Happy New Year!

Click on the photo!!

Happy New Year!

Have fun and be safe.

~xo

Lee Ann

Apple of excellence

Have you ever been to an Apple store? What other store would you expect to be using advanced technology?
I was in the store the other day. There were a lot of customers in there, but they also had a lot of employees there to help. As I walked in there were two Apple employees that greeted me.
"oh, that is nice"
Then before I even got half way through the store, a guy asked me if I needed help. I told him what I was looking for and he walked with me to my destination. He then helped in getting the item and described it to me.
"oh, this is excellent customer service"
Then I told him I would be purchasing the item.

He then asked "how will you be paying for that?"
I told him I would pay with my debit card.

He said, "ok, I can help you with that right here."
Then he pulled out a portable card reader.
I said, "now that is pretty cool!"

He said, "yeah, I am a walking cash register" (except he could only process credit/debit card transactions).
He placed a sticker on my item (it read "Lucky You" with an apple design on it).

Then he asked if I wanted my receipt now or if I wanted it emailed to me.
I said, "I would like to have it now if that is ok."
He said. "sure that is no problem."
Then I asked, "do you have a printer on you too?"
He laughed and said that would probably come not too long from now.

He reached under one of the tables and pulled my receipt from a printer.
He thanked me and I left.

It was the most efficient and friendly experiences I have had.
I could not believe that I was in and out in under 10 minutes. The place was packed!

Cool, huh?

Have a great day!
~xo
Lee Ann

Funny moments for Doctors

1. A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs -and I was in the wrong one.
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald

2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. "Big breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a "massive internal fart."
Submitted by! Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one? " I asked. "The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six ours and now I'm running out of places to put It!" I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion She answered..."Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive."
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson

6. I was caring for a woman and asked, "So how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste," the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf

7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room, when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read, "Keep off the grass." Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, "Sorry, had to mow the lawn."
Submitted by RN no name

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB, I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams To cover my embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, "I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?"
She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener'!".
Dr. wouldn't submit his name

Merry Christmas!

I hope all of you and your loved ones have a very Merry Christmas!

Have fun and be safe during this holiday season!

I wish you a joyous holiday!

~Love you all

Have a very very merry Christmas!

I am going to rest for a couple of days and get myself well.

I will check in a little closer to Christmas.

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season.

Click on the photo, I will bring you some Elfin cheer!

(It takes a minute to load, but I think you will enjoy it.)

You will notice that my hair looks short.

I promise it is still long, the download did not allow for more than 12 inches of my hair.

Look below! I want to make you four times merrier!

If you want four times the Elfin cheer.....just click the photo of the four little wee elves above and watch!

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

Love you all,

Lee Ann

It has been a long week!

Well, I have almost finished my Christmas shopping!
It has been a long week for me.
Last week, I had a sore throat.

Saturday, after shopping all afternoon, I was in an accident on my way home.
Fortunately, no one was injured. Unfortunately, my car was.
It is not too bad considering I was hit from behind by a Jeep Cherokee. The jeep is much bigger than my car. His front bumper was just enough higher than my back bumper that it cracked the center top portion of my bumper (where his front plate went through). We were both sitting at a red light. When the turn lane arrow changed to green, he hit the gas (even though we were in the lane to go straight with a red light). We both got out of our cars and he immediately said "Oh I am so sorry, are you ok?" I said, "yes, are you?" We are both fine.
I got the estimate today... $1200. That does not include the amount for a rental car for 3 days. At least no one was hurt.

Sunday night, my sore throat turned into bronchitis.
I missed work yesterday and went to the doctor.
Hopefully the medicine will kick in soon.
I think it was about 3 years ago, I had pneumonia on Christmas.
I am glad it is not that bad.

So, I think I will sit down and relax by the fire tonight.
I thought I would build one for all of you.
Hope you enjoy!

Click on the picture to enlarge.

It makes for a nice wallpaper! :)

Have a good night!
~xo

Lee Ann

Eating out....

