Beware Zombie Groundhogs

I'm pretty certain there isn't an Iselin groundhog.  Well... there ARE groundhogs in Iselin, but none as far as I'm aware that predict the weather. For that, I've always relied on the Pennsylvania groundhogs.

Groundhog Day is Wednesday, February 2nd.  It's a weird tradition; the idea is if it is cloudy that day, when the groundhog emerges, it will signify that winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly "see its shadow" and retreat back into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks.

(I always thought it seemed backwards.  If it's sunny, doesn't that seem like the winter should be over sooner?)



www.groundhog.org is the official web site for Punxsutawney Phil.  THAT website states that Punxsutawney Phil is the only TRUE weather predicting groundhog, and that the SAME GROUNDHOG - named Phil - has been prognosticating for the last 125 years... hmmmmm....

Anyway, my sister in the Poconos saw this article.  I really liked it.  Apparently, the groundhog doesn't ACTUALLY need to be ALIVE to SEE it's shadow:


Dead groundhog will make West End forecast- PoconoRecord.com

By Christina Tatu

Pocono Record Writer

January 31, 2011

Sammi III, the West End prognosticating groundhog, made last year's Groundhog Day prediction from her death bed.

This year, a different groundhog will make a prediction from beyond the grave.

Members of Groundhog Lodge No. 6 have been unable to find a replacement for Sammi III, who died last Groundhog Day after making one last forecast.

The organizers of the annual celebration behind Cherry's Sunset Restaurant in Kresgeville will rely Wednesday on a stuffed Sammi I, or "Pudgie," who died in the aftermath of a 1996 parade.

"We have to try something, for the fun of it and the amusement," said Groundhog Lodge No. 6 weatherman Harold Kreger.

Apparently, finding and taming a groundhog as a successor is no easy task. Lodge members have been trying to find a new one since Sammi III succumbed to old age last year.

"You have to get them when they're babies, before their eyes are open," Kreger said.

A groundhog isn't an animal that's raised on a farm, so to find one you need to locate a nest, he said.

"When someone knows of a groundhog that has young in a hole somewhere, you have to get a backhoe and dig them out. The person then hand-raises them and feeds them," Kreger said.

Lodge members had a few leads during the summer, but those groundhogs turned out to be "half grown," Kreger said.

Sammi III lived for 10 years, but the previous two Sammies had bad luck.

Sammi I died of heat stroke following a summer parade in July 1996. The groundhog seemed fine while riding in a float inside its cage, but was found dead upon returning to the lodge.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission ordered the lodge to release the second Sammi because his handlers didn't have a permit for him.

This won't be the first Groundhog Day that Sammi I rescued. After the group had to release Sammi II in 1997, they relied on a stuffed Sammi I until getting Sammi III in 2001.

Groundhog Lodge No. 6 members have been celebrating Groundhog Day in the West End for about 60 years.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend notes that spring would come early.

Last year, Sammi III predicted six more weeks of winter.

Wow... I JUST got the BEAUTY of their plan.
There is NO WAY that a DEAD groundhog will see ANYTHING! So it can't see a shadow, so there can't be much more of this glacial winter!

JFK Band Fundraiser

A Blogging Milestone

Today, I hit

visitors on the Iselin Times!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own Logo

JFK's Robotics Team

Thanks to JCPenney, and a few active parents, teachers, and students, JFK High School will be participating in this competition this year. Go, Pneubotic Mustangs!

What to Do?

No football today, and with another storm coming, 

I'm pretty sure that EVERYONE wants to get out of the house

so they don't go cabin-crazy next week. How 'bout going to dinner and a movie?

Click HERE for Movie Times at Menlo Park Mall

We went to see True Grit.  I really liked it, but it had a strange ending.  But never mind the movie, the real interesting part was the theater itself.

The Loews Theater at Menlo Park Mall is all renovated, 

and it's got a whole new program.  And a liquor license.  

So you can get there early and hang out in the bar while you wait for your movie to begin. 

