Best Sarah Palin Quotes

At the moment, I am (ever so slowly) plowing through Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, that I got for Christmas from my husband. Her penchant for saying exactly how she feels, without worry on what the public thinks about it, is just amazing and it makes me admire her all the more. That's actually a difficult thing to do, because I admire her so much for so many reasons that I just couldn't possibly list them all, nor explain every reason.

Managing Sims Downloads

I have found several things that have made managing Sims downloads fantastic and all are free. Because of this, I thought I'd share it with the world. My little secrets. Enjoy!

Mass Zip/Rar Unpacking

My first and favorite is this great little thing called Unpacker (alternate site), which just happens to be free and he could really get away with making it a pay app, but thankfully this is not so. It's not just handy for Sims, but for graphics designers too who (if they're like me) are constantly downloading fonts, brushes, etc. Also mp3 lovers will appreciate it as well. Unpacker is a little gadget that works in just about all versions of Windows, to include Vista, though I'm not sure about 7. I can vouch for Vista and XP myself though.

Once you download and install it. It's simple. Wherever you directly download compressed files to, whatever folder or directory you use, just...

Right click on that directory folder > Select "Scan ... with Unpacker" (it'll now scan the folder for compressed files; e.g., zip, rar, etc.) > Under "Found Archives" check the little "Extract" box and done.

 In a matter of seconds all your files are unpacked. It's like magic!

Now the really cool thing is that rar files, which Windows does not natively support, works like a dream with this. You don't need Winrar like so many recommend.

Mass Install

I was getting so frustrated when I had tons of little installs that I had to double click on. I didn't like Sims' native installer because I had to do them one at a freaking time. I read about Sims2Pack Clean Installer and that pretty much did the same thing, though you could rename files easily by previewing them. So it's decent enough to be included further below, but it didn't meet my "Mass Install" need.

Enter Q-Xpress Installer by none other than MTS! Genius I tell you! GENIUS!

At first it was just so simple that I didn't even think it worked. I ran it again and still wondered. So I fired up the game and to my dismay, it worked like a dream.

Here's how it works...

You start it > Select Install Install tab > Browse to where your downloaded install packages are > Click Install.

That's it. That's all you do. Within a second or two, hundreds and I mean... hundreds will be installed and working perfectly. This is even more magical than Unpacker, but they really do need to go hand in hand.

Fairly Painless Renaming

Have you ever become annoyed when trying to rename files because you either exited Sims and now have to wait for it to reload because you forgot the name of the shoe which is completely inappropriately named 8965571?!

Well if so, then this is for you and it's also from the wonderful MTS.

Consider a piece of software that will automatically give you a thumbnail when you mouse over the file. Sims2Pack Clean Installer also installs files, but only one at a time and for me that is not good enough (see Q-Xpress Installer above). This app really is only good for organizing and not installing, despite it's name. It's also rather complicated to use in the beginning and I'm not going to try and explain it here. You can get the tutorial at the download page. For me this is probably a 3 on a scale of 1-5. It's one selling point is the thumbnails, but even that doesn't work on all of it.

 That's it for now, if you have any further recommendations, then feel free to post them in the comments!

Why haven't I been writing?

Because I have been playing Sims 2, duh!

I'm not going to be buying Sims 3 either, or not anytime soon. I really have no need. The list of "new features" don't excite me in the least, yet.

I also just ordered University, and am excited because for whatever reason, half the stuff I want nearly always requires University and it ticks me off. I got it at Amazon for about $8 used. Why pay for new when you can get it used for so much cheaper?

I also owe an apology to Mod the Sims. It really is a great site, but it also seriously needs to work on its interface. Yikes that's frustrating!

The Sims Resource (TSR) is okay, but you get users like Cashcraft who have this delusional belief that they can actually copyright things that they make for the game. Uh, no. Only Sims can copyright anything Sims. In fact, they happen to own the entire game, since she missed that newsflash, and THEY are the copyright owners. She actually has no right at all in passing out game modifications. Obviously she thinks a little bit too highly of herself.

Further I have the same thing to say about TSR. What right do they have at all in charging for its use? They really don't. I'll explore all of that later in detail, but MTS is dedicated to free sharing and THAT my friend is what it's all about.

I am a full supporter of open source, and users like Cashcraft are proof of how low society can go sometimes.

modthesims.info SUCKS!!!!

