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There is a new and painful awareness of time once you have a miscarriage. There are a lot of "this would have been the day that" that occurs in my mind and heart.
The past few weeks there have been a handful of those days. The year anniversary of our first doctor's appointment where my husband got to see our baby's heart beat, a few days later when I miscarried, and then a week later, our second known pregnancy's due date.
The year anniversary of my miscarriage landed on a Sunday. My husband and I were in Manhattan running a few errands. My husband and I have always been on the same wavelength, usually having a pretty good idea of what the other is thinking. Ever since our infertility journey has begun, I feel there's so much we know already without even having to say it. That day was no different.
"Where to next?"
"Can we get a balloon?"
"Can we get a balloon?"
We picked out a balloon in the shape of and with the pattern of a snowflake. We took it to an overlook that's right on Top of The World Dr.
We didn't say much. Everything we could have said we've already said a million times over. We miss you. We love you. We wanted you here with us.
It was not all that cold that day (mid to high 40s), unless the wind was blowing. At the top of Top of the World Dr., the wind was bone chilling. I untied the balloon from it's clip and released it. It was quickly swept away, dancing over the hills.
It's a lot easier to release a balloon than to lose a pregnancy. Watching it get smaller and smaller, being carried away farther and farther, I could not help from thinking how heartbreakingly metaphorical the moment was. I would never hold the balloon again. I would never have my baby back.
I looked back to see where we had parked, trying to determine if I could watch the balloon travel from the warmth of the car. When I looked back, I could not find the balloon in the sky again. Steven tried to help point it out to me, but no luck. It was gone.
I do not know why I wanted to do a balloon release, really. It was a testament to what we once had, a loving memory, and the strength that we had to get through it. It did not make me feel better, not in the way that maybe I thought it would have. It did not make me feel worse, though, and maybe that's why it's a "release" after all. I will never get over our losses. I'm not going to ever shrug it off and say "oh well, we can just have another." I wanted those pregnancies, I wanted those babies. I do not believe in the afterlife, heaven, or any God, but that moment in time, I felt connected to those pregnancies again.
(DPTS stands for Days Past Trigger Shot)
For a brief period of time the "this would have been the day that" did not sting as much.
The Two Week Wait
(DPTS stands for Days Past Trigger Shot)
The two week wait is what the TTC (Trying To Conceive) community uses to refer to the time between ovulation and the time when it's okay to test to see if you have a BFP (Big Fat Positive) or a BFN (Big F***ing Negative). It's the longest two weeks of life.
For us, it starts with a trip to a doctor so I can get probed (ultrasound to see if the fertility drugs they have me on are indeed causing my body to develop follicles for any baby to attach to properly) and a big OK from my RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) to, as she so awkwardly puts it, "bring the love" for the next three days. That is, after I inject myself with a hormone that will ensure that I ovulate, and ovulate immediately.
The two week wait is a horrible, awful mind game.
After the "love" has been brought, I have to take an additional hormone medication to ensure that if I am pregnant I stay that way. Those two medications cause pregnancy symptoms all by themselves, mainly because if I had a "normal" body and/or pregnancy, these hormones would be created in the correct amount all on their own. I know what it feels like to be pregnant, I've been pregnant before THREE times. Those three times were without any medical help though, so I try to convince myself as my breasts swell, my moods bounce around, I get that uneasy feeling that makes me almost feel like I could yack, amongst other things… I try to convince myself that it's all because this round worked. This round we got pregnant, I'm so sure.
I trick myself into thinking I'm pregnant. I realize I'm using the restroom more, but I do not take into account that I really have been drinking a lot more water than usual. Or I'll find myself craving pickles and giggling as I eat one after the other, but really, I've always loved pickles. I'll think "Wow! I really am so tired so early these days!" not thinking about how I've actually been staying up way later at night just to get through chapter after chapter in whatever book I'm reading. I trick myself into thinking I'm pregnant.
The day before test day I am a wreck. I get really emotional, and I try to think that it's pregnancy hormones doing their dance… When deep down, I know that it's just the good ol' lady time trying to fight it's way through. I know what it feels like to be pregnant, and again, this cycle just was not quite right. I get depressed, I get angry, I'm not pregnant, I know it, but I will test the next day just to be sure.
Then test day is finally here. I have to test on a particular time frame for two reasons. I cannot test before the two week mark because I could get a false positive (remember that injection I mentioned? Well, that causes an influx of HCG, the pregnancy hormone, to be in my system – and cause a false positive up to ten days after the injection). I have to test then to ensure that if I'm not pregnant, I stop taking the additional hormone medication they have me on because otherwise, said medication will prevent me from starting my next "lady time". (SIDE NOTE: THIS cycle I tested throughout, trying to track when the shot was actually out of my system. AND boy, if day 12 after my trigger shot wasn't a tease. – photo above)
I take the test and place it on the counter. Wait three minutes to look at it, I always tell myself. Sometimes I'll distract myself, do whatever quick chore needs to be done. Other times I just stare at the test, watch as it processes. I imagine that second line appearing, and when just one is there, I feed myself a bunch of "it's okay" statements when really, to me, it's not at all okay.
I avoid telling my husband out loud. He knows it's test day and he knows if it had been positive I would not be on the couch sulking. I want to send out a text "Still not pregnant! Happy?" to a few friends who I've felt have turned my infertility into a form of competition, one that they're obviously winning against. I want to scream, put every annoyed parent in their place when their kid is simply being a kid, and punching every parent who would rather pretend their child does not crave their love and support and chooses to ignore them anyway, I want throw a chair at every woman who complains about how awful it is to be pregnant. I do not do any of that, but sometimes it can be extremely difficult not to. I throw a dirty look their way, that's about as far as it gets.
Now begins a grieving process. I throw myself into misery and self loathing. You're not pregnant, but if you were, who's to say you would not miscarry it too?! I remind myself of all the things I'm not good at. I remind myself of all the things I cannot do. I try to fight through it, I swear I do.
I've been pregnant three times, all three ended in miscarriage. Monitor my cycles, give me fertility drugs proven to work, have the RE tell me how good they feel about this cycle (even though they said that four cycles ago), I will not get pregnant.
The two week wait is over, my home pregnancy test is negative. I'm grieving a pregnancy I never had, as well as the three that I lost. I still hang on to hope for a few more days. I stop taking the additional hormone medication, but hope that my "lady time" will not come. I hope that my HCG levels were simply not enough for the test to detect yet. IT WAS TOO SOON I tell myself, THERE'S STILL HOPE FOR THIS CYCLE! Those cramps must be my uterus stretching, not the inevitable approach of CYCLE DAY ONE!
Yet, Cycle Day One bears it's ugly head. For women like me, who have miscarried, I think it's traumatic on it's own for many reasons. Fight through it, there are calls to be made. I have to call a mail pharmacy because the injection drug is not carried anywhere local and has to be shipped to me. I have to call my RE to report I am, indeed, not pregnant in the slightest. The nurse at the RE sends in a refill for the prescription of the other drug that is suppose to make those follicles mature quickly, and then refers me back to the probe lady so I can go on Cycle Day 3, and again on Cycle Day 10 (the usual start day of the Two Week Wait).
It's a vicious, heartbreaking cycle.
I have a medical condition that makes this cycle REQUIRED, just to clarify. A pituitary tumor, a micro edema, that they (those medical studying folks) know so little about. I do have to worry. I do not have a lot of time to satisfy the 1.5 children quota of the typical American family. Because of my pituitary tumor, I could hit early menopause, and I could hit it SOON. Any hope and chance of having the word "mother" be an adjective for me; GONE. DON'T WORRY, they say. Easier said than done.
Today 125,000 abortions will be done, 360,000 births will be delivered, and somewhere maybe 360,000 women (or probably more, because some of them will have abortions) will discover that they are pregnant. (P.S. Don't take this as a pro choice or pro life argument, because it's not. I'm just regurgitating actual facts for the sake of it)
Today, for me, the two week wait ended.
I'm still not pregnant.
My First Tattoo
Last month I got my first tattoo. I feel like many people my age (28) have AT LEAST one. I had not got one YET because I did not know of anything I would want on myself forever. I knew before I ever got a tattoo, it would have to really mean something to me.
The first photo taken of my tattoo, a good 30 minutes after it was done!
The first photo taken of my tattoo, a good 30 minutes after it was done!
When I was starting to emotionally recover from my first known miscarriage, I started to like the idea of getting a tattoo to remember our lost baby. In March I came across the semi colon tattoo, which is more often used for self harm and depression awareness and recovery. However, I liked the message and since I have a degree in English, I found it fitting. When we suffered a second miscarriage in May, I started playing with the ideas of what I wanted to get.
I started drawing what I thought I might like on my wrist. I would mess with the size, colors, and variations. I knew I wanted it simple, not just because that's all I could practice with, but because there was no need to complicate the meaning.
I decided on a semi colon because it means that you have the ability to stop, but you make the choice to keep going. Alongside it, the infertility & pregnancy loss awareness ribbon to symbolize that we will not forget what we have been through and we will never forget our babies that we never got to hold. Steven also pointed out that if you look at it just right, it makes a happy face. It will remind me to always look for the happy in every situation!
I got my tattoo a few days after the due date of our first pregnancy. I figured if the tattoo was going to hurt, it would have hurt a lot less than labor and delivery would, and it would hurt less than what we have been through physically and emotionally because of the loss. It only took a few short minutes and it will be with me forever.
I wish I never had to experience what inspired the tattoo and had my child with me instead, but this is a tattoo I will never regret.
What to say when You Don't Know what to Say
Something bad has happened. Not to you but to a friend, family member, co-worker, or whomever. You want to reach out, but what do you say? What do you do? What can you do to let the person know you are there for them? It's such a unnecessarily touchy subject. I think the best way to answer any and all of those questions is actually pretty easy: BE GENUINE.
Especially in this day and age, we make light of sad times unintentionally. When a friend's loved one dies or whatever the situation may be, it's so easy to reach to phrases such as "everything happens for a reason" or "they are in a better place." It's like a way of censoring yourself, those phrases have become "politically correct" because everyone has said them for a very long time. Please stop with those phrases. Those phrases help YOU think you are saying the right thing, but they do not necessarily helping the person you are saying them to.
If you've read my blog, you know that I have struggled to cope with my miscarriages. I knew I had two, and recently realized before I was ever treated for my pituitary tumor, I most likely had my first. In December, we announced we were finally pregnant and got so much support. When we announced we had lost the pregnancy in January, everyone fell off the map. I think, in our situation, although preparing to be a first time parent can be nerve wracking and all help can be good help, we could have used the support MORE when we found out we lost the pregnancy. It has been an extremely lonely time. For me, I felt rejected by friends and family (see my post: This was Written in Anger). I felt like they did not care about me. I felt like they dismissed my pain (both physical and emotional) like both my baby and I never mattered. Often, I still feel like this, even though in most cases, it's not true. Something came to life and then died inside of me, both physically and emotionally. I'm led to believe that It would be better if I did not talk about it, just in case I might offend someone. If I do talk about it, it should probably just be to support groups of STRANGERS online who have been through the same thing, not to actual people I LOVE and know me personally. Twisted, isn't it?
I've been on the other side many times. Miscarriage happens to 1 in 4 women, it would be pretty unusual to not know at least one person who has experienced it. A beautiful cousin of mine, who has since had some of the most polite, smart, and well-mannered children to ever be brought to the Earth, was the first person I knew to have a miscarriage. I was thirteen I think, or somewhere around there. It was a very happy family event and everyone was having a great time. I went to take a bathroom break, and inside the bathroom was my cousin and a few surrounding her, consoling her. She was in tears and I remember stopping cold, shocked not just because she is usually such a happy and positive person, but I also did not know what to say when they told me why she was so upset. I don't know if I said anything at all. For that, I'm sorry.
If you do not know what to say, and do not want to say anything wrong, I hope these few suggestions help. This isn't an exact science, this is not at all correct for all people or all situations. This is what I wish people had done for me.
A few quick and easy DON'Ts:
Everything happens for a reason – what reason do you think my baby had to die? Yes, the majority of miscarriages occur because of natural selection (your body knows something is wrong with the fetus and spontaneously aborts it). However, sometimes (like in my case) it's something wrong with my body and the way it processes hormone imbalances that causes the miscarriage to occur. Either way, it's not as comforting of a thing to hear as you may think.
God needed another Angel – an easy thing to say when God didn't ask you for yours
Anything starting with "At least you didn't-" – lose it later in the pregnancy? Know the sex of the baby? Go the entire pregnancy to have a stillbirth? Yes, at least those things did not happen. Don't bring them up. Even if those things had happened, I would probably still feel the same.
It is all in God's plan – maybe this works for someone really religious, but I think it's safe to say you should steer clear of it regardless. It's like saying God wanted you to be in pain, learn some horrible life lesson, etc.
ANYTHING about how much you consider changing diapers/sleepless nights/etc a pain. We would gladly do it if given the chance, and you now look like an ungrateful asshole.
Here's a great infertility/miscarriage article – I'm aware of my battle. I do a lot of my own research as well as see TRAINED PROFESSIONALS about my specific case regularly. I live it everyday. Please realize that you offering me an article like that would be the same as me sending you an article on how to be a better parent. It's kind of insulting.
"If it makes you feel any better, I had to go through this bad thing" – 1. You are diminishing my situation & 2. Anyone who says, "Yes that does make me feel better that you had a horrible time" is a complete jerk. 3. Life is not a competition and certainly not a competition to see who can do worse.
"So & So suffered with infertility/miscarriage and now they have three healthy children" – Good for them, but just because So & So beat the battle, it does not mean that I will. Not everyone is so lucky.
You will have a baby one day – No, I might not. There is no guarantee my situation will be solved. Yes, "At least" I can get pregnant, but that does not mean that I can have a healthy baby.
There's always IVF/Adoption/etc. Yes, there is and for a large price tag that you are probably unaware of. The average cost of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is $12,400 whether it works or not. The average cost of a domestic adoption in the United States ranges anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000.
God needed another Angel – an easy thing to say when God didn't ask you for yours
Anything starting with "At least you didn't-" – lose it later in the pregnancy? Know the sex of the baby? Go the entire pregnancy to have a stillbirth? Yes, at least those things did not happen. Don't bring them up. Even if those things had happened, I would probably still feel the same.
It is all in God's plan – maybe this works for someone really religious, but I think it's safe to say you should steer clear of it regardless. It's like saying God wanted you to be in pain, learn some horrible life lesson, etc.
ANYTHING about how much you consider changing diapers/sleepless nights/etc a pain. We would gladly do it if given the chance, and you now look like an ungrateful asshole.
Here's a great infertility/miscarriage article – I'm aware of my battle. I do a lot of my own research as well as see TRAINED PROFESSIONALS about my specific case regularly. I live it everyday. Please realize that you offering me an article like that would be the same as me sending you an article on how to be a better parent. It's kind of insulting.
"If it makes you feel any better, I had to go through this bad thing" – 1. You are diminishing my situation & 2. Anyone who says, "Yes that does make me feel better that you had a horrible time" is a complete jerk. 3. Life is not a competition and certainly not a competition to see who can do worse.
