint
job that was on the truck. I was impressed!
WD-40 who knew?
"Water Displacement #40".
The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and
degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego
Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'Water
Displacement' Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth
attempt, thus WD-40. The 'Convair Company' bought it in bulk to
protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40
that would hurt you.
When you read the 'shower door' part, try it. It's the first thing
that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic,
it works just as well as on glass. It's a miracle!
Then try it on your stove-top.
It's now shinier than it's ever been.
You'll be amazed.


WD-40 Uses:
1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floor that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps the flies off of Cows, Horses, and other Farm Critters.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewellery chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terracotta garden pots from oxidising.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on both home and vehicles doors.
18. It removes that nasty tar and scuff marks from the kitchen
flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to
scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some
windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Remove those nasty bug guts that will eat away the finish
on your car if not removed quickly!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gearshift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on
riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chair and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well
as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons and bicycles for
easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes grease splatters from stove-tops.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve
arthritis pain.
37. Florida 's favourite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from
grills and bumpers.'
38. The favourite use in the state of New York , it protects the Statue
of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you
will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than
the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep
in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing
are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and
stops the itch.
41. It is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray it on the marks
and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed
and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the
lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you spray it inside a wet distributor cap, it will displace the
moisture, allowing the engine to start.
My discovery, Ants don't like it..................

P.S.
As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it's FISH OIL....
Now This Is Definitely Worth SHARING!!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Laura Visit August 7 - 11

After leaving Greta's I drove to Laura's.  On the way I ran into a 7 minute hail storm but pulled off to the side of the road to wait it out.
The next day we drove downtown and parked at the Prudential Center and first thing we did was buy something so we could get the discounted parking.
Someone was nice enough to take our picture.
 For lunch we went to Joe's
 and took a selfie
 Then we got someone else to take our picture down by the pier.
We saw entertainment in front of Quincy Market
and other street entertainment
 We walked around Boston
 Walked through Quincy Market
 and Boston Commons but didn't stay for the play
We went back to the Prudential Center and when we went to pay our parking fee realized that we never looked at the check-in time of the ticket and had to pay full price because we were 4 minutes late!!

At night we went to Wegmans for the $6 meals.
On Friday we went to Mooney Street for some rug shopping.  Laura got 2 new rugs and Sydney quickly adopted the one inside the house.
and we went to the car wash
On Sunday we took a walk, went kayaking and to Margaritas for dinner.  A great weekend!!




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Greta Visit August 4 - 7

I drove to Greta's on Monday and when I got there no one was home. Fortunately I could get in the house and I was listening to a good book so once I unloaded the car I sat out on the second level deck in the front of the house that had some comfy chairs. Around 6:30 I finally called Greta, who was at work to find out where everyone was. Charles had taken them to a water polo game and Greta said she would be home soon.
Everyone eventually was home and tired and bed time no longer entails stories since they can all read on their own. The boys all went to bed because the next day there was a Divisional swim meet. Charles was assisting so he took the boys in the morning and I came later with Bev.
A video from the event
Tucker taking a breather!

I helped Greta get ready for a dinner she was going to have on her widow's walk.  We carried
everything up there on Monday night and then the last minute things on Tuesday and then some
miserable wasp/bee that had a nest under the opening at the top of the stairs BIT ME on my knee.
My knee swelled up and the next day my ankle and lower leg.  Needless to say I was on Benadryl for a few days.
Bev took the boys to the playground at school and I walked down to meet them on Wednesday.
Back at home I helped Tucker finish up his summer school work.
Later that day, after going to the doctor's with Greta for a stomach ailment, we went to the water polo meet back at the Lake Club.  On the way there, the sky got very dark and we only got a little wet before reaching the sheltered area when the sky really opened up.  The kids had been out of the water for a 1/2 hour already because of the thunder.  Once the weather cleared the game was on and Rocky won!

The awards ceremony
A picture for me to take home.
And Tucker showed me a hidden talent.

