Where does mineral oil come from? What is it really? If corn oil comes from corn and soy bean oil comes from soy beans, what mineral is squeezed so hard that oil comes out?
How is acetone made?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mona's Visit
When my husband and I first moved to Springfield, I started looking around for exciting places to visit. Tourist type things. Branson, the hill billy version of Las Vegas. The Dickerson Zoo. Rutledge-Wilson Farm. Bass Pro Shop. Wild Animal Safari Park. Not being the animal freak, my husband opted to delay our adventures until Mona would come visit. So, I had to wait for the zoo and the animal safari trip. I also had to wait for the drive through adventure trip of the caverns. No problem. I waited.
Finally, we received word that Mona was ready to come visit. YIPPIE!! We also decided that we would take her to Las Vegas and see all the things she missed on her first trip. Mona didn't come directly to us when she landed in the US. She first visited with her friend in Leavenworth. That adventure brought her to the Ozarks via relatives and Silver Dollar City, the hill billy version of Six Flags. She also got a chance to see Branson, so my husband and I didn't have to take Mona there. It turned out to be a good deal because we ran out of time.
Before we went to Vegas, we took the trip to the caverns. If you are planning a trip to Springfield and put the caverns on your list of things to do.....well, scratch it off. It not only was not worth the drive to the caverns, it was not worth the entrance price or the time spent. If you really want to see caverns, visit Virginia's Luray Caverns or go to Carlsbad. Skip the hill billy version of caverns in the Ozarks. Luckily, my husband suffered in silence and kept his comments to himself.
Next on the agenda....Las Vegas. We had a great time. We met up with the my husband's brothers and their families and our children and a good time was had by all. The first adventure on the list of activities was a jaunt to Freemont Street. My husband, the Beatles fan, got to see a live band from the Cirque du Solei show Love. They played Beatles music. Mona and I visited the junk tourist shops and bought post cards.
When the band finished, it was time for the Freemont Street light show. How coincidental that my husband's all time favorite band, KISS was being showcased? I couldn't have planned a better evening for him if I had tried.
After Vegas, Mona and I had animal adventures. First, we went to the Dickerson Zoo. We did have a good time. Unfortunately, we ran out of quarters, thus the feeding of the animals was limited. However, we did get to see the elephants get a shower and we got to feed the giraffes! Now, THAT WAS COOL!
The zoo was then followed by the Go Paradise Wild Animal Safari. I had more fun here. I highly recommend purchasing the Family Pack of animal feed. The individual bag just simply was not enough.
Finally, we received word that Mona was ready to come visit. YIPPIE!! We also decided that we would take her to Las Vegas and see all the things she missed on her first trip. Mona didn't come directly to us when she landed in the US. She first visited with her friend in Leavenworth. That adventure brought her to the Ozarks via relatives and Silver Dollar City, the hill billy version of Six Flags. She also got a chance to see Branson, so my husband and I didn't have to take Mona there. It turned out to be a good deal because we ran out of time.
Before we went to Vegas, we took the trip to the caverns. If you are planning a trip to Springfield and put the caverns on your list of things to do.....well, scratch it off. It not only was not worth the drive to the caverns, it was not worth the entrance price or the time spent. If you really want to see caverns, visit Virginia's Luray Caverns or go to Carlsbad. Skip the hill billy version of caverns in the Ozarks. Luckily, my husband suffered in silence and kept his comments to himself.
Next on the agenda....Las Vegas. We had a great time. We met up with the my husband's brothers and their families and our children and a good time was had by all. The first adventure on the list of activities was a jaunt to Freemont Street. My husband, the Beatles fan, got to see a live band from the Cirque du Solei show Love. They played Beatles music. Mona and I visited the junk tourist shops and bought post cards.
When the band finished, it was time for the Freemont Street light show. How coincidental that my husband's all time favorite band, KISS was being showcased? I couldn't have planned a better evening for him if I had tried.
After Vegas, Mona and I had animal adventures. First, we went to the Dickerson Zoo. We did have a good time. Unfortunately, we ran out of quarters, thus the feeding of the animals was limited. However, we did get to see the elephants get a shower and we got to feed the giraffes! Now, THAT WAS COOL!