(I guess they are trying to discourage the kids from hanging out in the movie theater. 

It feels like a much more adult evening.)

 The movies cost way more than they used to.  

It's NOT a cheap date.

You are paying $10 each for your movie ticket, 

and another $10 or $15 each for the "experience" charge, 

which goes towards your food bill.

It's a good idea to order your tickets on line first.  We didn't, we waited until we got to the theater.  

In the lobby, where the ticket office used to be, there are computer terminals to order your tickets and,

at the same time, pick your seat.  I liked that idea.

The whole thing reminded us a lot of an airport; getting our boarding pass, then sitting in the bar, waiting to board (the movie); checking the time constantly so we don't miss our flight (show);

watching busy people streaming in and out.  

When we got into the theater itself, looking for our gate (theater.) 

The seats were way more roomy than an airliner, and we had plenty of leg room, but there was still a little tray table - it slid over from the arm instead of coming down from the seat in front of you. There is a little button to call the stewardess (waitress) when you want something. And the food? Well, I only got a piece of cake. It was certainly better than airplane food. But it wasn't the greatest cake I ever had.

I would say I'd try more real food next time, 

but really I didn't feel like eating while I watched the movie, and I don't expect that to change.

But it was nice having a drink. 

I can imagine drinking a cosmo during the next "Sex in the City" movie, or something like that. 

Other than that, I'd probably stick with popcorn.

Shoveling Out AGAIN

I've got more great photos of today's snow in Iselin!
(Although I'm really looking forward to more great photos of the beautiful FLOWERS already!!!)

I got up at the crack of dawn.  No school - Honeywell, the automatic alert system for the school, let us know last night.  So I could have slept late.  But everyone else in my family needed to get out to work, so we were up early, shoveling.  And so was everyone else in town, I think.

From right, Bill Klingaman, Head Custodian at Robert Mascenik School, and Ed Wagner, Night Custodian

The first call from Honeywell last night said delayed opening, but the way the snow was coming down, there was no WAY that the school system could have been up and running. The second call said no school at all.  It's a good thing - even though the High School students were supposed to have finals - because it is a LOT of snow to clear.  Not to mention that the side streets are still a mess.

On a snow day, school custodians don't get to stay home.  They have to work even harder.   When I looked out the window as the sun was coming up, the custodians were already there working on clearing the whole mess away.  No snow days for custodians.  As an ex-employee of the school district, I know how hard they work, and the sacrifice they had to make just to keep their jobs.  So I made them pose for me.    If you see a custodian, say THANK YOU!!

The Robert Mascenik Elementary is all shoveled - NOT an easy job!

It's such a beautiful view looking down towards the brook

The school might be cleared, but the side streets are still a mess!

**Update** - It's after 4:00, and I was just outside and saw plows STILL working on the side streets! The cars in the way make it way more difficult. That's another hardworking bunch of people, the plow guys!

Everyone in town is shoveling out. 

I'm going to have to remember these photos when it's 100 degrees in July!

Photos from a Walk in the Snow

Just thought I'd take a little walk.  It's slow going because a lot of sidewalks aren't shoveled very well, and I didn't feel like taking a car out. 
Stay warm!

Green Street, near the Brook

Corner of Green and Benjamin Avenue

The Bridge over the Brook

Ducks on the Brook

OMG, AGAIN???

This really isn't a weather blog. But for some reason, the big story around here always seems to be the weather. Why is that? Maybe it's because my momma told me I should always be polite and make small talk and that the weather is a safe topic.

Or maybe it's because the weather is, again, affecting my life a lot. Bah humbug.

Issued by The National Weather Service

Philadelphia, PA

3:31 pm EST, Tue., Jan. 25, 2011

... WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

* PRECIPITATION TYPE: MIXED SNOW... SLEET... FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY... TURNING TO A PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW BY WEDNESDAY EVENING BEFORE ENDING BY THE START OF THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE.

* ACCUMULATIONS: 5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW... WITH A COATING OF ICE POSSIBLE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE EVENT.