Why? Because all it has are a series of links and serious information overload. There is no straight forward quick answers and they want you to jump through hoops to post a question.

This message is for moderators at modthesims: YOU SUCK!

I'll never go back there again and will now do everything I can to stop people from going there.

So I have embarrassed myself. Read this on how wrong I was! I cannot apologize enough and if you want a picture of me so you can throw darts at it, please let me know. I deserve it. :)

I love you MTS! I will be begging for forgiveness forever now.

Sims 2 Downloads and Mesh Madness!

Good googly goo! What a pain in the pumpkin these downloads are. I love how so many sites have all these mesh goodies and not a word of what meshes do nor where they go. One site hid a readme file into their zip downloads, and thank goodness I found it. The problem with that method is that most people will actually look first for where to extract the files to, not in the extracted file itself.

YIPES!

So.. for those who are anxiously looking for an answer, here goes.

First, pay attention to the file extensions. That makes all the differences in the world. Also know your system (XP, Vista, etc.)

When I say My Documents\ in Vista, that means C:\Documents. Just remember that.

I will first put the location, and the file extensions that go inside those locations. That makes all much easier.

Sims 1

The Sims\Game Data\Skins

• .skn
• .cmx
• .bmp

C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Downloads OR
C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Objects (Depends on which one you have)

• .iff files

Sims 2

XP:     My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads
Vista:   C:\Users\Cindy\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

• .package

As you can see, Sims 2 is much easier.

That about does it. I'll later post some good sites that offer FREE quality Sims 2 downloads. I refuse to pay for downloads. There is plenty of free stuff out there and paying for downloads is ridiculousness and personally, should be illegal. The only place you should pay for downloads is at EA games, period. Paying anyone else is like paying someone full price for a DVD that I could buy new elsewhere.

Weird Crime

As you can see, I watched a lot of TruTV (still hating the name) last night.

Another tragic, yet strange, case gripped me last night. A lot of research later, I still am not sure I understand everything about it and probably no one ever will.

The players: Peter Weber (victim), 27; Ila Legacy Womack Grey (murderer), 28; and Jesse Kenneth Lee (murderer), 20.

Now as I read more about it, the more confused I get. The Investigators', "The Witching Hour" last night mentioned her one son, Thane [I'm not sure about the spelling, but for now will spell it this way, it could be Thayne], but never mentioned any further children. Yet an article from The Philadelphia Daily News' article, "Cops: Bewitching couple killed him. Poconos man found dead in Louisiana," dated 8 May 1997 states, "Arrested and charged with second-degree murder were Ila Legacy Womack Grey, 28, a mother of three... "

Three?! Where did the other two come from?

Who says you can't get a conviction with only circumstantial evidence?

I was watching TruTV (goodness I hate that new name) last night and specifically this episode. It details the murder of Melvin Snyder by Ronald Harshman.

The case was really very interesting, but as always an unhappy one. A murder one conviction would eventually be handed down even if there was no body, nor a weapon.

On May 25, 1985 Melvin Snyder, 42, disappeared from his Greencastle, Pennsylvania home, never to be seen again. The previous year, it was a well known fact that Mr. Snyder was having an affair with a Mrs. Ronald Harshman. Not surprisingly, Mr. Harshman was not very happy about it and struggled to come to terms with the infidelity of his wife.

Congrats to Obama Supporters!

It is coming to fruition. Obama supporters are single-handedly crushing free speech as we know it. Today the blogs, tomorrow the world!

They now should be ashamed of themselves.  Look at what you've done. You've created a monster. Shame on you!

Google Annoyances

You know, I really do love Google. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I'm a serious user of all their services, well most anyway. I also go around like an evangelist trying to convert people into using Google services as well. For the most part I'm successful too!

That said, Google is far from perfection or it's probably better said that Google is closest to perfection than any other service, in my opinion. Microsoft sucks, period. Still though, Google has a few things that need fixing and I was reminded of this today when I read this post over at Lifehacker.

My comment is posted there and I'll post it here. However I'll add too it as I notice things.

Wishlist item added!

Today, I've added this to my wishlist. I'm dying to pre-order it!

There is just something incredibly sexy in that man. I don't think of Alton as a chef, but more like a scientist and there is something really sexy and cool about certain scientists. One example, for me, is Gil on CSI. One word: WOW!