The zoo was then followed by the Go Paradise Wild Animal Safari. I had more fun here. I highly recommend purchasing the Family Pack of animal feed. The individual bag just simply was not enough.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Parasite Nightmare
There is a new television series on Animal Planet called "Monsters Inside Me." It's all about internal parasites, be they complex creatures or microbes. Either way, they cause problems for those who host them.
Well, after watching the show, I went to bed and had horrible dreams about my ex-husband.
Hmmm.....any correlation between parasites and my ex-husband. Apparently, my subconscious thought so.
Well, after watching the show, I went to bed and had horrible dreams about my ex-husband.
Hmmm.....any correlation between parasites and my ex-husband. Apparently, my subconscious thought so.
Friday, June 19, 2009
A second road trip
After the trip to Leavenworth, we decided to visit St. Louis, MO. I have only driven through the city twice. Not stopping either time. This time, we were planing to actually get out of the car and go inside the famous arch.
Yes, we took the pups.
No, we didn't take the MINI.
The arch was cool. Not something I would drive to St. Louis especially to see, but as an option to tourist attractions, it was satisfactory.
The zoo was good. It was smaller than I had expected and it rained, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't have to push any small children out of my way and that's always a plus.
Generally, the rotten children are climbing on the sculptures and interfering with my photo opportunity. I guess the rain kept some folks away. It's just as well.
While on the "River Walk" we came across this snake. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he's not a fan of the snakes. So, I suggested he strangle this one. He complied.
Then, at a vendor wagon, I found this amazing hat. I thought it was wonderful. So did the people next to us. They said it matched his beard perfectly. Unfortunately, my husband was less than amused.
Our next tourist attraction was Grant's Farm. The Budweiser Clydesdales are stabled and trained there. Naturally, that was on our "To Do" list. Before seeing the horses, we took the tram to the park where I was overjoyed with what I discovered.
BABY GOATS!
Purchasing a small bottle of milk to feed the kids as allowed and without hesitation, I went right up to the Milk House. I was the first one in line. Unfortunately, my husband, who had the money, wasn't so eager and I had to step to the side and wait for him. FINALLY, he gave me some money and I bought 3 bottles.
Most folks heeded the warning sign "Caution. Goats can be aggressive." and stayed on the outside of the fence. Not me. No way. I was going in.
It was the absolute best. I was thrilled.
Pure happiness!
My adventure was only just beginning.
After a few minutes walking, I discovered another feeding station. This one was for llamas and camels.
Only too bad for me because this feeding station was a self service vending machine that only took quarters. Two of them. My husband didn't have any change.
I readily noticed a change machine. He was unimpressed.
So, I broke out my purse and rummaged for change. YIPPIE!! I found EIGHT quarters in the bottom of my bag.
Those guys have the coolest lips!
The llama was okay, but it made me nervous to have him look at me with his ears back like that. I did pet him and he certainly was soft, but nowhere as much fun as the camel.
He got the majority of the niblets.
I could have stood there for several more hours and plenty of dollars, but there was more to see.
Before we left that portion of Grant's Farm, I simply had to go back to the goats.
I just love them.
Off to the stables.
There were lots of babies. All but two of them were out of reach, safe behind their mothers or the "Keep off the Grass" signs.
The two that I could reach, well....they got their fair share of lovin'.
After Grant's Farm, it was back to the hotel for the pups and a return drive home.
The drive, I'm happy to say, was uneventful. No vomit.
Yes, we took the pups.
No, we didn't take the MINI.
The arch was cool. Not something I would drive to St. Louis especially to see, but as an option to tourist attractions, it was satisfactory.
The zoo was good. It was smaller than I had expected and it rained, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't have to push any small children out of my way and that's always a plus.
Generally, the rotten children are climbing on the sculptures and interfering with my photo opportunity. I guess the rain kept some folks away. It's just as well. While on the "River Walk" we came across this snake. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he's not a fan of the snakes. So, I suggested he strangle this one. He complied.
Then, at a vendor wagon, I found this amazing hat. I thought it was wonderful. So did the people next to us. They said it matched his beard perfectly. Unfortunately, my husband was less than amused.