"So & So suffered with infertility/miscarriage and now they have three healthy children" – Good for them, but just because So & So beat the battle, it does not mean that I will. Not everyone is so lucky.
You will have a baby one day – No, I might not. There is no guarantee my situation will be solved. Yes, "At least" I can get pregnant, but that does not mean that I can have a healthy baby.
There's always IVF/Adoption/etc. Yes, there is and for a large price tag that you are probably unaware of. The average cost of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is $12,400 whether it works or not. The average cost of a domestic adoption in the United States ranges anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000.
AND now for the GENUINE responses that I wish we had gotten; The please Do's:
"I'm so sorry for your loss" – It's simple and to the point. It lets me know you were thinking of us and our situation, and that means a lot.
"I'm coming over. I'm bringing food. I will sit with you if you want me to, if not I understand" – There were a lot of times that I did not want to talk, but having a friend or family member there to just sit with, would have been nice. When I lost my "first" pregnancy, the initial day was the worst day of my life, going through labor at only 11 weeks pregnant is not at all pleasant – both physically and emotionally. It took me a little over a week to recover physically from it. Emotionally, I may never recover completely. Depression is no different than being sick, you do not have the strength or energy to do anything. A little help would've been amazing, and definitely never forgotten.
"Talk to me about it" & MEAN IT. & then, most importantly, LISTEN.
There were few that actually cared to listen to me when I needed to talk about our miscarriages. I get it, it makes people uncomfortable. BUT at the same time, I'm unconformable. I'm depressed. I'm broken. My child and my hopes and dreams for them DIED. I talked a lot and then it was met with a "oh, that's terrible" and then the subject was changed. Or I talked and and my situation was compared to something else not the same. I need to talk about what happened to me and my baby to help me heal, to help me find peace. Belittling the situation is not helpful and it really hinders the process.
There were few that actually cared to listen to me when I needed to talk about our miscarriages. I get it, it makes people uncomfortable. BUT at the same time, I'm unconformable. I'm depressed. I'm broken. My child and my hopes and dreams for them DIED. I talked a lot and then it was met with a "oh, that's terrible" and then the subject was changed. Or I talked and and my situation was compared to something else not the same. I need to talk about what happened to me and my baby to help me heal, to help me find peace. Belittling the situation is not helpful and it really hinders the process.
"I was going to do this today, would you like to come along?" We might talk about it, we might not. But letting me know you want to be around me even though I am having a hard time, or even that I might decline, still means so much.
Still don't know what to say? They hire people to make cards that do.
When we felt it was time to announce our loss, we did so on Facebook (minus our parents) instead of calling everyone individually (hopefully, for obvious reasons). That's how the majority of people found out, I'm sure. We got a few responses here and there, and those meant a lot to us. A lot of people sent their condolences to my parents, not to me directly. I was not even made aware of this either, until telling my parents I felt like I was alone and no one cared MONTHS later. I do not know who said what, how they felt, etc, I wish they had told me. It didn't happen to my parents. It happened to us.
In February, maybe a whole month after our first known miscarriage, we ran into one of Steven's friends and co-workers. I had met the guy once before and only briefly. Although it was kind of awkward, not going to lie, he gave me the "I'm so sorry" look and gave my shoulder a squeeze. It meant a lot to me.
We received one card after our first known miscarriage. It was from the head of Steven's company's FRG, she was new, and we had never met her in person. The card said a lot of touching and prevalent things that were extremely comforting and thoughtful. It's the only card we have received throughout the entire time about the matter.
I was told I was a bad friend for not wanting to know about friends' pregnancies. However, those friends were not bad friends because they did not want to know what I was going through because of my miscarriage? (See my post, Words Begging with G) First, that's completely unfair. It's not that I did not want to know, it's that knowing was a reminder of what was taken from me. There are milestones they got to have and will continue to have, that I never will with my baby. I did not know if any of my babies were going to be a boy or a girl, no baby shower for them, no celebration of my baby's upcoming arrival and certainly not of their BIRTH. They were too busy being happy to be bothered with my sadness, and vice versa, I was too depressed to have the reminder of a happy, healthy pregnancy. Neither is wrong necessarily. I do beg to anyone who is pregnant, and your friend loses their pregnancy, DO NOT say "If your baby had lived, what were you going to name it because I don't want to take your name." I was asked that. In all honesty, I'm jealous of my pregnant friends and those who just gave birth to healthy babies. I think my reasoning is totally understandable. So pregnant ladies, please just be mindful of how you say or ask things. You're experiencing something I was denied.
I really hope this does not come off as me trying to being cruel. I'm just being truthful. I've been on both sides of not knowing what to say and also wishing someone would say SOMETHING at all. I realize there can be a lot of miscommunication and bad interpretations of what people say and what they mean. I get it. I'm just trying to say that tough times can be painfully lonely.
I'm trying to bring awareness.
I'm trying to support SYMPATHY & EMPATHY alike.
Loss is never easy, no matter how long or short the person was known.
It's not always easy knowing what to say, but as much as the thought counts, it's important that you tell or show the person there is a thought there at all. Don't just pray for somebody, tell them you are praying for them. Don't discuss your sadness with people outside of the situation, discuss it TO the person it happened to. Where words fail, touch can speak for you. When all else fails, there are many locations to buy cards.
If you are a loved one who has spoken to me about our situation, I appreciate it more than you will ever know, and I am so thankful for your support. I think it's also important for me to say that if you are a loved one of mine who didn't say anything to me, I understand why, I just wish you would. In times of happiness, support is nice. In times of sadness, support is what gets us through it.
If you were here…
If you were here I would be the happiest mother there ever was. I would hold you close and be sure to let you know that you were safe and protected. I would memorize all your tiny features, trying to remember them before they grew too fast. I would sing to soothe you when you were upset, or to make you laugh and dance. I would read to you all my favorite stories, hoping you would grow to love literature as much as your momma. I would have daddy play the guitar for you so you would be just as passionate about music as we are. Daddy would teach you so many things, even some things he probably shouldn't. For your naps, daddy would be your big teddy bear to sleep beside you. We would tell you that we love you so much and so often that "love" just might have been your first word.
If you were here you would have an official name. If you were a boy, you would have been named after your daddy, and his dad before him. If you were a girl, well, we probably would still be debating it, but your middle name would have come from your great grandmother on your momma's side. If you were here, we may have changed our mind entirely, and named you something completely different to suit your laugh and your smile. We named you Avery, a unisex name because we did not know what you would have been. We were so excited to find out, but you left us a few weeks short of us being sure. Avery means noble, which we are sure you are. It also means blonde ruler, which is showing just how much momma was hoping you would have taken after your daddy.
If you were here, maybe your grandparents would be too, and our friends who are now like family. Your grandpas would probably boast about how awesome and amazing you are, just like them, all while your grandmas cooed and smiled for you. Instead, family and friends are across the country at home in California. They do not talk with us about you much, not because they do not care, but because they think it will hurt your daddy and momma. I hope they think of you just the same though as if you were here: fondly and with love.
If you were here we may not have known quite what to do every time something was wrong. We might not know what to say right away to make the bad okay again. In daddy's case, it may have taken several tries to get your diaper on just right. If you were here, I hope you know we would have tried our best each and every time.
If you were here, we would have never known the hurt and heartache it was to lose you. We would have been so thankful, but somehow, we may have taken for granted how lucky we were to have you in our arms.
Today we expected you to be here with us. It was your day to be due for entrance into the world. It was the day you were supposed to have been born.
But you are not here. You are there, wherever there is. I hope that there you are happy, healthy, and know how much you are loved. We wanted you so much. We want you still. We hope that one day we can meet you, and memorize all your features, hold you close and tell you all the stories we have been holding inside.
Daddy and Momma love you, Avery. Please watch over your sibling for us until we can all be together again. ♥
100 Happy Days ♥ Days 91 through 100!
It has been over a month since I completed the #100HAPPYdays challenge and my apologies for posting it so late. On 100HappyDays.com the creator claims that 71% of people who start the challenge will not complete it, claiming lack of time as the reason why. I am apart of the 29% who managed to complete it! I started this challenge in attempts to mentally recover from having a miscarriage after battling infertility for two years. Halfway through, on Day 50 strangely enough, I suffered from a second miscarriage. I originally posted on Instagram that I would restart the challenge a week or so later, but I quickly went back on that, and continued on. The challenge is about finding happiness in your day, no matter HOW bad your day may be. Did I have time to be happy every single day? Not necessarily. I MADE TIME.
100 Happy Days, Days 1 – 10 & 11 – 20 & 21 – 30 & 31 – 40 & 41 – 50 & 51 – 60 & 61 – 70 & 71 – 80 & 81 – 90
On 100HappyDays.com there are claims that people who had completed the challenge benefited from some positive effects including: being in a better mood every day, they started receiving more compliments from other people, they realized how lucky they are to have the life they have, they become more optimistic, and they fall in love during the challenge. I suppose to each their own, especially when things going on your life can hinder or improve happiness. I would not say I was in a better mood BECAUSE of the challenge, but had a better attitude about the day when looking back on the photos of what made me happy that day. I would not say I necessarily received more compliments, but was better at accepting the ones I did receive. I have never been one to take life for granted and every day I'm thankful for the opportunities my husband and I have been given. I would definitely not say I became more optimistic, however, that was because of my situation and what it means to me. As far as falling in love during the challenge, I fall in love with my husband every single day. I think the "falling in love" benefit the website lists is more of a falling in love with life and happiness, rather than a person.
Monday, June 30th 2014
The day before my parents arrived for a visit I finished a few projects I had around the house, cleaned up the place, and washed all the laundry. I felt accomplished!
Tuesday, July 1st 2014
My parents made it to our house just in time for dinner. I made buffalo cauliflower (I HIGHLY recommend! My favorite recipe is from PersnicketyPlates.com) and Steven made a homemade pizza!
Wednesday, July 2nd 2014
For the FMSphotoaday challenge, the prompt was something beginning with K, so I took a photo of my Kodak camera! It was a day of taking mental images as my parents and I caught up!
Thursday, July 3rd 2014
Steven got off early from work so we drove to Manhattan, Kansas, and showed my parents around our favorite spots! We discovered Chris Barr's Cabin in the process. It was found inside a home when it was torn down, and is believed to have been apart of the Underground Railroad!
Friday, July 4th 2014
Since fireworks are not allowed on post, we took it easy for the Fourth of July this year. We ate a big dinner and took my parents on a nearby hike along the river! When we made it back on post, it was perfect timing to sit up on the hill and look down to a nearby town and watch all the fireworks go off.
Saturday, July 5th 2014
Steven and my dad went fishing and my mom and I went to my favorite thrift stores! I found this Steve Urkel doll and could not help but take a photo or two of it. The TGIF television line up holds a lot of fond memories for me!
Sunday, July 6th 2014
There was a huge heatwave and it prevented us from wanting to do much at all! Temperatures were in the high 90s to 100s and the humidity way too high for our blood. We drove around Milford Lake and came across the discovery center and fish hatchery there. This little piggy in a tree near there was too happy not to capture.
Monday, July 7th 2014
The weather was a bit cooler than it had been over the weekend, so the boys attempted to go fishing again. My mother and I went off post to some thrift stores, most of which were closed for the four day weekend. We did manage to find an open cupcake shop though!
Tuesday, July 8th 2014
My parents left that morning to travel a bit more before returning home to California. Kansas was back to being the state of Steven and Kristen.
Wednesday, July 9th 2014
I decided to leave the #100HappyDays photo challenge exactly the way I came into it: with a selfie! It's up to me whether I choose to be happy or not. I have to be the one to fight for my happiness.
Was I happy for 100 days?! No.
Was I able to find something happy in every single day? Yes.
The #100HappyDays challenge showed me that happiness is a journey NOT a destination. You have to enjoy the journey, look for the good when you hit those bumps in the road. Looking over everyone who has taken part of the challenge, it also shows that the journey can be harder for some people. It's easy to be thrown off course, and to be honest, I got back into a bad place after the 100 days was over. It's really easy for people on the outside to throw out a "just be happy" or "choose happiness" when it's not that easy.
Was I able to find something happy in every single day? Yes.
The #100HappyDays challenge showed me that happiness is a journey NOT a destination. You have to enjoy the journey, look for the good when you hit those bumps in the road. Looking over everyone who has taken part of the challenge, it also shows that the journey can be harder for some people. It's easy to be thrown off course, and to be honest, I got back into a bad place after the 100 days was over. It's really easy for people on the outside to throw out a "just be happy" or "choose happiness" when it's not that easy.
I did it! I made it to 100 days! I recommend it. There's so much good that can happen spiritually and emotionally from looking for the HAPPY in each and every day!
Can you find the happy for 100 days?
Photos featuring Fluffy White Clouds
With everything that has happened this past year, I feel as though I built a lot of barriers around myself and my feelings. It is bizarre to me that some people who have been through the same thing can be so unsympathetic. It is hurtful how ignorant people who have not been through it can be. I have been lucky enough to come in contact with MANY wonderful people who do understand, though, do not get me wrong. What I'm trying to say is, I feel like in many ways, I have lost my way with words.
I'm trying to get myself back together, back into the world, back into the old, but good habits. I'll write more about my journey back to happiness next week.
These past few weeks I've spent a lot of time behind the camera lens. These are the snaps from the past week!:
Last weekend was Steven's birthday weekend. I thought for sure we would spend every day fishing at this particular spot. We only went last Saturday, but it was probably the most beautiful day to be there.
While Steven fished, I sat back at a picnic table brainstorming blog ideas. Not a bad view.
I use to ALWAYS take jump photos. The area was so green, I had to take the opportunity to shoot one for old time's sake. I'm a little rusty.
I'm making a video for Steven's family because they have yet to be out to visit us. Since we moved into a new house, I've video taped a tour, as well as the surrounding areas. We went to a few of our favorite places on post.
I like to caption this one with "Eat your heart out Led Zeppelin!"…. (Stairway to Heaven)
While we were at the top, the clouds got quite the sense of humor. I turned around to see what almost appeared to be a working chimney!
Thanks to my handy dandy tripod, I took a few photos of Steven and I! It was really hot and I wore out quickly running between Steven and my tripod! We got a few good ones, but the majority of them we looked too tired.
We're still in counseling for our miscarriages, and when I told our counselor that I had taken maternity photos for a friend she grimaced and gave an empathetic nod. I told her I actually did really well with it. My friend pictured found out she was pregnant the same day as I did, the first pregnancy that I lost. Her due date is ten days after mine would have been. Not until I was home sifting through the photos did I realize that if I was still pregnant, I would have looked the same. Even then, I was able to quickly shake it off. Granted, I have high hopes that we will have our rainbow baby next year. I have been having more good than bad days lately.
One day at a time.