So! If anyone reading this wishes to become my benefactor, feel free to do so. ;) J/K! ... Sorta.

Pet peeve #2: Store employees who say they don't carry something when they do.

I have a serious problem with store employees who know absolutely nothing about the merchandise that they sell. It's one thing to say, "You know what? I have no idea," versus, "Nope. We don't carry that."

I can't count the times that a store employee has denied carrying a product that is there all along and has been for awhile.

I can still remember the very first time it irked me.

My most useful Firefox about:config tweaks.

I have collected these over time, and felt that perhaps I should post them here. Maybe someone will find them useful but if nothing else, I can store special tweaks that I love and may need to refer back to in the future.

If you're not sure what about:config even is, then perhaps this link will help. That said, on to the show.

Personalizing Firefox

Ask anyone which addons they believe are essential and you'll get a number of different answers. While that is true, it is also true that there are a few that many agree on as well. The easiest way to see what is generally accepted as essential is simply to go to the addons page at Firefox and sort them by most downloaded. Instantly you can see the top ten.

However popularity doesn't always give us quality nor usefulness. For example a Digg toolbar might be popular, but it doesn't make using Firefox any easier. If you're a Digg user, it may be handy but not everyone uses Digg. I use Digg, but I could care less about the toolbar.

Instead, the addons I tend to use are those that do things for me that I use on a very frequent basis.

Why Firefox is the ONLY browser for me.

I remember the day when there were really only a small selection of browsers. A browser is whatever you use to view the web or internet. If you had Windows and an ISP outside of AOL or Compuserve, then you likely either had Internet Explorer (IE) or Netscape, with IE being the sole winner in number of downloads.

At the time, it never occurred to me that I could have a browser to do cool things that I wanted it to do. In some ways I did, perhaps, but I sent those suggestions to Microsoft with little hope that my ideas would ever matter or even be implemented. I was rewarded with absolutely NO helpful changes whatsoever.

Pet peeve #1: People who don't want options in case they don't want the option.

I've seen it posted hundreds of times on the web, in mailing lists and elsewhere. Someone asks for a new option to a piece of software, or website or whatever, and someone says "but I don't want that option!"

WHY? If you don't like the option then turn it off. That's why it's an OPTION.

Consider this scenario...

Chocolate Chip Cookies (printer friendly version)

Chocolate Chip Cookies 101

Note: If you would like a more printer friendly version of the recipe, click here.

When my children were little, every Christmas Eve I would bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. We would set out a few of them for Santa along with a glass of milk. Without realizing it, this became a tradition. Honestly I didn't even notice until their dad was asked to write down a tradition that our family did for Christmas. It struck him that this was something that I just began doing. Funny how that works sometimes.

Anyway, I've been making these cookies since I was a newlywed to my ex. He LOVED chocolate chip cookies and being a young new wife, I wanted to please him. This particular recipe is probably the first that I perfected. Through trial and error, I learned out to make the perfect cookie.

Obviously Ahmadinejad has been drinking the oil his country owns.

There is no excuse why a confused and disoriented man such as Ahmadinejad should deny the holocaust.

Now here's the funny part. He says he's "proud" of his claim too. Proud of what exactly? Of his ignorance? Of the proof that his education was an absolute failure? Of the fact that he just verified, for everyone, that he is incapable of being a good leader? Of the fact that he is a laughingstock? Of the fact that a pig could better run his country than he can? Is that was he's proud of? It certainly must be because anyone foolish enough to embarrass himself like that to the world has proven this.

Finally! Health care reform I can believe in.

This reminds me of those priceless or perfect world commercials. This is the way health care reform should be done. It's amazingly simple, and yet so effective. Obama is such a failure! It's too bad he's only a leading consumer advocate. He could seriously be a great president.

In fact...

How about Clark Howard 2012?

Can someone explain to me why ACORN's doors are STILL open?!

I haven't said too much about this. It's just so outrageous that it doesn't seem worth my time in saying so. The audacity for a company to use government funds to help hookers, pimps and worse, child prostitution ring leaders is just shocking. Except for closing ACORN down, it appears that there is nothing left to say about it, except to add that criminal charges should be filed against all board members and the CEO. Quite possibly even the CFO as well.

