Benkenobi

You've heard the question asked, "If your home were on fire, what you try to save?" Most people answer that they would rescue people and pets and as many photographs and memories as possible.

The question we faced was similar. We were forced to consider, "If we have to evacuate our home, what should we take with us?" Or, put another way, which of our possessions could we live without?

Our area was just a few miles from largest wildfire in Colorado's history. We were on "evacuation alert." If we got the call to evacuate, we would have to grab whatever we could save and leave immediately.

We packed suitcases with a few clothes and toiletries and set them by the door. Though these things were not valuable, time was. We moved the computers ... I made a living with my computer. We cleared out books we sold from our home office. Those books represented our livelihood. We packed financial records - who wants to hassle with the government for years over missing documents?

Now, what else? We snatched family pictures from the walls and packed scrapbooks in boxes. These were truly valuable and could not be replaced. I grabbed a few sentimental objects from my childhood and stuffed them in a box.

Then we took a hard look at all that remained. There was a lamp that belonged to my great grandmother. A piano my wife Bev learned to play when she was a little girl. A hutch that belonged to her grandmother. A large rug we spent months saving for and bought for our mountain home. Bedroom furniture we wanted to pass down to our children someday. There were handmade quilts and gifts from dear friends and family. It was impractical to move everything from our home and store them for an indefinite time. Some important items would have to stay behind.

I never thought that my "things" meant much to me. I prided myself in believing that I would never let myself get attached to possessions, for things of the spirit were all that truly mattered. But these particular "things" pulled within. Those "worthless" coins and memorabilia from my childhood - what was that about? The furniture we inherited or grew up with - why did it call out to me so? Or that rug we bought together? Or the many items that decorated our house given to us by friends and family over the years?

The answer, of course, is that these things represented our love as a couple and a family. They also signified all of those people over the years we have loved and who loved us. And each had stories to tell. They told of all we'd been through together and where we were headed. They spoke in the voices of generations past - parents and grandparents.

We could not take the piano, but we could visualize how Bev, as a baby, learned to walk clutching the edge of that piano bench. We smelled the "old" and pleasant scents of grandparents' homes as we heard the wind-up clock chime or ran our fingers over a mahogany hutch we refinished years ago. We were flooded with memories as we gazed upon items given to us by cherished friends over a lifetime.

Some of these possessions of a life told stories about the people who first owned them. Stories of how they faced hardship together, how they raised their children and how they lived their lives. These "things" were not just things - they were memories, no less valuable than the photographs. They told stories about where we'd been, where we presently were and where we were going. They told stories of friends, of family and of love.

Most of our memories would be left in the house if it burned - we'd never have enough time to save the furnishings. And looking around at all we might lose, I found it difficult to say good-bye. But strangely, I also felt fortunate that I had been surrounded with objects that tell such warm and wonderful stories. Valuable objects; perhaps not in the world's eyes, but valuable nevertheless. The worth of all these things would never be measured on a ledger sheet. Though they were possessions, they were still things of the heart.

Someone wisely said, "There are people so poor that the only thing they have is money." And now I know. I am indeed rich. I am rich in friends and family. Rich in memories. Rich in everything that has ever really mattered to me. I am wealthier than I ever believed possible.

It took a fire to teach me.

Out of jest I was commenting on Ju's blog if "Wookie" was edible... :P Banished! never a chance to ever get to see "Wookie".. Yeah Katy's pet dog..

A little research on the Internet and this was what I got.

"Many Korean pet owners have also been abandoning their dogs, which often end up in the markets - sometimes because they outgrew Korea's rather small sized average apartment. This time, their investigation has found that purebred puppies have been sold to dog meat restaurants. The conversation between a dog meat restaurant owner and his customer clearly showed that all dogs are regarded as food in dog eaters' eyes."

Oh ok "markets" here refer to the "dog meat" market.. It seems that Koreans have been consuming dogs and cats for a long time, like we consume chicken...

So I guess if ever a pet dog gets too big for your apartment, there is always the possibility of exporting your pet to Korea and fill some hungry Korean's appetite... :P

If ever you get to visit Korea, do check out the "dog meat restaurants" it might prove to be rather facinating...

Tell me, tell me does "Wookie" look delicious??? Nyam Nyam.. :P

The story always works.. A beautiful girl falls for a cute guy, one meets in an accident, the other sacrifice for the partner...

Me on the other hand would be questioning the practicality of such actions..

I mean wouldnt the guy be more useful if he had taken care of her instead of sacrificing his eyes

And I was osso wondering why she didnt stop him from leaving at the end of the snippet... hmmm..

Questions, questions and more questions to ponder..Thank God life is not as dramatic as that.. or am I just having a boring life.. :P

Get the video here!

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.

4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

Microwaving Water!Microwaving Water!

A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup "blew up" into his face.

The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.

He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc., (nothing metal).

It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle.


General Electric's Response:

Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! before moving it or adding anything into it.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter:

"Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken."

If you pass this on you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.

I have often get this sort of stuff.. But how true is it? Do ladies really perceive men as such or is it just their cruel way of making fun of guys..

What do you guys/girls think??

:))