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IN THIS TROPICAL CITY Of OVER 600,000 PEOPLE, there's no doubt almost everyone is connected to each other; we are a city of overlapping social circles. Walk into your local coffee shop and you might spot some familiar faces, maybe exchange a few "his" and "byes". Many might also be familiar with Kuching's wide, local variety of shops and businesses, be they big or small – perhaps some you've grown up with, or have been the new buzz or hearsay from your local 'aunty' or 'uncle'.
With nearly 16,000 businesses located in Kuching, it's hard for one to know the location of a shop you are not familiar with, or have never been to. After all, word of mouth alone isn't enough to secure your understanding of a location. The month of December 2015 saw Aceolution Sdn. Bhd., an IT & Media company from Singapore start a month-long project of data collection of all addresses in Kuching.
"AN Opportunity TO SHOW Your CITY TO THE WORLD "from Penang island to Ipoh down to our neighboring state Sabah, this data collection project gathered a young team of nearly 40 "walkers" to set forth on this temporary project. They literally walked the city searching to put business owners and landmarks to put Kuching on the map. By first marking a store's location with a Smartphone, each walker collects basic contact details including the store's phone number, address, website and operating hours after consent is given by the owner. They scatter across various areas from low to high density, carefully planning their starting routes to fulfill their weekly target of businesses. Stretching to locations as far as 10th mile and Kota Samarahan, businesses have been reviewed to improve the online quality of existing business information, correct inaccurate listings and create new listings in a smooth and secure manner. No rain, thunderstorm, or chasing strays could halt this team from walking the grounds of Kuching and keeping the city on track for the online generation.
"Working with the people of Kuching was a great experience. I was truly inspired with the dedication and commitment shown by the young people of Kuching. This experience will stay in our hearts forever."
"Kuching was our final stop in 2015. We worked in most of the states of Malaysia and the experience in Kuching was very different from the other places. We were taken aback by the commitment shown by the Kuching people."
Ranging from your favourite "kopitiam" to Chinese convenience stores or your dearest barber shop, anyone is now able to locate or contact most retail businesses in Kuching digitally – be they big, small, near or far.
An 18-year-old journalism student in Australia, Shannon deems Kuching as her home and returns during semester breaks, experiencing the best of both worlds. As the youngest of the walkers, she has met many of Kuching's community after hopping from shop to shop. Switching from areas like Tabuan Jaya to Green Road and Kota Samarahan, she has gained a wider perspective of Kuching's business operations working environment, and can read maps much more clearly now.
SFbBox by enter-logic-seo.gr
KUCHING IN & OUT magazine has been birthed out of the desire of Kuching residents to explore and discover more about all the unique places, activities and resources in this region that make Kuching such a special place to live.
We are the people of Kuching, and we are proud of our diversity of cultures! We are embarking on a journey of rediscovering the charm of our cultures, traditions and flavours, revealing Kuching's refreshing vibrancy. We are excited about creating a voice for the local individual. As a connector between all our rich and different communities, More About Us
Marian Chin Editor-in-Chief
Karen Shepherd Copy Editing
Jean Voon
Marian Chin 0198579576
Whatmatters Sdn Bhd (518203 D)
Published bi-monthly by
Whatmatters Sdn Bhd (518203 D)