Here is something to think about when dining out during this holiday season.Here is a report card on many popular restaurants.

Click on the images below to enlarge!

Eat well and be merry!
~xo

Lee Ann

Advice for a hangover....could be helpful for the holidays!

HEALTH

About Last Night
What really happens to your body when you drink too much--and why most hangover remedies won't work.

Holiday Binging: The distilled-spirits industry makes about 25 percent of its profits between Thanksgiving and New Year's
By Joan Raymond Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 12, 2007 Updated: 6:38 p.m. ET Dec 12, 2007

David Vanderveen figures he should know better. But during a family party last Christmas, Vanderveen, 38, a normally temperate kind of guy, downed several glasses of champagne and Scotch before slurping some Boerenjongens, a Dutch concoction made from whisky and raisins. He spent the next morning on his couch, nursing a heaving stomach, headache and other assorted ills. "I felt like a monkey died in my mouth," says Vanderveen, cofounder of XS Energy Drinks, based in Laguna, Calif. "It wasn't pretty."
Vanderveen isn't alone in his holiday booze binging. The free flowing hooch at the endless round of parties during the month of December can turn a sipper into a chugger. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, the $58 billion distilled-spirits industry makes about 25 percent of its profits between Thanksgiving and New Year's. And though there are enough problems with lack of judgment the night of, the saga often continues the morning after with that smorgasbord of pain called the hangover. In medical terms, this full-body assault is called veisalgia.

While hangovers have plagued revelers since early hominids kicked back with some date-palm wine, science still doesn't have a good understanding of how your I-love-everybody yuletide cheer turns into such a biological bah-humbug. There are few studies that examine the hangover and the best way to cure it. But what science theorizes about the hangover may be enough to make any reveler skip the holiday binge.

The misery begins when blood alcohol levels start to fall. Some experts to believe the hangover is a "kind of mini withdrawal," says Robert Swift, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and director of research at the Providence Veterans Adminstration Medical Center. Because alcohol is a sedative, your body reacts by releasing various neurochemicals to stimulate the brain. These chemicals cause a rapid pulse, nausea, tremors and light and sound sensitivity--the same symptoms that alcoholics experience when they stop drinking. The worst of the symptoms occur when blood alcohol levels reach zero, also known as "the morning after."
How fast it takes you get to that zero level depends on your liver, which processes nearly all the alcohol you imbibe. And it can metabolize only small amounts of liquor each hour, explains liver specialist Dr. William Carey, professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. But "every person is going to metabolize alcohol differently," Carey says, with genetics and gender playing a role. On average, the liver metabolizes about one ounce of pure alcohol per hour. That's about 12 ounces of beer, a five-ounce glass of wine or one and a half ounces of liquor.

Which leads to another theory that puts the blame for the hangover on pure physiology. Alcohol is first broken down in the liver into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is then further broken down into a harmless substance called acetate. At high doses, acetaldehyde causes nausea, vomiting, sweating and other symptoms akin to the hangover. Although there is no acetaldehyde in your system when you have a zero blood-alcohol level, some of the after-effects of the toxin may persist the morning after.

Congeners, by-products of the distillation and fermentation process, may also play a role in making holiday partiers miserable. Darker-colored liquors such as brandies, bourbon and red wine contain more congeners than lighter colored alcoholic beverages like gin or vodka. The big-bad of the various congeners is methanol, which is broken down by the body into formaldehyde. In the vernacular, formaldehyde is embalming fluid. When living people have this in their circulation, the clinical term for how they feel is "rotten," Swift says.

Since alcohol is a diuretic, you'll wake up dehydrated. That dehydration explains some of the symptoms such as headaches and a dry mouth. Alcohol also plays havoc with the body's biorhythms, disturbing sleep patterns, despite it being a sedative. That lack of sleep contributes to the overall misery.