Our next tourist attraction was Grant's Farm. The Budweiser Clydesdales are stabled and trained there. Naturally, that was on our "To Do" list. Before seeing the horses, we took the tram to the park where I was overjoyed with what I discovered.
BABY GOATS!
Purchasing a small bottle of milk to feed the kids as allowed and without hesitation, I went right up to the Milk House. I was the first one in line. Unfortunately, my husband, who had the money, wasn't so eager and I had to step to the side and wait for him. FINALLY, he gave me some money and I bought 3 bottles.
Most folks heeded the warning sign "Caution. Goats can be aggressive." and stayed on the outside of the fence. Not me. No way. I was going in.
It was the absolute best. I was thrilled.
Pure happiness!My adventure was only just beginning.
After a few minutes walking, I discovered another feeding station. This one was for llamas and camels.
Only too bad for me because this feeding station was a self service vending machine that only took quarters. Two of them. My husband didn't have any change.
I readily noticed a change machine. He was unimpressed.
So, I broke out my purse and rummaged for change. YIPPIE!! I found EIGHT quarters in the bottom of my bag.
Those guys have the coolest lips!
The llama was okay, but it made me nervous to have him look at me with his ears back like that. I did pet him and he certainly was soft, but nowhere as much fun as the camel. 
He got the majority of the niblets.
I could have stood there for several more hours and plenty of dollars, but there was more to see.
Before we left that portion of Grant's Farm, I simply had to go back to the goats.
I just love them.Off to the stables.
There were lots of babies. All but two of them were out of reach, safe behind their mothers or the "Keep off the Grass" signs.
The two that I could reach, well....they got their fair share of lovin'.
After Grant's Farm, it was back to the hotel for the pups and a return drive home.
The drive, I'm happy to say, was uneventful. No vomit.
So, I took some time off from work
My amazing husband had to take some time off from his job before going to Army Summer Camp for awhile. Luckily, I was able to have a few days away from the exciting world of retail, and we opted to go back to Leavenworth for a couple of days.
We also decided to drive the MINI and take the pups.
Big mistake.
See, the MINI is a super fun car to drive. Not as much fun in the passenger seat and really no fun if car sickness is even a remote possibility. Poor, poor pups.
I had set up a wonderful bed in the back seat for them. Lots of pillows and blankets to make everything even and soft. Too bad for me because they much preferred being in my lap. Now, granted my lap is pretty big, just not big enough to easily accommodate two schnauzers. I did my best, however and had an extra towel just in case of emergency.
Emergency came 3 times. I have dog vomit all over me. My husband, the clean freak, was bent out of shape about the possibility that some vomit actually got on the car. To his pleasure, 90% of the vomit was captured by the towel. The rest, by my purse, my shirt and my pants. The really bad news was that I hadn't planned on having to change my clothes that day.
The more frustrated my husband became with the situation, the more amazed I was with him. Finally, I told him to relax. I was the one with vomit all over themselves. He could calm down a bit and get me some water.
By the time we made it to the hotel, I was ready for a shower and a change of clothes. But first, I had to wash the clothes I was wearing as I would have to wear them again the next day.
Now, this hotel, although dog friendly, was not equipped with a bathtub. Shower only. Have you ever tried to wash vomit covered clothes and vomit covered towels with a hotel bar of hand soap in a shower? Well, lets just say it wasn't the easiest task.
Eventually, all the vomit was a thing of the past and my clothes needed drying. My sweet husband, trying to help in the situation, neatly folded my pants and hung them near the air conditioner.
FOLDED.
So, I opened them up and laid them directly across the a/c vent. It took the rest of the day and all night, but by morning, they were dry enough to wear.
For the return trip, I limited the pups' food in the morning. I didn't want to face another 3-hour trip wearing vomit covered clothes. This worked in my favor. They managed to hold their lunch on the way home.
We also decided to drive the MINI and take the pups.
Big mistake.
See, the MINI is a super fun car to drive. Not as much fun in the passenger seat and really no fun if car sickness is even a remote possibility. Poor, poor pups.
I had set up a wonderful bed in the back seat for them. Lots of pillows and blankets to make everything even and soft. Too bad for me because they much preferred being in my lap. Now, granted my lap is pretty big, just not big enough to easily accommodate two schnauzers. I did my best, however and had an extra towel just in case of emergency.