At Rocky on my last day, Tucker liked hanging out with the big kids playing table tennis.
Myles and Hunter were going sailing in the afternoon but it took them more time than I had so I left before they took off.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Published

Here's a snapshot of when I uploaded the magazine to blurb and it showed up on the first page of "Just Published" and then a picture of it showing up when doing a search for magazine.
A 15 minutes of fame moment.



Sunday, July 27, 2014

Bahama Cruise Photo Book

I'm on a roll with photo books, but now it's time for a break and to move on to some othere project.
I got this Shutterfly photo book for free from opening an Old Navy charge card.  I love what Shutterfly has done with the photobooks for giving the user the ability to customize everything!


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Rochester 3-Day Tour

We had a really good time when Margie & John, our new friends from Ohio that we met on our cruise came for a visit.  They were so great to be with.  I don't think they minded, and I loved it, that I didn't have to do anything fancy.  They arrived on Wednesday around noon after touring Niagara Falls (NY side) and Lockport, the Underground Cave and Boat Ride that we didn't know anything about, but now want to see.

We had lunch here and then following my prepared Tour Package.  I can't say that we followed it exactly, especially not for the meals but we did see most of the sites.  We went to Pittsford and took a walk along the canal at Schoen Place.
From there we went to Wegmans in Pittsford which is one of the out of towners MUST see.  A trip down to Park Ave was next since we decided we would never be hungry enough to eat at 7:00 which was on the planned tour.  We wandered down to F. Oliver's where we sampled and purchased and then stopped into Baker St Bakery next door to buy some bread for dipping when we got home.  On the way home we stopped at our local Wegmans and each bought a $6 meal which we never ate that night because we had wine, bread, vinegar and oil and some other appetizer type things.  And then it was time for dessert.

On Thursday we went to Ontario Beach Park and walked out on the pier
the water was especially disgusting looking!
  We walked to the lighthouse
 and then went into the park and rode the carousel



We saw a car using the electric-vehicle charging station at the pier parking lot.  I didn't even know we had these.  I just Googled it and found out that as of April 2014 Rochester had 24 of these and for the first year they are free to use.  The article said that the cost of electricity is minimal.
Also learned that Governor Cuomo announced a Charge NY initiative in 2013, installing 360 EV stations across New York.  Where have I been??
After all that we went to Pelican's Nest for an outdoor lunch.
And a stop at the Charlotte Lighthouse 
From there, Larry took over the tour and took us to places outside of what the original tour included but were very noteworthy stops.
We went to the House of Guitars, which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary along with the Riots in Rochester.
This is what I remember the House Of Guitars from way back when.
Not too different now but a lot bigger but still as disorganized.  But just ask and they can find anything you want.
From there Larry took us over for a little hike at Whiting Rd Nature Center, just to make sure we would be able to eat again and then we rode down to the end of Lake Rd where the swing bridge is.
Once home again some of us needed little naps and thought we would never be able to eat again but somehow we managed to down those Wegmans $6 meals from the day before.

On Friday it was time to tour the George Eastman House.  
 Margie likes to take pictures in mirrors as much as I do.
 We toured the house on our own but then took part in the garden tour.
From there we drove over to Lake Ave and passed what used to be Midtown Plaza.  In looking up information about that I came across this video.  I remember all those stores from when I worked downtown at Xerox and we could just walk across the enclosed bridge to get into Midtown.

We finally got to our lunch spot, The Genesee Brew House
We didn't take any pictures of the food, but wasn't beer the reason to come?  But just as a reminder for the next time, Margie and I each got the Brew House Nachos which were really good but couldn't finish them so took them home.  Not so good as leftovers.  Next time share.
Because it was crowded and we didn't want to wait for an outside table we ate indoors and then went up to the 3rd floor roof to take pictures of the falls.
And John found a new friend as we left.
Back home we were going to have a healthy salad and pizza for dinner but by the time we got around to eating, it was just the pizza.  Looks like Larry and I were going to have to be healthy on our own.

We had a great time.  Thanks for coming Margie and John.  See you soon!!

Photoshop tips

Scanning photos from books, magazines and newspapers often results in an unsightly interference pattern called moire.
http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/ht/apsremovemoire.htm
Remove wrinkles
http://www.essential-photoshop-elements.com/remove-wrinkles.html