Let's review the events, shall we? First let me just say where it says "edited video" this is for obvious reasons. Anyone in the internet world knows that size does matter when it comes to video. Videos are edited for time purposes and to attempt to claim otherwise is a futile effort.

The articles that are linked to below are from a variety of news agencies such as ABC, CBS, CNN, the New York Times and Washington Post to name a few. I have deliberately looked for ACORN news in major media sites and not just conservative sites. Not surprisingly, that is sometimes a problem.

Basic Mock Alla Panna (Alfredo Sauce)

I call it mock because as I mentioned earlier that this isn't really authentic Alla Panna. It is still just amazing though. I considered following in Alfredo di Lelio's footsteps and calling it Magnoliasouth Sauce, but I don't have that kind of audacity.

That said, here is my simple basic recipe, one that I created by combining several recipes. There may be one identical to mine out there, but as far as I know this is my own creation. Never say anything absolute. That's my motto.

Garlic Butter (for bread)

One word: AMAZING!!!

This has been a specialty that I have perfected over the years. It started out as a basic garlic butter but us being garlic freaks (I mean, we canNOT use too much) and other small flavors we have finally achieved perfection.

No, really. We have.

Quick Balsamic Chicken

So you're in a hurry, you're tired and you've worked all day. You're sick of the same 'ol thing and want something different for a change, but you also don't want to put a lot of effort into it. You want something tasty, but something quick and easy.

Enter this recipe.

My Daughter's Birthday Dinner

I decided that I wanted to make something very special for my daughter's birthday. Basically, my daughter's food tastes follow this general flow chart:

As you can see, I had a lot of room to pick things.

Keep the Government OUT of Your Garage Sale

Have you heard that if you happen to sell an item that has been recalled or no longer meets government standards, they can fine you? Have you heard for how much?!

Try this: TEN MILLION DOLLARS!!!

I'm not kidding. This is a serious. If someone you know has died... Um, oops. I lapsed into that ambulance chaser commercial for Duragesic patches.

More on Raymond Clark

Looks like I spoke just a couple of minutes too soon.

The following is a transcript of the video that I just watched, which begins at about 1:10.

There are reports that he, uh, had an incident with a high school girlfriend - back in high school - he reportedly forced himself on her; that she tried to break off the relationship, and then, and then he, uh, he apparently vandalized her locker, and uh, was stalking her in essence and that she was, he was warned to stay away from her but she declined to press charges. That was in our local reports yesterday.

Sounds like he does have a history of attempting to control women and some violence. Wow. He sure looks like a mild mannered... non-imposing person. I would never have guessed this in a million years.

Oddly, he reminds me of Marc McClure as he played Jimmy Olsen in Superman (1978). Wow. Yeah. The more I think about it the more I agree. McClure was much skinnier, but there is definitely a similarity. Let's see if I can find some pictures for comparison.

I am successful!

 

Okay so they're not twins, but close.

Raymond Clark Arrested

It obviously comes as no surprise that Raymond Clark was arrested. He actually has looked quite frightened since we first saw him in the back of a car when the search warrant was issued. Even now, he doesn't appear to look at anyone straight in the eye for any length of time.

As far as who the killer is, I really hope that the police have this right.

As far as motive, I don't believe for a second that IF Clark did it, that he killed Le over how rats were not being cared for. I'm quite sure that because he's worked there since 2004, she's not the ONLY one he has complained about. If he were so easily set off, he'd be a serial killer.

We may never learn the real motive. One thing is for certain, if I saw Raymond Clark on the street, he's the last one I would peg as a murderer. He definitely appears to have a mild manner about him.

Odd, that.

Guess what I got today?!

This!

Yeehaw! It's time to put up my feet, kick back and be entertained.

As a side note,  A Deadly State of Mind is the first episode I ever saw as an adult. It was this episode that led to my addiction to this show. It's a tragic addiction story. I will do anything to get to see an episode. It's stronger than heroin for me.

Surely there is a support group out there for me, right?

Wholly Crap!

It looks like somebody has read my comments and posts on the Annie Le case.

Updated Wednesday, September 16th 2009, 12:07 PM
Nobody wants Clark to become the Yale version of Richard Jewell.

I originally posted my thoughts on this page as you can see.

Posted by: magnoliasouth | September 16, 2009 3:06 AM

asdf: I guess you posted just a few hours too soon, eh? The police released his name.
If this turns out to be another Richard Jewell incident, the police will have egg all over their faces by naming the man.