subset: commoncrawl


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Assembled in kindergarten Uhříněves inaugurated
Prague, 31/10/2011 - The lack of places in nursery schools currently suffer from not only parents but also mayors. The same problem recently faced in Prague-Uhříněves, where in these days opens a new pavilion for fifty-six preschoolers. Construction lasted only two months and due to the effectiveness of prefabricated buildings WAREX city coffers came to 9.2 million CZK without VAT.
"Uhrineves is a rapidly growing part of the city with a high proportion of young families. Construction of a new nursery school and was therefore a necessity for us as leaders and community responsibilities. When searching for a new supplier for kindergarten, we considered several factors - speed of construction, to supply turnkey installations, including the interior and of course we watched the amount of costs, " says Mayor Uhříněves Milan Coller.
Mounted kindergarten for 56 children is surrounded by gardens and is designed as a stand-alone single-storey pavilion with a flat roof. Day rooms are oriented towards both east and west. The building is based on the underlying bases of plain concrete based in non-freezing depth. The pavilion is designed kindergarten steel skeleton system WAREX. Vertical load-bearing structures are formed by columns of circular hollow steel sections. Horizontal load-bearing structures are made of steel trusses. External walls are sandwich. The core of the peripheral wall is formed wall panel. The exterior wall is insulated facade contact system. The surface of the facade is made of thin plaster in the thermal insulation composite system. The roof is designed as a flat membrane. Drainage is dealt with roof drains and interior partitions are drywall in a certified system, floating floors with underfloor heating. The windows are plastic with insulating double glazing fitted with plastic inner and outer sheet metal poplastovanými sills.
"The prefabricated buildings WAREX is currently very demanded especially in those cities and municipalities, which must quickly deal with the lack of places for children of preschool age," confirms the interest of municipalities Director WAREX Antonín Fryč. "The advantage of building our programs is not only their variability, they are easy to rebuild for the desired purpose, but also significant time and financial savings." Building process kindergarten for 50 children in Uhříněves.


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A double standard perhaps? Whatever, nothing new here; my husband has been leaving his shoes where they lay for the ten years of our marriage. Sometimes I put them back where they "belong," in the hall closet. Just as I hang up his trail of pajamas that he leaves on the floor on the way to the bathroom every morning.
What could he say? What could he do, except what he usually does, open his mail, then just leave it there, on the counter.


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How To Download Ipod Games
How To Download Ipod Games
Before I wrote this article I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the afternoon sun while playing Me and My Katmari on my Ipod .
Now I love downloading Ipod games but until recently I didn't even know you could download games onto your Ipod until my friend John showed me how.
It's quite easy to download Ipod games .
Most sites provide the converter you need in order to put the Ipod software downloads onto your Ipod.
Once you've downloaded the games of your choice, you can play them directly on your Ipod Mini, Ipod Nano or video Ipod.
There are so many different games you can download to your Ipod; sports, action, strategy, puzzles, driving, adventure, simulations and role-playing .
Some of the most popular games at the moment are action games such as Persuit Force, Daxter and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories .
Popular shooter games include Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Essentials .
a popular arcade/puzzle game is Me and My Katmari .
Two popular fighting games are Fight Night: Round 3 and Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai.
These games are just the tip of the iceberg .
With so many Ipod games to download, you're spoiled for choice .
Of course, you could always download ALL the Ipod games .
That's sure to keep you busy for a while!
There are so many Ipod software downloads out there though .
It can be very time consuming surfing from site to site trying to find the particular games you want to download .
Wouldn't it be great if you could download hundreds of Ipod games from the one site?
Well, I've just found such a site .
It has hundreds of Ipod games to download and the game database is updated daily .
I'm in Ipod game heaven! Want to join me?
Jessica Smith is an Ipod game fanatic .
If you'd like to find out more on downloading hundreds of Ipod games, visit www.coolwebstuffonline.com/Ipodgameheaven now!


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Monday, June 20, 2016
Comedy Show at Victoria Falls...
39 comments:
Just doin' what comes naturally. :)ReplyDelete
Lets me the relatives! Great animals.ReplyDelete
Cheers - Stewart M - MelbourneReplies
Kind of reminds me of my family!!! I was the young one annoying the other siblings!!!Delete
Ha ha - so adorable.ReplyDelete
å så søte og morsomme :-)ReplyDelete
They're fun critters!ReplyDeleteReplies
They're hilarious!!!Delete
LOL! That's awesome! A regular comedy troupe!ReplyDelete
Hehe. This is a cute one.ReplyDelete
it is so fun to observe animals' behavior.ReplyDelete
Look at that little one, adorable and yet a little intimidating. Great photo set, Kathryn.ReplyDelete
Look at that little one, adorable and yet a little intimidating. Great photo set, Kathryn.ReplyDelete
Ha...so cute!ReplyDelete
Fantastic captures of this series, and so adorable.ReplyDelete
Love your pics of the baboons. They are fun to watch, always picking and cleaning.ReplyDeleteReplies
I should do more of that in my home!!!Delete
These are such fun photos!ReplyDelete
How cute, just imagine human families, lol !ReplyDelete
Great shots of some fun, monkeying around.ReplyDelete
Enchanting photos - this is how family life should be;-)ReplyDeleteReplies
Haha!!! Sibling Rivalry at it's best!!!Delete
Thankyou for introducing us to thw baboonfamily!ReplyDelete
Amsterdam is a beautiful city with so many canals.
Wil, ABCWTeam
I thoroughly enjoyed this series of photos of the Baboon family. They are funny and interesting primates.ReplyDelete
Thanks Reader Wil and Denise in VA!!!ReplyDelete
What a beautiful and adorable little family :) this made me smile.ReplyDelete
Oh gosh, they are so cute and interesting and what a great memory to be "pursued" by a baboon! (Though I would rather have been in your shoes watching and laughing than in the Chief's).ReplyDelete
Very interesting. They look like such characters.ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I love to read your comments and see where you all are from!!! I will respond as well as visit your sites!!!
Please note that if you are a Google+ member I won't be able to comment, but I will still visit your site!
Have a wonderful day!!!