Emergency came 3 times. I have dog vomit all over me. My husband, the clean freak, was bent out of shape about the possibility that some vomit actually got on the car. To his pleasure, 90% of the vomit was captured by the towel. The rest, by my purse, my shirt and my pants. The really bad news was that I hadn't planned on having to change my clothes that day.
The more frustrated my husband became with the situation, the more amazed I was with him. Finally, I told him to relax. I was the one with vomit all over themselves. He could calm down a bit and get me some water.
By the time we made it to the hotel, I was ready for a shower and a change of clothes. But first, I had to wash the clothes I was wearing as I would have to wear them again the next day.
Now, this hotel, although dog friendly, was not equipped with a bathtub. Shower only. Have you ever tried to wash vomit covered clothes and vomit covered towels with a hotel bar of hand soap in a shower? Well, lets just say it wasn't the easiest task.
Eventually, all the vomit was a thing of the past and my clothes needed drying. My sweet husband, trying to help in the situation, neatly folded my pants and hung them near the air conditioner.
FOLDED.
So, I opened them up and laid them directly across the a/c vent. It took the rest of the day and all night, but by morning, they were dry enough to wear.
For the return trip, I limited the pups' food in the morning. I didn't want to face another 3-hour trip wearing vomit covered clothes. This worked in my favor. They managed to hold their lunch on the way home.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
My First Rappel
As part of the Military Science course at MSU, the students/cadets participate in rappeling off a 50-foot tower. As I have know the faculty, I was allowed the opportunity to participate with the cadets.
Having jumped out to the 32-foot tower in Ft. Bragg, I felt confident that I would psychologically be able to look down from the top of the tower. My hesitation stemmed from the fear that I would not be able to support my own weight with my brake hand.
Feeling comfortable with my willingness to participate in such an adventure, I strapped on a harness (I opted to fore go the Swiss Seat), helmet and gloves and begin the long, long climb up the narrow steps and ladder.
I stopped halfway.
Once at the top, I put all of my faith and safety into the hands of MSG Travis Votaw. my husband's right hand man. He performed the safety inspection of my gear and told me everything would be okay.
He gave me the basic operating instructions and told me to step over the ledge.
Now, wait just a second......Step over the ledge.....
Yep, apparently there would be a tiny ledge that I would stand upon while I got my body into the correct position.
Sure enough, the ledge was there.
Get ready....get ready....It'll be okay. You won't fall.
After I dropped a few inches and realized that I was perfectly stable and in control of my descent, I relaxed.
WOOOOO HOOOOO. How am I doin'?
Almost there....
Ta-Da!! I made it!
It was super fun, not scary at all. Okay...at least not after the first few seconds. But after that, I had a great time. I climbed the steps two more times that day.
I, however, did not go off the simulated helicopter skid. That looked just a tad intimidating for my first time out. Maybe next semester.
Having jumped out to the 32-foot tower in Ft. Bragg, I felt confident that I would psychologically be able to look down from the top of the tower. My hesitation stemmed from the fear that I would not be able to support my own weight with my brake hand.
Feeling comfortable with my willingness to participate in such an adventure, I strapped on a harness (I opted to fore go the Swiss Seat), helmet and gloves and begin the long, long climb up the narrow steps and ladder.
I stopped halfway.
Once at the top, I put all of my faith and safety into the hands of MSG Travis Votaw. my husband's right hand man. He performed the safety inspection of my gear and told me everything would be okay.
He gave me the basic operating instructions and told me to step over the ledge.
Now, wait just a second......Step over the ledge.....
Yep, apparently there would be a tiny ledge that I would stand upon while I got my body into the correct position.
Sure enough, the ledge was there.
Get ready....get ready....It'll be okay. You won't fall.
After I dropped a few inches and realized that I was perfectly stable and in control of my descent, I relaxed.
WOOOOO HOOOOO. How am I doin'?
Almost there....
Ta-Da!! I made it!
It was super fun, not scary at all. Okay...at least not after the first few seconds. But after that, I had a great time. I climbed the steps two more times that day.
I, however, did not go off the simulated helicopter skid. That looked just a tad intimidating for my first time out. Maybe next semester.
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