Trei Johnson's Blog

I don't understand the IPhone Phrenzy!! I'll admit I'm not much of a Gadget Girl.  I have a MP3 player on my phone and I've probably used it 10 times.  So, there's no chance of me spending $600 bucks for a phone.

On June 29th the iPhone, which combines a wireless phone with music and video-playing capabilities and Web browsing, comes out.  The device is one of the most highly anticipated U.S. product launches of the year.

Here are some key facts about the iPhone.

* Its main feature is a 3.5-inch touch-sensitive screen with one physical button. Programs are accessed by touching icon and text is entered with an on-screen keyboard.

 * It costs either $500 or $600 depending on whether it has 4 gigabytes or 8 gigabytes of flash memory.

* It has Wi-Fi wireless technology for high-speed Internet Access and Bluetooth for use with wireless accessories and other devices.

* It has a 2-megapixel camera.

AT&T has exclusive rights to the phone for at least two years.

Granted, this phone is very cool!  But cool enough to stand in line and then spend $5-$600 bucks for it?  Not me. What about you??

Am I the only one who is sick of Paris Hilton stories? Why are we counting the days that she's locked up?  I agree with covering her when she was let out of jail. And I think coverage when she got sent back to jail made sense. But to cover every single day this girl is behind bars....I think it's ridiculous.  I get that people are facinated with the rich, but to this extreme?  Are we more concerned with a rich princess going to jail for breaking the law continuously, than we are for the men and women fighting for our freedom? I'm hoping the answer is no and that the media are just misguided in their news coverage.

Wednesday night was one of the most embarrassing nights of my life!  I took Jordyn out to Ruby Tuesday (I love their salad bar) for dinner. When the waitress brought the check I handed her my debit card. 2 minutes later she brought it back and asked if I had another card because it had been declined. Since I had just made a deposit an hour earlier I knew something was amiss. I called the automated system that told me I had plenty of money to cover the $19.55 bill. I told the waitress to try again. She did....it didn't work.  I checked my wallet and I only had $18 in cash!! I asked if they'd take a check for the balance and the tip (there is money in my account, really), they couldn't.  The manager tells me not to worry, he'd cover of the rest. Then a kind woman sitting across from me said she'd pay the balance! I was touched and humiliated all at the same time.  I told her thank you, but no thanks and ran out the door to head home to grab my other credit card (if I carry them, I WILL spend money).  I went back to Ruby Tuesday and paid ALL of the bill. Unfortunaely the nice lady was gone, so she thinks I'm either broke or a scammer. The manager thanked me profusely and said most people wouldn't have come back. Later that night after calling the bank and holding for about 20 minutes....I found out their computer systems were offline! They said the problem should be fixed by the morning. I'm going shopping today....those computers better not embarrass me again!!

So, am I the only one this has ever happened to?

I got this as an email from my friend Bernard and thought I'd share them with you! They sound great.  Good Luck

GREAT TIPS:

  1. Reheat Pizza
  Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove , set
  heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No
  soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really
  works.

  2. Easy Deviled Eggs
  Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal , mash till they are all
  broken up. Add remainder of ingredients , reseal , keep mashing it up
  mixing thoroughly , cut the tip of the baggy , squeeze mixture into egg.
  Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

  3. Expanding Frosting
  When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store , whip it with
  your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to
  frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar
  and calories per serving.

  4. Reheating refrigerated bread
  To warm biscuits , pancakes , or muffins that were refrigerated , place
  them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will
  keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

  5. Newspaper weeds away
  Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet
  newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with
  mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening
  plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

  6. Broken Glass

  Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass
  you can't see easily.

  7. No More Mosquitoes
  Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

  8. Squirrel Away!
  To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with
  cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
  squirrels won't come near it.

  9. Flexible vacuum
  To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an
  empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be
  bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

  10. Reducing Static Cling
  Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a
  clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when
  wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! -- static
  is gone.

  11. Measuring Cups
  Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot
  water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your
  ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right
  out.

  12. Foggy Windshield?
  Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the
  glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works
  better than a cloth!

  13. Reopening envelope
  If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include
  something inside , just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an
  hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

  14. Conditioner
  Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than
  shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way
  to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it
  in your hair...

  15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
  To get rid of pesky fruit flies , take a small glass fill it 1/2" with
  Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid , mix well. You
  will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

  16. Get Rid of Ants
  Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it , take it
  "home", can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so,
  especially if it rains , but it works & you don't have the worry about
  pets or small
  children being harmed!

  17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
  The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things
  around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and
  he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean.
  (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He
  told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to
  the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh
  material - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like.
  WELL...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through
  it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh
  that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film , but
  it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft
  and static free - that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel
  waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on
  your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer
  units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He
  said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to
  keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with
  hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six
  months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!
  How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know
  dryer sheets would do that. So , I thought I'd share!
  Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The
  water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the
  mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had
  it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right Thru
  the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what
  he was talking about!

My daughter Jordyn is the best girl in the whole world!! Really! We're going to a Juneteenth Festival this month, so I told her to research what it is and how this holiday came to be, so she would know why it's a celebration (plus I needed a refresher course). Boy did she give me a shocker when she handed me a 368 word essay!! Here's what I found out from her:

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration for slaves being freed. On June 19th Major General Granger led the Union Army to Galveston, Texas to give good news that the war had ended and all slaves were freed. Because there were so few Union soldiers in Texas, the Emanicipation Proclamation didn't start being used until 2 and a half years after President LIncoln signed it, which was January 1,1863. Many speculate the delay in the news of freedom was so that slaves could finish picking the cotton crops....for free. 

She wrote alot more, including quotes and why food was such a big part of festivals. She wound up re-teaching. me about my heritage.

Aren't kids great?

I found out last week that my ex-boyfriend is getting married!  It probably sounds cliche, but I am REALLY happy for him.  For the longest time we weren't able to talk to each other about our boyfriends/girlfriends, because it was uncomfortable. But now that we're both in happier relationships I think it's easier.  Once I found out the details of his wedding.....I really knew he and I were never meant to be and he has found his soulmate.

They're getting married on St. Augustine Beach. But there aren't any tux's. There are groomspeople, because they have both men and women in their bridal/groom party. His uncle was supposed to sing as they walked down the isle..but he can't come so they'll be walking to monster ballads from the 80's ( I think it's Whitesnakes "Is this love").  Their friend, who is a tv reporter got his notary license so he can preside over the nuptials. And then.....there's no reception. There serving sandwiches and meeting at the hotel bar later in the day! That's it. Short, sweet and simple. The bride-to-be is thrilled with their plans and they're both so excited!  This couple is kismet! Truly meant to be. I would NEVER have allowed us to get married like this...NEVER!  Clearly why we didn't succeed as a couple. He found his true love and I am thrilled...but I'm not invited to the wedding.

So what's the most non-traditional wedding you've been to, or been in? I would love to hear your story.

Summer is here! That means kids are out of school and moms (and dads) are racking their brains out trying to figure out what the heck to do with the kids!  My daughter is going to New York for the summer, but not until July! Until recently I had no idea what I was going to do with her. I just knew she wasn't going to be laying around the house all summer!! Luckily, a friend of mine sent me a link to Seminole Community College's summer program.  They're offering not only, fun, but educational courses!  Jordyn will be taking Spanish and Etiquette to start (no more eating with her hands!)  Here's the link if you'd like to sign your kids up. http://www.scc-fl.edu/pdf/summer_youth_workshops2007