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Andy was an Associate Clinical Professor at Warwick Medical School and a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust UHCW. Andy died in a car accident near his home in Kenilworth, on Friday March 13th 2015.
Andy had a special interest in hip and knee replacement and a particular expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with infections around previous knee replacements. He was enormously popular among his patients, and among colleagues and staff from all parts of the hospital.
Andys sudden death is a devastating loss to both Warwick Medical School and the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire. His hard work and determination made a great impact on both organisations, colleagues and patients. He will be sorely missed by all those that knew and worked with him.
Andy had come to Warwick and Coventry in April 2012, having completed his orthopaedic training in Newcastle and Middlesbrough, and having spent a year in Sydney studying specialist techniques in knee surgery. He immediately began to establish himself as a clinician and researcher, developing and implementing new techniques in hip and knee replacement. He worked with a wide group of colleagues across the University, from his clinical academic colleagues, to engineers and microbiologists, to methodologists and statisticians in the Clinical Trials Unit. His research explored how to diagnose infection and tested new ways to control pain during hip and knee replacement. He inspired and taught young doctors and researchers alike, and helped to lead the Masters course in orthopaedic surgery.
He was well known across the country and was regularly a speaker at national and international meetings, having been selected to travel around the world as a talented orthopaedic leader to represent the British Orthopaedic Research Society. When he died, he was on his way to Glasgow to learn about an innovative way to organise clinics, and bring those ideas back to UHCW. This was typical of his determination to make orthopaedic surgery in UHCW and at Warwick as good as it could possibly be.
Everyone uses the term 'larger than life' to describe Andy. He was an exceptionally enthusiastic, bubbly character, who loved to work hard and make new and exciting things happen.
Many of us are in shock and deeply upset about Andy's death. Andy was a very charismatic character whose loss will leave a big gap within the orthopaedic department. For everyone who worked with, cared about and loved Andy, we can only imagine how devastating this news is. We are all going to miss him and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
The Andy Sprowson Memorial Fellowship
Andy's wife Louise, supported by colleagues at the University Hospital and at Warwick Medical School, has established a fund for a memorial fellowship. The plan is to award a fellowship every year to a young orthopaedic surgeon, physiotherapist or nurse who will learn something new or do some research that will help to improve the care of orthopaedic patients.
If you would like to support the Memorial Fellowship, please visit the Virgin Money Giving page by clicking the button below.Donation Page


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Here are some common missteps most guitarists seem to make along the way:
A lot of folks mistake being a good guitarist with being a good musician. The two are not necessarily linked. If you want to make an impact, learn how to write good songs. There's an unlimited number of hot pickers that cannot write a good song and a ton of hot pickers who cannot make a dime from their skills because all those hot licks fail to add up to anything substantial.
Further, a lot of capable musicians cannot make the transition to earning money from their music because they fall under the illusion that good music speaks for itself. Wrong. If you want to have a music career, you'd be better off getting degrees in business and consumer psychology. Music is one thing, business is another.
Failure to look the part. If you want to be a rock star than look like one. How many guitarists show up wearing shorts and running shoes to a gig and then wonder why nobody takes them seriously. You have to stand out, look like a freak, not like some average schmo at convenience store.
Learn a lot of popular songs. Learning more licks and tricks will not help you become a better musician. Take the time to learn how to compose, arrange, read music, transcribe, and communicate with others using musical terminology and notation. And learn music theory as well.
Learn to sing. Your hot licks will not add as much to a band as you imagine. Being able to sing or just provide backup vocals will make you more valuable.
A lot of players start by learning the blues form and fail to move on to other genres. I think it is vital to know how to play blues music because it forms a solid foundation for Western popular music but most self-identifying 'blues' players are just lazy dolts who never learned anything else or too unimaginative to go beyond the most basic things. Lack of versatility and a lack of an open mind mean that most players will never create anything of lasting value.
Most players spend way too much time learning how to solo when 90% of the time guitarists are playing rhythm parts.
Stringing together one prefab lick after another does not make a good solo. Most guitarists have a 'lick' mentality and cobble shit together hoping it will make a coherent solo. It will not. You need to think MELODY and developing motifs. You should strive for hearing a melody line in your head and making that line come out on the guitar "at the speed of thought." If you're not working toward that goal then you're just playing notes. Take Satriani for example: this pick scrapes, squeals, and whammy bar tricks do not pay the bills, rather, it all comes down to catchy melodies.
It's important to learn scales but don't waste time playing them. The key to knowing scales is to learn the intervallic characteristics. Time spent on scales would be better utilized learning how to identify intervals all over the neck of the guitar such that, for example, if you're playing in the Key of A, from any note on the fretboard you should know how that note relates to the fundamental and the relationship of ever other note to the fundamental and the note being played. So, if I'm playing the note at the 9th fret, third string I need to know that it is an E, that it is the perfect 5th of the tonic, and that if I play a major third higher than the E, 9th fret on the 2nd string, I'm playing the major 7th note in the key of A (and that note is G#)....and if I lower the major 7th by a half step then I have introduced a dominant or flat 7th tonality and that the resulting sound will want to head off into the direction of D major and then back to A or maybe E or E7. That's what you should be getting out of scale and harmonization practice. Likewise, if I 'need' some notes from a little pool that contains a major third and a major seventh I have a couple of options. If I go with the major scale I'm going to keep going in the direction I was going. If I call up that raised fourth from the Lydian I now have the opportunity to take things in a more roundabout way, either a detour to another key or just round off a corner by way of getting back to where I was.
Most guitarists are locked into the boxes created by frets and don't realize that the real magic happens with micro bends and playing 'between' notes. It is quite possible to play between a major and a minor third with tiny bends that lend an entirely different sound: a little bit major and a little bit minor simultaneously.
Overplaying is a serious problem. Despite some notable exceptions, blazing fast guitar solos rarely have a place in a song that is going to have wide appeal and most audience members at a gig will grow bored very quickly with masturbatory guitar wanking. Just stop doing that. It's not even possible to impress other guitarists with that stuff.
Neglecting other instruments. There's more to life than guitar and one of the best moves you can make is to learn piano, drums, horns, etc., in addition to guitar. The world is full of guitarists but paying gigs come to drummers and bassists with a place to practice. However, we (most of us, anyways) have limits and need to know where our strengths are. I have been part of several bands that could have been good but sunk because guys wanted to run away from their strengths: killer bassist who wants to sing and play the guitar and does both terribly; great drummer who wants to write lyrics, and so on.
Most "guitarists" are actually just guitar owners who sit around their den noodling on their guitars for a few minutes per night, hearing their axe abstracted from any musical context. What sounds good in your den, by yourself, will seldom work with the rest of the band. Forget about "tone."
People worried about "tone" are typically just people who have just given up on music. Once a person is marooned on the Island of Tone they can just flounder there for the duration making zero musical impact. Better yet, they can argue endlessly about it on guitar internet forums where their lack of skill or musicality is masked by a pseudo-authority centered on something purely subjective and irrational.
The goal as a musician, like any other art, is to add something new to the world. Your "tone" is not something objective you add to the world like good lyrics or a memorable melody."Tone" is an excuse to not add anything new to the world. Still, you're going to have a tone just by pursuing your quest. Don't quest for tone, let it find you.
Failure to use the whole range of the guitar, from top to bottom, and all the harmonics as well.
Failure to use tone and volume knobs. Use the knobs or be a knob.
Tone is not "in the fingers" but both hands. Your picking hand probably contributes as much if not more to your "tone" than your fretting fingers. Most players spend all their time trying to figure out how to positively make sounds with their guitar and not enough time, negatively, learning how to subtract sound (really, unwanted sound) from their playing -- i.e., how to mute strings effectively and alter timber through various muting techniques.
Thinking that guitar skills translate into bass skills. Few things in life are as unpleasant as playing with a guitarist who thinks the bass is just a guitar missing two strings.
Most players wait too long to play gigs because they think they're not good enough. There's no time like the present. No matter your skill level, you need to get out and play with others.
Focusing way, way, way, way, way too much on gear. I mean, way, way, way too much. A guitar (just about any guitar) and an amp is enough to get the job done. I know, you spend all your time on The Gear Page and imagine you can gear night and day differences between the various brands of expensive cables but you're just full of shit. Another guitar will not make you better.


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CHIANG RAI, Thailand — The 12 boys and their soccer coach are recovering well and in a brief new video list their food wish lists while the health minister says they're expected to be discharged next week.
Video messages of the boys from a Saturday news conference show them still wearing surgical masks, a safeguard against infection since the last of them was pulled from a cave on Tuesday after being trapped for almost three weeks.
Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayatorn says all 13 are set to leave the hospital next Thursday. Doctors say they will still need to be closely monitored for physical and psychological effects of their ordeal.