Oddly, "some people can get a hangover from one or two drinks," Swift says. "And it's usually the moderate or light social drinker who suffers the most." At particular risk, though, are women. Researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, found that women experience worse hangovers than men, despite the amount of alcohol consumed.Though a drink-a-thon may make you feel merry, at least for a while, there are other health issues to think about. Binging, defined as four drinks per session for women and five for men, is a "serious public-health problem," according to Dr. Robert D. Brewer, alcohol team leader for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Not only will your body most likely pay the price with a mother of a hangover, binging sets you up for a host of problems: car accidents, domestic and gun violence and sexual assault. There are also potential health issues that can be precipitated by a binge--acute pancreatitis, a painful and potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas, or even "holiday heart syndrome," an irregular heart rhythm found in heart-healthy folks who have overindulged. "There's nothing funny, nothing good, about binging," Brewer says.

Binging isn't relegated to the problem drinker. Rather, studies at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that binges are reported more often in moderate imbibers. And it's not the sole province of college kids either. According to the CDC, more than half of the alcohol consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks, and 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve adults over age 25.

The safest bet is of course to follow the rules. Current recommendations call for one drink a day for women and two a day for men. But if you can't resist the extra glass, there are ways to make your morning a little bit merrier. First, if you are drinking, don't drive--of course. A glass of water between drinks will both slow down your alcohol consumption and help with dehydration. Eat before drinking, and while you're at the party, keep grazing to slow alcohol absorption, suggests alcohol metabolism expert James Schaefer, a research professor at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. Also avoid mixing drinks.

Don't waste your money on the many so-called hangover prevention remedies available in drugstores or online. Most don't have much, if any, science behind them. One study conducted by Tulane University researchers and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine did find that prickly pear extract prevented nausea and dry mouth and boosted appetite but didn't do much for other hangover symptoms.

So what can you do to help the morning after? Since alcohol messed up your sleep cycle, rest. To help your head, try aspirin or ibuprofen. Coffee can ease the pain, but it's also a mild diuretic. So drink plenty of water and juice. Exercise seems to help. Kim Donaldson, whose occasional downfall is holiday champagne, swears by walking or any type of light workout. "You may want to die at first, but you will feel better," says Donaldson, cofounder of Bottlenotes Inc., an online wine store.

And eat—even if you can barely stomach the thought. Brian Levy, a Dallas advertising executive, uses grease to help soothe symptoms during his sporadic forays into holiday overindulgence. But most experts say go bland with crackers, bread (burnt toast may help), bananas and other easy-to-digest foods. And perhaps most important: don't fall for that myth about the-hair-of-the-dog-that-bit-you and have more alcohol. That trick may make you feel better in the short term, but it could lead you on a "very dangerous path" to alcohol dependence, Schaefer says. His advice: "Drink smart or don't drink. That way you'll be able to enjoy the holidays." Even the next day.

Have a safe holiday everyone!
Have a great weekend!
~xo
Lee Ann

What color are you?

I am feeling much better, thanks for the well wishes!

I worked out this morning, even cranked it up a notch. Now I am off to work.

I was feeling a little red in the throat, but now normal....see my color!

You Are a Purple Crayon

Your world is colored in dreamy, divine, and classy colors. You hold yourself to a sky high standard, and you are always graceful. People envy, idolize, and copy you without realizing it. You are an icon for those who know you. And while it is hard to be a perfectionist, rest assured it's paying off! Your color wheel opposite is yellow. While yellow people may be wise, they lack the manners and class needed to impress you.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Hope you have a great day!
~xo

Lee Ann

Not feeling well...

I stayed home sick with a sore throat today.
I am resting. (I hope I don't snore, if you think you hear that, it is just a tickle in my sore throat!!!) ;)
Please feel free to come inside and read (there is plenty of reading material over there to your right in the great room) or relax in the great room in front of fireplace and watch the big screen television.
Take your shoes off and get comfy!
Please be sure to sign the guest book in the grand foyer.
Have a pleasant day,
Lee Ann

What Christmas tree are you?

I am a White Christmas Tree

You like to fill your holidays with beautiful designs and classy decorations. When it comes to Christmas, you always expect (and provide) the best.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

Have a wonderful week!
~xo

Lee Ann

a little fun...