* TIMING: MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL START WEDNESDAY MORNING BETWEEN 4 AM AND THE END OF THE MORNING COMMUTE. THE MOST INTENSE PERIOD OF SNOW AND WIDESPREAD HAZARDS IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 PM AND MIDNIGHT. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS: THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY FREEZING RAIN. IF THIS BECOMES MORE OF A THREAT, A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE MAY BE ISSUED TONIGHT. THE WEDNESDAY EVENING COMMUTE SHOULD BE AFFECTED AS ACCUMULATING SNOW FALLS WITH GREATER IMPACTS AS THE EVENING COMMUTE PROGRESSES. THE THURSDAY MORNING COMMUTE SHOULD ALSO BE AFFECTED BECAUSE OF RESIDUAL CLEAN UP OF THE WINTRY MESS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY.

* CONFIDENCE: HIGHEST CONFIDENCE FOR SUBSTANTIAL WINTER WEATHER PROBLEMS IS NEAR THE INTERSTATE 95 CORRIDOR.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW... SLEET... OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

A New Video about Old Time Iselin by "Green Street"!

Another amazing video by Brian Lanigan, the man behind "Green Street" Videos!

Saturday Night!

So it's Saturday Night in Iselin, NJ, and it isn't snowing for the moment.
Whatcha gonna do?

I highly recommend that you head out to EAT
and have a nice evening
so you don't end up with a bad case of cabin fever
by the end of next week!

This is a picture as I was crossing Route One, looking at Jose Tejas, a few days ago.
(No, I wasn't the person driving.)
Jose Tejas is a really popular, tasty, relatively inexpensive, and LOUD restaurant here in Iselin. I eat there a lot.

Have a nice night, but drive carefully!

oops... No girl scout cookies today!

The Girl Scouts were supposed to be selling cookies outside of Walgreens today, but the extremely cold temperatures have forced them to cancel.

If they reschedule, I'll let you know!

:(

And... I hate to mention it, but... I was over at the weather channel's web site, and they're talking about ANOTHER serious storm late Tuesday, into Wednesday and Thursday. PLEASE. Enough is enough already! They aren't making any definite statements because they don't know what track the storm will follow; it could be icy, it could be blizzardy. But they seem to be expecting SOMETHING.

So run to ShopRite now, because I KNOW you need milk, eggs and bread! LOL

How Much Snow, and What Time does School Start???

If you have a kid in school in Woodbridge Township, you should have gotten the automated call early this morning from Honeywell Instant Alerts. Today is a delayed opening.

What does it look like in Iselin right now?

It's a winter wonderland!
I took this picture at about 7:00 AM.
I feel bad for all the guys out plowing, although I suppose a lot of them are happy to be working. And I hope they can get it all done fast, before school starts today!

You probably know all this already, but:

ATTENTION

All Woodbridge Township Schools will follow the
Delayed Opening Schedule for,

Friday, January 21, 2011 Delayed Opening Schedule

Kindergarten am	10:55 am - 1:30 pm
Kindergarten pm	12:55 pm - 3:30 pm
Grades 1-5	10:55 am - 3:30 pm
Middle Schools	10:15 am - 3:05 pm
High Schools	9:40 am - 2:30 pm
Preschool Disabled a.m.	10:55 a.m. 1:30 p.m.
Preschool Disabled p.m.	12:55 p.m. 3:30 p.m.

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

I love the Cookies! 
So... ya wanna buy some OFFICIAL Girl Scout Cookies?
And you don't know any Girl Scouts?
No problem!
Girl Scouts will be outside of Walgreens, which is on the corner of Chain O Hills
and St. Georges Ave, in the afternoon on Saturday, Jan. 22. I'm not sure how long they'll be there, but I know they'll be there for sure around 4:00.
So, go get 'em!

Again with the snow???

glitter-graphics.com
It's hard to say, but the forecasters are suggesting we'll have snow again tomorrow... and the kids are all hoping for another day off. What are the chances? I wish I knew!