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Image via WikipediaDiversify young man, diversify!
That has been the mantra of the entire investment industry for 40 years now. However the cracks in the dam of diversification widen immensely when the markets go sideways, or begin to fall, as they are this year (and probably for years to come). Here are some reasons why diversification may well be a huge money pit over the next few years.
In a previous article, I explained how average investors are getting screwed by the mutual fund industry.
Ten years ago, if you invested in most diversified mutual funds, you would have made approximately zero on all your investments to date. (Ten years of ZERO!!!) The mutual fund industry is the most bloated, overpaid and valueless industry in the world today, in this writers humble opinion. They charge you fees from 2-4% for essentially "not managing" your investments. Many of the managed mutual funds out there are actual closet indexers (they follow the index of the country or market they are invested in by buying the large cap stocks as they appear in order in the index) You would do better simply by buying an index fund yourself and paying the .05% fee instead of 3-4% fees. Why is that?
Well there are several reasons for this behavior not the least of which is the fact that (and this has been subject of scientific studies) a trained monkey, picking stocks over an extended period utilizing diversification, on a statistical basis, does as well, within 1 or 2%, as almost all of these fund managers. In other words, they have no specific skill in picking stocks using diversification. Diversification works when there is a bull market, but there is no protection when markets plunge (as in 2000 or 2008) and the next two years could be absolutely devastating for fund investors. That is probably why there has been $50B (approx) removed from these funds over the summer. Being long term investors, most of those won't be back to the market anytime soon unless it is to pick specific stocks in small bull markets.
There have been many studies over the years in regard to this. In the current market, being manipulated by governments around the world employing Quantitative Easing (QE), large traders like GS, JP and the like using super computers and flash trading, in a market notable only for it's very thin trading, the word that comes to mind is "fraudulent" when it comes to stock prices, especially the large cap supposedly "blue chip" variety.
The fund industry wants you to believe that diversification will be your investment savior, however many savvy investors today know too well how this industry works. Just ask yourself, were you diversified in 2000? Were you diversified in 2008? Did your fund have investments in Enron? AIG?, Dot Bombs? Fannie? Freddie? Nortel?, JDS Uniphase? Citi, GM, Chrysler, AA, etc etc??? Did your funds make you "ANY" money at all? We need to change our thinking, now, and dramatically!
There is, in fact, a way to use this bloated industry, to pad your Retirefund over the next few years. There are indeed stocks out there, flying under the radar (thankfully) of this bloated industry, simply because no tainted ratings agency has noticed them (yet) or because these small caps are not yet big enough for the industry to promote to fund managers. I,m not talking about the \'under $2B\' range of stocks that the managers consider small cap. I,m talking about really small, micro cap entities that are forging niches in future markets that haven't hit the big time yet. That is where smart investors are looking in this market.
Find those gems that have a foot hold in new markets, are front runners with nimble and smart management, in a market soon to be targetted by the big dogs of the fund industry.
Now you are on to something. Something that truly makes sense, in a senseless market. Today, you have at your finger tips all of the technology you need and more. More than the so called experts have ever had in the past, so, use it! Do your home work. Dig for information, and evidence of advantage in micro caps, and stay on top of that information. Prosperity will follow.
Using this simple strategy last year, I advanced my own retirefund by over 220 per cent. Last month alone, I doubled my money on one stock and I believe that over the next two months, it will double again.
This month another of our picks is up 36% on discovery of a new green tech energy process that may revolutionize how we deal with (and utilize) carbon emissions.
Are they all home runs? Of course not. Anyone who tells you they only hit home runs is lying through their teeth. However, if you hit a home run every 5th time at bat, then you will be a heavy hitter over the year. If you get a single, a double or a walk on 3 of the other 4, you will win the batting championship, hands down.
Here's to your Retirefund!


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"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6
While brushing our little pup Gabby, I picked several pine needles out of his long hair. He seemed very appreciative.
I started reminiscing about a musician with whom we had worked. While growing up in his native Scotland, he had spent many years as a shepherd. I asked what he considered to be the most difficult problem in caring for sheep. He replied: "Sheep are stupid. If sheep wander into a briar bush, instead of backing away from it, they will push themselves further and deeper until they are so entangled and wounded they will die unless the shepherd comes to their rescue to set them free."
The quickest way for us to get ensnared in bondage is to do what we please rather than what God wants us to do. In Isaiah 53:5 it tells us that Jesus was "wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities".
Are you flirting with or involved in a perilous situation? Are you entangled in a web of helplessness, despair and destruction? God instructs us in His Word, Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
Our Shepherd is able to set us free and apply healing balm to our wounds. "…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:10-11
In Psalm 23:3 we read: "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." As sheep, we can be stubborn, prideful, indifferent, self-willed. We are prone to wander from the flock, but our faithful Shepherd, filled with loving kindness, will leave the ninety-nine in the flock to rescue me… one stray little lamb. Praise God. Thank you Jesus.
Monthly devotions are written by Robert and Laura Nance,
musicians/artists gifted by the Lord. The
current devotion features artwork by Laura and music by Robert.
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"New Morn" © - By Robert Nance
Understand The Times is an independent non-profit organization in
Canada and the United States.


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For Cayuga Community College graduate and Commencement speaker Brian Knapp '13, this day almost never came.
On August 4, 2008, nine days before his 21st birthday, he was driving his Marine commander through the country side of Afghanistan when they vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device. He sustained a traumatic brain injury and struggled to remember simple words like "gate."
But on Sunday, Knapp, a 2013 SUNY Chancellor's Award Recipient, graduated with honors with an associate's degree in geographic information systems, and with the knowledge that he has helped transform Cayuga into a military-friendly campus.
"Between the Veterans Working Group and the two organizations, we have been able to bring fundamental change on our campus," Knapp said. "We have established in-state tuition for all veterans and a book deferral program, changed the deployment policy, established a Veteran Specific Orientation, and we are about to introduce a laptop loan program. I cannot express how much gratitude I have to the faculty, staff, administrators, and students who have supported me and our student veterans."
Knapp was one of 630 graduates, including 33 graduating military veterans, recognized during the College's 59th Annual Commencement ceremony in Spartan Hall, Auburn Campus.
During his remarks, College President Daniel P. Larson gave some fast facts about the graduating Class of 2013, including:
· 65% female and 35% male
· range in age from 17 to 63 years, with 58% under age 25
· 44% are residents of Cayuga County, 37% residents of Oswego County, 8% residents of Onondaga County, and 11% residents elsewhere, mostly New York State, and including California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, and Canada.
"We know that you have grown and matured here," Larson said. "You are more motivated and self-directed, and you have met enormous challenges. We are pleased to have been part of that journey."
Faith Fanning '13, 2013 SUNY Chancellor's Award recipient and graduate, opened her Commencement address to her peers with the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay," explaining to them: "Our time at CCC is coming to a close; it is the end of a season in our lives," Fanning said. "Today each of us will leave this place having made an accomplishment, prepared to move on to the next seasons in our lives."
Other speakers included College Board of Trustees Chairman John Camardo '84, Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Michael Chapman, and Alumni Association President Edward "Ted" Herrling '72.
Leading the academic procession was Mace Bearer and Grand Marshal Judith G. Miladin, director of financial aid; College Marshals William Lovell, Fulton Campus accounting professor and division chair, and Susan Wolstenholme, Auburn Campus English professor, led the faculty and staff; and the Class of 2013 Class Marshals were Philip F. DeCicca of Auburn, Phi Theta Kappa graduate in studio art and design, and Dawn A. Varney of Altmar, a Phi Theta Kappa graduate in business administration.
The Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band opened the procession.
During the ceremony, the college recognized the following three employees with SUNY Chancellor's Awards for:
· Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities – Daniel F. Schultz, Social Sciences Professor
· Excellence in Classified Service – Robert Szczepanski '77, Custodial Service Staff
· Excellence in Teaching – Shannon Lavey Reohr, Math Professor
Alumni Michael R. Frame '99, director of federal relations for SUNY and Binghamton University, and Patricia M. Callahan '87, a Literacy Volunteer and college donor, received the Alumni Association Award for their outstanding contributions.


text:
Be Gentle, Be Kind™ crčme co-wash is a 4-in-1 formula that effectively cleanses, conditions, detangles, and nourishes your hair. This ultra-hydrating formula removes impurities without stripping hair of natural oils. Fortified with hydrating shea, nourishing avocado oil & quinoa extracts, and soothing aloe to enhance manageability and healthiness of the hair.
Who it's for: For those with textured, thick, coarse, dry, and/or color treated hair. We recommend Be Gentle, Be Kind™ Green Tea Shampoo for those with oily, fine, thin, or normal hair or hair with significant buildup.
What it does: Gently, yet effectively, rids the hair of dirt and buildup while nourishing & conditioning the hair with nutrient-rich essential ingredients. This high slip cleanser also aids in the detangling process and leaves the hair feeling hydrated, soft, & silky.
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What else you need to know: This cruelty-free, 96 percent naturally-derived formula is vegan-friendly and formulated WITHOUT sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicone, synthetic fragrances and dyes.16oz/473ml


text:
People of Antigua, Guatemala 2010
Street Photography, Antigua, Guatemala. Street Photography of people of Antigua, Guatemala, Central America. These photographs depict the few of the people who weren't tourists.These include children working as shoe shiners, young girls selling traditional bracelets and bags, and some people begging.Add to Lightbox Download
- Filename
- People- of-Antigua-2010_RIS1699.jpg
- Copyright
- Tristan Poyser
- Image Size
- 2592x3888 / 5.0MB
Antigua Guatemala backpacking budget central america chicken bus motion blur reportage s semana santa street photography transport travel tristan poyser Street Photography Antigua Guatemala Central America children working street kids shoe shiners young girls beggar homeless street vendors street sellers
- Contained in galleries


text:
TEMPERATURES soared in more ways than one when Westlife frontman SHANE FILAN and his band hit Bridgwater's Blake Hall at his stormy Sedgemoor show.
A packed house of Filaners greeted the Irish dreamboat at the high-spirited, intimate show from the boy band-man-gone-solo.
Shane's set was made up of new, acoustic-pop material from his debut solo record 'You And Me', mixed in with heady Westlife classics, and the roar from the crowd couldn't have been louder.
Still buzzing after his gig, Shane tweeted: "That was a lot of fun! Thank you. What an atmosphere! Hottest gig ever!!!"