Have a great weekend!

Hugz

LA

From time to time people stumble across my blog when searching for something other than Castle of Nannbugg.
The other day, I noticed some of the searches that found me:

**indian university girls sex photo
**celery numb lips
**things they dont put on hallmark cards
**picture of little boy with pads all over him
**odd inventions
**how to say i love you i really do in italian
**rasta man having sex with white women
**shaun cassidy shoe size
**if i knew it would be the last time reba mcentire
**warning to others purpose in life
**don't take life too seriously bumper sticer

I did not change any of the words or how they were spelled....just copied it.
It is interesting to look at the above and realize there is at least a little content from these searches that are contained in my blog!
~~~~Shaun Cassidy's shoe size!?
I know for a fact that in the 2 and a half years the Castle has been here, that I have never written anything about Shaun Cassidy's shoe size... and who and why would anyone want to know that????
I find it humorous and entertaining.
Tell me a search that found you.

Have a good day!
~xo
Lee Ann

38 Questions:

I found this at Hypersonic's place.


1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
Left shoulder, rotator cuff surgery.

2. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
Well, there are many things, but one is that I would like to be at my goal of my fitness program.
(I know, it takes time and diligence)

3. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
9:56 am

4. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
doll

5. THE BEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED:
I don't know if I would say its the best tv show ever created, but my favorite show at this time is Grey's Anatomy.

6. THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO?
Howard

7. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
Yes

9. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE?
None, I had 2 pulled and 2 cut out (when I was 18)

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?
Ladies' perfume ~ Estee Lauder - White Linen
Men's cologne ~ Claiborne - Mambo

11. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Tall dark and handsome ~ Brunette hair with brown eyes

12. WOULD YOU RATHER BE SMART OR FUNNY?
Both, together is the perfect balance.

13. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?
Coffee! The only time I have had an energy drink was a Jägerbomb (nasty)

14. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Thick juicy filet Mignon with Marsala mushroom sauce, side of asparagus and a big slice of cheesecake with sour cream topping.

15. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?
Howard (I am guessing, because I don't normally make people mad. And honestly, I don't ever intentionally try to make him mad....sorry baby)

16. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?
No, but I know sign language (if you do it very slow)
I can count to 10 in Spanish. "I love you" in french. A few numbers in Vietnamese (one of my favorite nail polishes was number 14).

17. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?
Most definitely!

18. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
Yes, my heart leads my mind most of the time.

19. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?
Directly. If that doesn't work, get on the Internet and tell them... Howard, you mean the world to me.

20. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?
People that are ignorant or those that treat others with disrespect.

21. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE U.S.?
Yes, I have been to Mexico. (Only because I went to a small city right across the border of Texas). I would love to travel to Italy, Scotland, England, Australia, Africa, Brazil....

22. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
Tender kisses on my neck and... well lets just say tender kisses! ;)

23. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I don't think I could do it....I am terrified of going "under the knife".

24. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?
It is something different and it gave me something to post.

25. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Yes.

26. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
My face.

27. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?
Hope that pot becomes legal! haha...j/k

28. WHERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes,
Lee ~ my dad's middle name
Ann ~ my mom's middle name
Patricia ~ my mom's first name.

29. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
Last night

30. ANY BAD HABITS?
Naaa, not me! haha
No, seriously, I am sure there are some.

31. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes, I am very loyal.

32. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE FAMOUS?
From the past....Texas Jack was my cousin (4th I think).

33. DO LOOKS MATTER?
I would be lying if I said no, but if you don't have a good soul, if you are not a nice person, it doesn't matter how beautiful you are. If you have inner beauty, that is the beauty that shines the most.

34. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?
Cry

35. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
I used to, but not as quickly now.

36. FAVORITE THOUGHT PROVOKING SONG:
Jethro Tull ~ Aqualung

37. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
Saturday

38. FAVORITE EXPRESSION?
That's amazing!

Have an amazing week!
~xo
Lee Ann