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Friday, August 12, 2011

401K Rollercoaster Ride

So, I thought it would be interesting to watch how my 401K was impacted this week. I have printed out my bottom-line each day...
From Monday-Tuesday it lost $2301.27
... Tuesday-Wednesday it gained $1526.90
... Wednesday-Thursday, loss of $1210.43
... Thursday-Friday, gain of $ 1301.93

So, there was a total MOVEMENT of $6340.53 for the 5-day span, but only and ACTUAL LOSS of $682.87 (not too horrid).

I will see what Monday brings, as it will show impact from today's market activities...

"Fasten your seatbelts, everybody. It's going to be a bumpy night." ~~ Bette Davis as Margo Channing in "All About Eve."

Monday, August 01, 2011

Yellow Rice Recipe

Here is the recipe for Yellow Rice that I found at Dining for Women, for the Sri Lanka dinner.


Adapted from hdp://paradisaya.tripod.com/recipes/yellow.html
Yellow and black rice is more like it! It IS yellow, but there
is so much black pepper it that it really is speckled. This
easy recipe would compliment any of the dishes given
here, but especially the cabbage, and the chicken. I
recommend using basmati rice.

Serves 8 (note from Michelle: this actually will serve at least 12!)

3c rice, preferably basmati
4T ghee (clarified butter) or butter
2 medium or one large onion, minced
large pinch ground cloves
¼ ‐ ½t ground black pepper
2t ground cardamom
1t salt
1½t turmeric
4c coconut milk
1c water
Fresh parsley, minced (optional, for garnish)

Wash rice thoroughly and drain in colander. Heat ghee or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions and cook 6 minutes. Add cloves, pepper, cardamom, salt and turmeric and stir. Add rice and
stir well until rice is coated with spices. Add coconut water and water, stir, and raise heat to high. Bring
to a boil, stir again and reduce heat to medium‐low to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes without
peeking. Remove from heat and allow to sit another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

St. Baldrick's Thank You

March 22, 2011


Thank you for supporting me to have my head shaved at our St. Baldrick’s event. You, along with over 50 other wonderful, generous donors helped me raise over $1,600.00 to Conquer Kids’ Cancer!

As you know I am bald now for two reasons: to stand in solidarity with kids with cancer, and most important, to raise money for childhood cancer research.

People have been congratulating me and saying that I am brave. Well, I am not brave, the kids and families who are living with cancer are brave, the doctors and nurses who care for those kids are brave… I am just crazy enough to shave my head!

A couple of stories I would like to relate: My friend Katie brought me a photo album of children she nursed in 1974. These children all had cancer and none of them survived. She told me “… they didn’t have a chance, but because people are raising money and helping find a cure, the children of today and the future have a chance ...”

My friend Del sent me this message (I removed the names): I was out working in my yard today when my friend #### drove up. He was wearing a shirt with shamrocks on it. I kidded him saying “#### I didn’t know you were Irish.” He laughed and explained about St. Baldrick’s. ####’s son, ****, has been fighting Leukemia for the last couple years. Our church has been praying for **** regularly. I did not know until #### told me today that St. Baldrick’s has been helping the family. I told him what you were doing! **** is in remission now but we continue our prayers and give thanks for people like you!

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation grants more for childhood cancer research than any organization except the U.S. government – more than $14 million in 2010 alone. Your donation will help find cures for childhood cancers and help give survivors long and healthy lives.

If you haven’t seen my web page yet, please find me at www.StBaldricks.org/participants/michellenichol . On my fundraising page you’ll see my before and after pictures, my list of donors, and some of the incredible kids I did this for. You can also see how your donation is being put to work – the grants are all listed under “where the money goes,” by location and purpose.

Childhood cancer takes the lives of one of every five kids diagnosed. It takes all of us to find a cure. Thank you again for caring enough to give. Let’s CONQUER!

Sincerely,



Michelle L. Nichol

Friday, March 18, 2011

Lost Dog? It's a Chihuahua!!! ???

So, I have mentioned that there are people in my apartment complex who I believe are drug dealers... I am just assuming, but after living with a tweeker for years and visiting with his dealer on occasion, and seeing all the other tweekers in the world I think I am pretty close to the mark. Plus, there are visitors at 530a when I am leaving the house… who else has visitors at that time of the morning. But, I digress.

Wednesday night as I left my apartment to go to dinner, I saw the dealer’s dog running around. Not the first time, both the dog and their kid run around loose all day long. I am always afraid that one or the both of them are going to get hit by a car in the parking lot. Sometimes they are outside late at night, even. The parents are usually around, but the dog is always running loose and the kid is usually on his trike.

Anyways, while I was at the Chinese restaurant that is next door to the apartment complex, the father and the little boy came in… they asked the waitress if they saw their little doggie. My first thought was, “Why are they coming INTO the restaurant asking that question? Do they think the chef grabbed the dog for ingredients in a meal?” Wouldn’t put it past the red-neck tweeker dealer to think that…

The little boy was asking at the top of his voice if any one saw his little dog… “it’s a Chihuahua, it’s a CHIHUAHUA…” and kept repeating that even as they were walking back out of the restaurant.

THE DOG IS A Jack Russell TERRIER! They might want to clue the child in that it is NOT a Chihuahua!! But, maybe they also think it is a Chihuahua??

No matter, I think they found the dog because it was running around again yesterday.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Take Ownership, People!

I read a lot of news headlines on Twitter and Facebook. Much of that news is bad, some is good, and others just stupid. But, they all have one thing in common. There are a lot of idiots out there who have to comment on all the updates, many are “serial” posters and they prove every day that they are idiots, and I end up blocking them so I don’t read their comments, but I can still see others responding to their insanity, feeding the monster.

One of the more popular news items that people like to respond to are those dealing with any sort of attack on either person or property. “Body found” or “Drive-By Kills 2” etc., are very popular with one response that always pisses me off. I really hate it when people respond with “And where were the police to prevent this?????”

I wonder if the idiots who ask this question think that EVERY person in should have their own personal police detail? Because, the police unfortunately are called AFTER the bad guys have done their thing, and have to respond to the call. The police are not PREVENTATIVE measure -- they are CLEAN-UP DETAIL. They get to go in and see the mess left behind and try to figure out “who done it” and then they try to stop any revenge/retribution that may happen as a result of the actions of idiots.

Take Ownership, People! and stop blaming the police for acts of violence committed by idots.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

OMG I didnt BLOG at all in 2010

OMG I didnt BLOG at all in 2010 ??? FACEBOOK has become my favorite means of communicating I guess???

Friday, September 25, 2009

Choice

from my sparkpeople.com daily calendar:

"Everything is a choice. You choose to watch TV instead of walking, or to de-stress by eating instead of talking to a friend. Try to deal with setbacks head on so you don't end up paying for them later."