text:
Table of Contents
Performance is Dead, Long Live Performance!
Friday Oct. 8, 2010
Location: GHC 6115
Time: 11AM
Ben Zorn
Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research
In a world of social networking, security attacks, and hot mobile phones, the importance of application performance appears to have diminished. My own research agenda has shifted from looking at the performance of memory allocation to building runtime systems that are more resilient to data corruption and security attacks. In my talk, I will outline a number of areas where code-generation and runtime techniques can be successfully applied to areas for purposes other than performance, such as fault tolerance, reliability, and security. Along the way, I will consider such questions as "Does it really matter if this corruption was caused by a software or hardware error?" and "Is it okay to let a malicious person allocate arbitrary data on my heap?".
Despite these other opportunities, the importance of performance in modern applications remains undiminished, and current hardware trends place an increasing burden on software to provide needed performance boosts. In concluding, I will suggest several important trends that I believe will help define the next 10 years of code generation and optimization research.
Ben Zorn is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research. After receiving a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 1989, he served eight years on the Computer Science faculty at the University of Colorado in Boulder, receiving tenure and being promoted to Associate Professor in 1996. He left the University of Colorado in
1998 to join Microsoft Research, where he currently works. Ben's research interests include programming language design and implementation and performance measurement and analysis. He has served as an Associate Editor of the ACM journals Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems and Transactions on Architecture and Code Optimization and he currently serves as a Member-at-Large of the SIGPLAN Executive Committee. For more information, visit his web page at http://research.microsoft.com/~zorn/.
Back to the seminar page


text:
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This Cube Stereo Hybrid 140 SL was collected in store recently! 'The Stereo Hybrid 140 SL has everything you need for great days out in the mountains... and nothing that you don't. All-mountain perfection, redefined.' See more Cube electric moRead More


text:
"These guys are relentless!" Tristan screamed to no one in particular, as the bullets, like hail, fell down range. After thirty grueling minutes of fighting, the shooting stopped. All that remained was a field full of blood and smoke. Few Marines had been killed during this engagement, but in Tristan's estimation close to 200 enemy soldiers were lying dead around them. He was pretty confident at least a dozen of them had been felled by his Browning Automatic Rifle; he was damn proud too. Hail started to pour down on them again in the Pacific. No, now it started to storm!
— J.J. Landry


text:
On this page there are some
examples of what
the ROM sound chips sound Like
Download Rom Chip
Library manual here
click and choose "save as".
The file is PDF format
The Table below shows Rom chips which
are available
Please note
! You can not use the ROM chips on
their own , the ROM chips are designed to fit into
the Socket on a Standard or ZIF PCB Expansion card to
be able to use them with the korg DDD1 or
Korg DDD5.
If you do not have
a PCB EXPANSION card, please order an expansion
card set
ordering individual ROM chips, Thanks. ( Please Contact:
firstname.lastname@example.com if you are not sure)
All of ROM chips have
very " usable "sounds
for programming exciting beats
on the DDD 1/5! !
please have a listen to the demos
to HOME


text: Professor Polly Ulichny spoke on Friday, April 28th at Press Play: Faculty Panel, Encouraging Students to Use Multimedia. Examples of multimedia assignments Brown faculty have developed and what students have created as a result were presented. Multimedia assignments hold great potential for enhancing student learning. Images, graphics, animation, video, and audio can be used to produce a powerful message and students who work on these projects gain valuable 21st century skills.


text:
Non-corrugated cardboard
- At December 18, 2012
- By BCOperations
- In Mixed Paper
- 0
Proper Disposal
Residential Curbside Collection
Fixed Collection Facilities
- Elkhorn Fire Station
- Blaine County Recycle Center (110 Ohio Gulch Road–Bldg 1)
- Ohio Gulch Transfer Station (110 Ohio Gulch Road)
- Carey Transfer Satiation (1675 South 1800 East, Carey)
- West Magic (4200 North 900 East, Buhl)
Examples of NON-Corrugated Cardboard
In a non-corrugated box, the pieces may be made of a single layer, or even multiple layers, but they're all flat.
- cereal boxes
- facial tissue boxes
- cracker boxes
- six-pack holders
Add Your Business:
If your business reuses, recycles or safely disposes of an item that is on the A to Z list, or an item you feel should be on the A to Z list, complete the attached Vendor Application Form and e-mail it to: email@example.com.
Add a New Material:
If there is an item that you would like to see added to the A to Z list, e-mail the name of the item to: firstname.lastname@example.com. We will do the research to see what local disposal options are available.


text:
Add: 3/8/2012
Type: Show
Views: 53688
Status: GOOD
Savage Weekend (1979)
Time: 1:20:22
Date Added: 3/8/2012
Country: USA Language: English
Rated: 2 of 5
Votes: 1
Tags: Public Domain Horror Thriller Movie Film Christopher Allport Jim Doerr David Gale Devin Goldenberg
Several couples head upstate to the country to watch a boat being built. Unfortunately they are stalked by a murderer behind a ghoulish mask
Our Free movie website is one of the easiest internet movie sites around. You can watch movies with as little as one click. Our line up includes Free Classic Horror, Sci-f, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Action/Adventure, and Family Movies. Our Classic movie site streams our own classic movies and offers even more entertainment by linking to classic movies we have found thruout the web. This lets us offer hundreds of Free Movies for your entertainment. Why pay to watch the same movies over and over, and over, and just when you thought you seen them for the last time, over again. Put the freedom of choice back in your hands, watch free tv and movies. Internet tv is the way of the future so save some money, watch tv online. No more monthly bills from your cable or satelite provider, now that's what I'm talking about!
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Copyright © 2012


text:
Our caregivers are trained specifically to provide in-home care. They have successfully passed extensive background checks and are bonded, insured and trained in CPR.
Assisting Hands® will help you select the best match from our pre-screened group of available assistants, and can generally have qualified help placed in your home within 48 hours or less from the initial call.
We know that our services and our agency in general are only as good as our employees are. That's why we spend a lot of time, effort and resources on selecting only those caregivers who have clean records, extensive experience, excellent references, a passion for what they do, good manners, fluent communication skills and great attitude.
Adequate stress management is key in a good caregiver, specially when taking care of people with Alzheimer's disease or any other form of dementia. Our caregivers are trained in different techniques to manage caregiver stress which represent better attention to detail, more concentration on the client's needs and better service overall.


text:
University of Miami
UM's Artie Burns runs 4.46 40-yard dash at NFL Scouting Combine
Monday marked the end of the NFL Scouting Combine for the five Miami Hurricanes who were invited to participate in the week-long event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
On the final day, UM's two top prospects — cornerback Artie Burns and safety Deon Bush — had their workouts.
Burns, the only Hurricane underclassman in this year's NFL Draft, took part in two events — the 40-yard dash and vertical jump. His 4.46 best in the 40 tied him with Maryland's Sean Davis for sixth among cornerbacks.
"You can't measure his passion and his heart," NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said just seconds before Burns ran his first 40, "but it should account for much. I cannot wait to see him perform."
The 6-0, 193-pound Burns, last week projected by ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. to be taken late in the first round, didn't run as fast as some might have expected — he was a national track star growing up —but still has an opportunity to perform on campus March 30 at UM Pro Day.
The fastest 40 time at the combine was recorded by Georgia running back Keith Marshall in 4.31 seconds. The fastest cornerback was Jonathan Jones of Auburn in 4.33.
Burns' vertical was 31.5 inches.
Bush, a 6-0, 199-pound senior, ran a 4.64 best Monday in the 40 and did 17 bench-press reps (225 pounds). His vertical leap was 5 ½ inches better than Burns' — 36 inches. His broad jump was 123 inches. Before the Combine, NFL.com projected Bush as "an NFL backup or special teams potential."
Last week, UM receiver Rashawn Scott, 6-1 and 199 pounds, did 17 reps of his bench press, jumped 32.5 inches vertically and reached 116 inches with his broad jump. He did not run the 40.
Defensive lineman Ufomba Kamalu, 6-5 and 295 pounds, was the only Hurricane to take part in all six workouts at the Combine. He ran the 40 in 5.01, had 26 bench-press reps, jumped 106 inches, did the three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds and completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.58 seconds.
And Raphael Kirby, 6-0 and 236 pounds, who tore the ACL in his right knee in October, excelled in the bench press — his only event — by finishing second among linebackers with 27 reps. The Combine leader among linebackers was Christian Westerman of Arizon State, with 34.
UM confirmed Monday that Adrian Colbert, a 6-1, 206-pound safety who plans to earn his undergraduate degree at Texas in May, has signed an athletic financial-aid agreement and will transfer to Miami as a graduate student and play his last season with the Hurricanes in 2016.
Colbert was a four-star recruit out of Mineral Wells High in Texas. He committed to former Texas defensive coordinator Manny Diaz — now UM's defensive coordinator — as part of the 2012 signing class. He had 26 tackles and one interception in 26 games his redshirt freshman and sophomore years. He played in 12 games last season but registered no statistics.
Susan Miller Degnan: 305-376-3366, @smillerdegnan