Funny that now the NY Daily News is using my own example. I do not see this as a coincidence. I don't believe in them at all.

Oh, and I'm not angry. I'm flattered actually. :)

Golden Cheesy Enchiladas for a Crowd

I've written several things about Enchiladas over the past few days. This though is the final recipe. It was so very good. It's not meant for anyone who is making only a small amount, this is meant for either a very large family OR entertaining. You can make your own stuff or buy pre-made. It's up to you but it's still very good.

ACORN is no Chicken Little

This is no false warning. The message here is clear and something we should all be concerned with. How can anyone try to falsify things so hookers and pimps can work out of their homes?

Jimmy Carter is a Senile Old Man

If Obama were white, then what would Jimmy Carter have said? It sounds like the only ones keeping racism alive are folks like Jimmy Carter.

No wonder he lost the election for his second term! The people spoke but unfortunately for everyone, Carter didn't get the message.

Search Warrant Served in Annie Le Case

Earlier I posted a few thoughts on the Annie Le case, and now I have more to share.

I really felt that the police were bungling this investigation, and now I have proof.

Enchilada Sauce

There is a lot of debate about authentic vs. Americanized. Authentic fans will get angry when I say this, but there is a reason why many of our "Mexican" recipes aren't authentic. Many of them are either spicy and tasteless, or just tasteless altogether. We Americans, those of us that is that are European descendants that is, prefer a bit more flavor. Not all Mexican recipes lack flavor, but it does appear that they are based on peppers and corn, which is fine because that is the way they needed to cook. Fortunately this day in age it is much more simple to obtain foods from all over the world, then it was way back when.

The recipe I have here began as an authentic recipe, but as I made it I was struck by the bland flavor. I then added a few more things to strike it up a notch until the next thing I knew, it was Americanized. I honestly didn't mean to go that route, but it was a demonstration on what I just discussed above. In the end, it really does NOT matter at all how you make it. What matters most is if YOU are satisfied with authentic. If you like authentic, then great! If you don't, then that's great too.

Expose Corruption!

How do you do this? Well send this link to all of your elected officials. Do it today!

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=9572241&referralPlaylistId=playlist

Patrick Swayze

Naturally I'm saddened by the news of the passing of this mighty man, however I am impressed that the sweet man lasted so very long. For most of the unfortunate public, by the time they find out that they have pancreatic cancer, they only have weeks to live.

His amazing resilience was an inspiration to all!

You know you're bad when Obama calls you a "jackass."

Kanye West is not only an embarrassment to society as we know it, but he is also a racist and likely has the IQ of an apple.

I mean come on! If Obama calls you a jackass then you know you've got to be stupid.

For fun (and more facts) check out this link.

Now for a word on Annie Le

I am very saddened and dismayed by the horrifying news on this poor girl. My heart, thoughts and prayers reach out for her family and friends. I cannot imagine the devastation they must be feeling.

I began following the news on Miss Le for a variety of reasons. I would like to say that it was the tragedy alone which struck me, but sadly this is not the case. This is a world where tragedy occurs many times per day, and while this is unfortunate, we become immune to it unless it affects us directly.

Flour Tortillas (6-in and 10-in)

I found the how-to online, and I really enjoyed making these, even though it was a bit time consuming. There are a few reasons why, but mainly because you can only do one at a time. If you're making a lot of them, then you can expect to be doing it for awhile. I'd say for a beginner, like myself, it takes anywhere from 3-5 minutes for each tortilla AFTER you've made the dough. Also it takes awhile to make the dough as you will see.

Corn and Black Bean Pico de Gallo

This is my take on a recipe I found online. It is SO VERY yummy and also incredibly easy. It'll make you wish you had found it sooner. My family's score on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the highest? A unanimous 5!

My quest for yummy enchiladas.

I made enchiladas last night with an excellent Corn and Black Bean salad, which is really a corn and black bean pico de gallo. I guess it's safe to correct myself and say, I cooked all day yesterday. Had I bought enchilada sauce as well as tortillas, it would have been super fast and easy. But nooooooooo! I had to be cheap and make my own from scratch, well for the most part.