If we use a snow day tomorrow, that's all we've got. Any more snow days will have to be taken out of the spring break or something.

On the other hand, I have to admit it wouldn't bother ME any...

Iselin Reunion Party Scheduled for March 26thCall to Reserve Now!

The Iselin Reunion party is on again this year!
It's being held on Saturday, March 26 at 7:00pm, at
ST. CECELIA'S LOURDES HALL, in (c'mon, you know where...) ISELIN, of course!

$ 32.5O PER PERSON: includes HOT AND COLD BUFFET (with options available for special diets);
LIVE MUSIC (The TRASH MAVERICKS, a great band -- they've opened for SKYNYRD, the WHO, NUGENT, THOROGOOD & DEEP PURPLE)
SODA, WATER, COFFEE, and ICE,
and most of all???
LOTS OF GREAT MEMORIES...
This event will be B.Y.O.B. for insurance reasons.

Now is the time to make your reservations! It was sold out last year, and no tickets will be sold at the door. Please call Scott Goley at 848-218-2245 if you are interested or for more information.
CHECKS PAYABLE TO :ISELIN REUNION ($ 32.50 PER PERSON)

ISELIN REUNION
58 SO. MCKINLEY AVE
ISELIN , N.J. 08830
848-218-2245. >Scott

or

Iselin Reunion c/o
John McCarthy
103 Goodrich St.
Iselin, N.J.08830

Iselin's Kyle Anderson Named to Town Council

Congratulations, Kyle Anderson! I just read this article on Woodbridge InJersey, which you can visit by clicking HERE:

Kyle Anderson to become first black councilman in Woodbridge
by Sergio Bichao on Woodbridge InJersey on Jan 18th

WOODBRIDGE, NJ -- The Township Council next week will welcome the first black member to the panel.

Kyle Anderson was selected by the township’s Democratic committee to finish the term of former Councilwoman Patricia Osborne, who resigned last month. The council is expected to vote on his appointment next Tuesday at 7.

The history-making move was announced by Mayor John E. McCormac yesterday during the township’s tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Anderson, who lives in Woodbridge proper and grew up in Iselin, is known in the community as a youth recreation coach, the six-year president of the Iselin Giants, president of the Fifth Quarter Club at Woodbridge High School, and member of the Woodbridge Housing Authority.

“I’ve been representing residents of Woodbridge on the scale of representing their children in many youth organizations. . . and I’ve been on the housing authority representing many of our senior citizens and lower income families. I felt this was an opportunity for me to represent the township on a larger scale,” he said Tuesday.

Anderson, 42, is married with five children, ages 4 to 16, and works in pharmaceutical sales.

As anyone in Iselin can probably tell you, Kyle Anderson is a very nice guy. I met him when my youngest son was playing football for the Iselin Giants. I don't know him very well, but I'm sure he'll do a great job representing us in Town Hall. Best wishes!

Another Snow Day

I don't know how you feel about another snow day, another day off school, but I'm pretty happy about it.

It's pretty icy and slushy outside, so be careful. It might be a good day to stay indoors and cozy with a good book.

Happy Martin Luther King Day

Iselin Cub Scout Pack 148 Pinewood Derby

Iselin Cub Scout Pack 148 is still going strong, and yesterday they held their Pinewood Derby!

Cub Scout Eddie is congratulated on a great Pinewood Derby car by American Legion Commander John Canova and Frank Kemper, the Legion's Cub Scout Charter Representative.

The Pinewood Derby is held by Cub Scout Packs all across the country.  Cub Scouts are given a "kit" for a car - basically, it's a block of wood, four nails and four plastic wheels - and they are asked to make a car, which they then race against other members of their pack.  Eddie, pictured, made his car himself, and won a ribbon for his efforts.  This will be Eddie's last Pinewood Derby; soon, he'll be graduating into Boy Scouts.

Cub Scout Pack 148 is chartered by the T. Nulty Post 471 of the American Legion.