text:
Tuesday, July 17
Twinsie Tuesday: Crackle
50 comments:
It's like abstract leopard!ReplyDelete
It's lovely - and it's fun how the crackle polishes seem to grow thick in the bottle pretty rapidly...ReplyDelete
Very pretty!!! :D I love what you are wearing underneath the crackle (wow, I sound like a creeper, LOL!!). :DReplyDelete
This is exactly why black is pretty much the only crackle I like - abstract animal print! And I loooove it with bling under!ReplyDelete
i love the gold layering!!ReplyDelete
Looks great, also without the crackle :-)ReplyDelete
I love the gold under the black! Super cute!!ReplyDelete
gold is awesome with blackReplyDelete
I love this with the glitter! It's super pretty.ReplyDelete
Love your base layers!!! It looks great togetherReplyDelete
oooh, this is really cute!ReplyDelete
I have that same Sally Hanson polish! This is a cool manicure! That chrome looks great on you. :)ReplyDelete
That Sally hansen is sooo pretty! haa!ReplyDelete
Crackles are sometimes fun to me. But I really never got into the fad.Replies
Thanks! I totally agree with you!Delete
Like your nails!!ReplyDelete
I really like how you layered the chrome and the glitter before putting crackle over it. It's pretty!ReplyDelete
LOVE the glitter and chrome layering--it makes your mani look jewel-encrusted! I used to do gold/black crackle combos a lot when I first got my bottle of OPI Black Shatter back in the day. I think it's such a classic pairing! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
I agree!!!! Thanks!Delete
gold looks really awesome with the black!ReplyDelete
I LOVE this combo. Its gorgeous!ReplyDelete
I am not a crackle fan at all. Never liked this trend at all. I do like this before you added the crack. Gorgeous golds in this!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks! I liked it, but got over it very quickly~Delete
I love the gold polish! I'm not a big fan of crackle though. :-)ReplyDelete
~ YunReplies
I love the gold too! I got over the crackle trend pretty quickly!Delete
After setting in a drawer for a while, my crackle does nothing but gunk up when I try to use it, too. Lame! Glad I'm not a huge fan of it! :PReplyDeleteReplies
I got over it pretty quickly!!Delete
Ooh this looks nice :D I like the gold!ReplyDelete
love the Sally Hansen glitter. I wish we could get so nice glitters here :)ReplyDeleteReplies
I didn't think I would like it, but I do over the gold!Delete
I think black crackle looks great over gold! I'm so bad at applying crackle...it never looks good when I do it...ReplyDeleteReplies
I got lucky this time!Delete
Oooh! I love the Sally Hanson over the chrome!!!ReplyDelete


text: What if you focused less on products and invested more in customer relationships? For 30 years, this Rockford-based firm, with locations around the suburbs, has done just that. Northwest Business Magazine highlighted Savant Capital Management in honor of their 30th year in business. Read the business milestone article here or download the PDF reprint below!


text:
What Is A Food Coma?
Holidays, your birthday, or any joyous time you spent celebrating life's cherished moments, you probably spent with friends at a table filled to the brim with food. Better yet, other times you don't even have to wait for a special occasion, you indulged right at dinner.
Whether you ate a little too much on Thanksgiving or last night, an inevitable drowsiness set in and your post meal festivities got postponed.
It's happened often enough that the phenomenon has its own special name in pop-culture. Science calls it "postprandial somnolence," but the rest of us call it itis, dinner dip, or by far the most descriptive, the food coma.
It may come on rapidly and leave you drowsy, but there's no need to be alarmed. The food coma isn't inherently unhealthy, it's simply the body's reaction to your latest indulgence.
But even though we know the effects, we still don't know why they come about. Drowsiness may follow a heavy Thanksgiving meal, but it isn't exclusive to turkey day. So if the food coma isn't particular to a specific meal, what's the catalyst?
Debunking The Myths
Too Much Alcohol!?
A popular explanation worth considering is alcohol. It's often paired with a big meal and plentiful during holidays and special events. Plus, depending on how much and what you drink, alcohol may act as a sedative in its own right.
That explanation makes sense when considering that a glass of wine or a couple beers mellow people out, but that explanation fails for a simple reason; large meals without alcohol still put you to sleep. So even if alcohol plays a part, it's not significant.
Blood Shift Theory
The blood flow shift theory posits that changes in your body's blood circulation are the catalyst for drowsiness. Here's the idea, as you're scarfing down your dinner, you activate your GI tract, in turn, blood flow shifts from your brain and muscle into the intestines and stomach to accommodate the process. Consequently, less blood in the brain triggers drowsiness and sleepiness.
The theory is plausible, but not probable. Your body does divert resources on an as needed basis. But a joint study1 by Stanford University and the San Mateo Medical Center has cast serious doubts.
The researchers were particularly puzzled by the theory's persistence when considering the well documented "neurophysiological principle that cerebral perfusion is preferentially maintained under a wide range of physiologic states."
For instance, when perfusion occurs to the muscles during exercise, blood flow to the brain is maintained." Further, "recent evidence suggests that there is no measurable change of blood flow in the common carotid artery during postprandial states."
Here's a translation; exercise is a strenuous activity that requires blood diversion to the muscles. In this sense, it's akin to digestion, which – according to the blood flow shift theory – also requires blood diversion. Hence, the theory suggests a similar process for both activities.
However, findings indicate no measurable change of oxygenated blood flow in the main artery supplying the head and neck during either activity.
Big Meal, Big Nap
One thing's for certain, you don't head for bed after a small meal. This notion legitimizes the idea that it's the meal size that leads to a food coma, not what's in the meal per se.
The idea does have some merit to it. When digesting a meal, the parasympathetic nervous system – known as the "rest and digest system," conserves energy by slowing heart rate, increasing intestinal activity, and relaxing the sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract – is activated.
When digesting a meal, the parasympathetic nervous system – known as the "rest and digest system," conserves energy by slowing heart rate, increasing intestinal activity, and relaxing the sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract – is activated. The extent to which the system is activated, and induces sleepiness, depends on the size of your meal.
It happens because larger amounts of food cause larger stomach stretches. Hence, a large meal causes more stretching, which leads to greater use of the parasympathetic system. This chain of events is a contributing factor to the post meal slumber.
Interestingly enough, liquids seem to induce sleep less than solids. This is partly because solids and liquids are digested by different parts of the stomach.
Accordingly, they provide the brain with different feedback stimuli. Specifically, liquids are digested in the upper part of the stomach, while solids are digested in the lower.
Consequently, one explanation is that the lower part, where digestion of solids occurs, provides feedback stimuli that are more likely to induce sleepiness.
The Hormone Effect
Another popular myth concentrates on tryptophan. The amino acid derived hormone was widely believed to induce post meal naps because of its presence in turkey. Considering turkey's centerpiece role during Thanksgiving, popular thinking correlated tryptophan with post turkey feasting naps.
The pseudo science posited the brain's conversion of tryptophan into serotonin – a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of relaxation and sleep – as the catalyst for drowsiness. This would make perfect sense, except other foods, namely; eggs, cheese, and even pineapple, also contain the hormone.
But they don't have the same effect as the Thanksgiving bird. More importantly, post meal tryptophan levels are not great enough to raise brain serotonin levels. Hence, the theory's premise is right, but the qualification is not.
Another hormone thought to effectuate a food coma is CCK. The intestinal hormone is known to rise in the blood after a heavy meal. But unlike tryptophan, research concentrating on CCK found that administration of high doses to lab subjects did not result in post meal drowsiness.
The Real Deal
Though there's ample research dedicated to debunking the myths, there's also plenty dedicated to finding the probable catalyst.
A recent Scripps Research Institute study2 determined that "the cause of the food coma turns out to be protein and salt, along with the time of day" we have our meal." Offering a possible explanation, the researchers noted that it could be because of the relative "rarity and value of protein, and the body expending greater energy metabolizing those nutrients."
To ascertain that protein and salt were unique as food coma contributors, researchers added sugar to the experimental mix. To their surprise, they found that "only protein and salt were effectors of post-meal sleep, suggesting that this form of sleep can indeed be regulated by specific food types."
Further, the study elaborated that protein's properties are conducive to "delayed gastric dumping; a mechanism by which food and its surrounding supply of blood is kept in the stomach for a longer time period." Theoretically, this prolonged digestion may be instrumental to food comas.
The surprising results have been mirrored by researchers from Bowling Green State University. In that study3, led by Dr. Robert Huber, the team looked into neurobiological connections between eating and sleep, concentrating on food comas in particular. Their results confirmed the Scripps study, specifically; the more protein subjects consumed, the longer they slept.
In fact, protein and salt not only affected sleep duration but also acted as catalysts. Commenting on the study, Dr. Huber opined that "if sleep increases your ability to resorb protein, then that would be a possible reason" for the body switching off the proverbial light switch after a heavy meal.
On the contrary, carbohydrates don't prompt such an involved digestive process. Explanation? They're plentiful and easier to come by.
The Food Coma Cure
Want to ensure you're not hit with post big meal slumber? Here are some tips;
- If you're eating carbs, aim for the complex variety. So stick to whole grains and vegetables. These foods are disaccharides, meaning they're composed of two "simple" molecules and don't cause a rapid insulin spike and crash. As a result, you have sustained energy after a big meal
- Control your portion size. It's easy to get carried away! The chance of drowsiness increases along with the portion.
- Have some coffee. Caffeine is beloved for its early morning jolt, and there's no reason not to enjoy a cup after a big meal. A cappuccino after dinner will work just as well after dinner.
- As an alternative, various cultures have digestive post-dinner aids. For example, Italians serve digestif to aid the body with the post meal process.


text:
Irene is expecting her first baby in June of this year, and she contacted me requesting we do a maternity photo shoot. We tossed around ideas about doing indoor/in-studio photos or going for a more naturally lit/out-of-doors look. She decided on doing the photo shoot outside, and I'm so glad. We walked around Yaletown and the seawall of False Creek. It was a beautiful day, and Irene and her husband really picked a scenic location. They lived nearby, and so they thought it would be nice to have photos of where the baby's first home will be.
Irene and Jackie Chan (yes, like the actor) were so comfortable in front of the camera. They were natural and laughed at all the right times. Maternity photo shoots are often done around 34-36 weeks of pregnancy, but Irene is so petite that she thought she might as well do the photo shoot now as she seems to have plateaued in her growth. Needless to say, it was a challenge, at times, to show off her belly, but she did so well.
I am so excited for these two as they are getting ready to welcome their little one.
~ Kayda