The first thing I did is research a ton of recipes for various things, such as how to make enchiladas, enchilada sauce, tortillas and so forth. I wanted to go the authentic route, but true to my form I found one recipe that sounded temptingly delicious so I took an idea from it and thus effectively ruined my authentic experience. *le sigh*

Wanting a template

I just googled templates for Blogger. My main problem is the width of posts. It's VERY small and I cannot stand having to constantly scroll down to read a page that is skinny. That's so freaking annoying!

I want to build my own template, but I'm SO incredibly rusty on CSS that it's nearly impossible to do. I miss my LJ layout tremendously. I guess I'm going to have to work on it, but that's going to be a slow process.

Any ideas on how to widen the posts? Feel free to leave me a comment!

Thinking about OpenOffice Authoring

While we're on the subject of frustration. I had a problem with the help files in OO last night too. Now the thing about OO is that you can't really get mad at them. It is completely FREE open source software and is worked on my volunteers. It has improved tremendously since I began using it.

For that alone, I bow to their feet!

Still though, regarding help files, I get anal about how things are worded and whether or not it applies to the situation at hand. I also believe that users should be able to quickly find the answer they are looking for.

Why Amazon Sucks Part II

Last night I posted my frustration with Amazon. Now there is one thing about me that only my closest friends know. I cannot be quiet when it comes to annoyances on websites. I suppose I'm a good beta tester. I have tons of feedback just waiting to be given.

Naturally, I contacted Amazon last night. Also naturally, I got a simple form letter back. The following is a quote from them.

Why Amazon Sucks

So I won something the other day. Yep, me! I won a $10 gift certificate at Amazon. You can see the announcement here. I was very excited because I usually don't win zip!

Starting a Blog

Well, I guess it's high time I actually begin a blog. Not because I need to have a blog, but so that friends and family can keep up with me and what I'm doing.

Everyone has favorite sites. Some like Myspace, some like Facebook and so forth. Personally, I LOVED Livejournal but that's another story for the future.

For now though, I'm planning a road-trip. I had no idea how time consuming planning was until I started doing it. I also have what I call CADD: Computer Attention Deficit Disorder. For example, let's say I want to find out what attractions there are along I-65 in Kentucky. So I do a search, find a page and begin doing, "Hmmm, what's this?" *click* "Ohhhh, what's this?" *click* and this goes on for hours and the next thing I know, I'm watching videos on the paranormal at Youtube! I get super sidetracked when I try to do anything on the computer. *le sigh*

So for now, I'm going to list the states we're planning to drive through, in order. I'm going to number them too, but some won't have numbers because we'll be going through them twice. Those only get one number because, obviously, it's still only one state.

1. Alabama (obviously since I live in Mobile)
2. Tennessee
3. Kentucky
4. Indiana (this is only a jump over the river to say we've been there, then we'll go back down south).
* Kentucky
5. Ohio
6. Pennsylvania
7. New York (Buffalo and Niagara Falls)
8. Vermont
9. New Hampshire
10. Maine (family reunion)
Now we'll swing south and we're going to hit every single state along the East Coast!
* New Hampshire
11. Massachusetts (Lizzie Borden House, Boston, Northeastern University - my grandfather graduated from there and my my grandmother there)
12. Rhode Island
13. Connecticut
* New York (Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building)
14. New Jersey
* Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Amish)
15. Delaware
16. Maryland (DC, Baltimore?)
17. Virginia (Chesapeake Bay, Norfolk, Chincoteague Island)
18. North Carolina (Roanoke?)
19. South Carolina
20. Georgia (Savannah)
21. Florida
* Alabama

So twenty-one states! YEEHAW! It's too bad we can't do 25 then we'd see half of all the states.

We talked about reserving rooms so that we can definitely have a place to sleep, but then we thought to heck with it. We want spontaneity. If we find that we want to spend more time somewhere, we don't want to be locked into having to leave.

Now most of those states we're just driving through. We will stop in each one and get a thimble AND a state magnet.

We collect thimbles for places we go, and our family has contributed also by giving them to us as gifts, but the magnets are only for US. They signify the states we've been in together. :)

We're also going to try, operative word is try, to hit several Hard Rock Cafes. Clay collect glasses from them. He's got a TON already. Our list of cafes that we may hit are:

• Boston
• Baltimore
• Cleveland
• Louisville
• Niagara Falls (this one is a definite and is on our itenerary)
• Washington DC
• Yankee Stadium

Well, that's it for now! More later I suppose.