Wow, I miss those days! I'm getting old, aren't I, thinking about the "good old days" when my weeks flew by because I went from one activity to another activity with my boys! I had so much fun... January every year for maybe 7 years in a row, we looked forward to that one big Saturday, racing the cars they had crafted so carefully.

Here are some more cars. Thank you to my friend Cheryl, Eddie's mom, a resident of Iselin and also a Scouter, for letting me use her photos!

Have a nice evening!

I took this picture a few days ago in Merrill Park. It's still pretty cold out there tonight, and pretty snowy, but there isn't much of a sunset because there are a lot of clouds. But I like the picture, so I'm putting it up anyway.
Enjoy your Saturday Night!

Don't worry, Your Horoscope is Fine

Last week I was reading a lot of posts on facebook, talking about the change of the Horoscopes. People who were always Libra, for example, might have been reclassified to Virgo, according to someone, somewhere. Well, I saw this little clip, which says no one should stress out, because it isn't true.

I'm actually disappointed, though. I'm Capricorn, but I never felt like a Capricorn. I was hoping that my new horoscope was going to be better. Oh well. :D

Sell Books Online at Cash4Books.net

I'm not currently gainfully employed... I was a secretary in the school system who got laid off, and I've tried substitute teaching, but it's not for me. So I've been looking for a job and for other ideas for making money, and I came a cross this website: Sell Books Online at Cash4Books.net

I don't know for sure how well it's going to work, but I'll let you know! I have millions of books here at my house, many of which I don't want to let go, but some of which I'd never miss. So I went to the website and typed in the ISBN number from the back of a bunch of books. The site will tell you right away if the book is worth anything to them or not. Out of the 15 or so books I put in, (the books I was actually willing to get rid of,) only one came up that they were willing to pay for. But they'll give me $4.25 for that one book! And to be fair, I'm really not interested in selling any of the books that are at all interesting. There is a really good reason why I have millions of books - it's because I hate to part with them!

So... I set up an account on the cash4books site, and told them I'd send them the book. They gave me a postage paid thing to print, so it's not costing me anything to mail them the book. After they receive the book, they'll send me a check for $4.25.

I get a little cash...very little, I know, but it didn't take any time at all. I also get rid of a pretty big book that no one here wanted.

If you have some books to sell, click on the link above, and tell them Susan sent you! (I think I also get credit if I refer someone!)

More Snow

We woke up today with about 8 fresh new inches of snow!

It's a beautiful day for a snow day!

Honeywell Instant Alerts NO SCHOOL!

The school system has put out an automated phone call, "Honeywell Instant Alert", saying NO SCHOOL tomorrow!!! YAY!

I'm especially glad that they decided now instead of waiting until 5 AM tomorrow! So now I get to stay up late!

SNOW DAY!!!

(doing the happy dance)

 

Plan to eat dinner at D'Italia's on Monday!

glitter-graphics.com

D'Italia Restaurant Day is a fundraiser benefit for the Banding Together Foundation and the Pallino family.
It will take place tomorrow, which is Monday, Jan 10, 2011. Eat at D'Italia's restaurant at any time on that day, and if you mention The Banding Together Foundation, D'Italia's will donate 10 % of your bill to the Foundation! This Includes Dining Room, Take Out And Delivery!

Have you ever been to D'Italia's in Avenel? It's located at 1500 St. George Avenue in Avenel.  It's a pretty popular local Italian restaurant.   You can read restaurant reviews about D'Italia's on Zagat.com by clicking HERE,  or on Yelp.com by clicking HERE.

JFK's FIRST Robotics Team!

It's a NEW JFK Team...with a mission...

Today, JFK's brand new Robotics team, the Pneubotic Mustangs, is attending a kick-off event at NJIT. They have begun fundraising - they still need to raise more money for materials for their first robot - and they are looking forward to entering the creation in a competition in early March.

The newly elected officers for this year are:
President: Willie Jones
Secretary: Sanket Chauhan
Treasurer: Allison Jones
Faculty Advisor is Mr. York.

The team is a "FIRST" robotics team, as well as the brand new first-ever Robotics Team at JFK. "FIRST" refers to the organization, USFIRST.org, that the team is affiliated with. First is an acronym -- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The USFIRST.orgwebsite states:

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

The Team's mission statement, taken from the TEAM WEB SITE, states:

Our primary mission in starting a FIRST Robotics team will be devoted to helping others reach their full potential . We plan to include students from different grade levels and students who have different academic interests.
This will be our first year as a First Robotics team so we'd like to get our foot in the door by raising enough money and competing in the First robotics competition, even if we don't win its great to have that experience for upcoming years.

Go PneuboticMustangs!

JFK Marching Band Breakfast Fundraiser Sunday

glitter-graphics.com
Don't you love going out to Sunday brunch?
Isn't this a great weekend to treat yourself?
Tomorrow, which is Sunday, January 9th, the JFK Marching Band is having a Breakfast Fundraiser at the Woodbridge Elks Lodge, which is located 665 Rahway Avenue in Woodbridge. It will run from 8:00am to 11:00am.

They are going to have eggs, pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon, pork roll, potatoes, biscuits, coffee, tea, and juice. Tickets are $6 for adults (9 and over), $3 children 5-9 years old, under 5 free. Tickets will be sold at the door. There will also be a Basket Raffle, Bake Sale and 50/50, so bring a little extra money.

C'mon out and support one of JFK's Three A's --- the Arts!

Taste for Free at Joe Canals!!!

This is the email that I just got from Joe Canal's, which is a discount liquor outlet on Route 1 South in Iselin:

FREE BEER TASTING!!
TONIGHT!! Thursday, January 6th, 5:00pm - 7:00 pm...GO NOW!

Otter Creek Brewing Co.

At Otter Creek Brewing we strongly believe the taste and quality of our beer is the most important aspect of who we are. We continually invest time, energy, and resources into brewing the best beer possible. In the past 6 months alone, we've invested nearly one million dollars and countless hours to improve quality and energy efficiencies throughout our brewery.

Join us and sample some brews from our friends at Otter Creek!

* * *

FREE WINE TASTING!!
Friday, January 7th, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Saturday, January 8th, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Stop in for a free taste of these great wines:

Rosenblum Chardonnay
Regular Price: $10.49 / BottleClub Price: $8.58

La Spinetta Il Colorino di Casanova 2006
Regular Price: $19.99 / BottleClub Price: $16.99

Shea Estate Pinot Noir
Regular Price: $39.99

Dunham Cellars Late Harvest Riesling 2008
Regular Price: $18.99

Banding Together at D'Italia Day, on Monday

glitter-graphics.com

D'Italia Restaurant Day is a fundraiser benefit for the Banding Together Foundation and the Pallino family.
It will take place on Monday, Jan 10, 2011. Eat at D'Italia's restaurant at any time on that day, and if you mention The Banding Together Foundation, D'Italia's will donate 10 % of your bill to the Foundation! This Includes Dining Room, Take Out And Delivery!

Have you ever been to D'Italia's in Avenel? It's located at 1500 St. George Avenue in Avenel.  It's a pretty popular local Italian restaurant.   You can read restaurant reviews about D'Italia's on Zagat.com by clicking HERE,  or on Yelp.com by clicking HERE.

Tonight's Moon over Iselin

It's a beautiful moon, isn't it?

Girl Power to cure Rett Syndrome

My best friend, Beth, (who grew up in Iselin!) read yesterday's post, and had an idea for a story for me. But this story isn't limited to Iselin.
Beth's daughter, Kelly, has Rett Syndrome, which is a severe neurological disorder, the most severe form of Autism. Rett Syndrome only affects girls -- most cannot walk, talk or use their hands.

Kelly is a sweetheart with some serious obstacles in her path.

Amazingly enough, in 2007, researchers found that they could actually REVERSE the disorder in mice, creating hope that they will eventually be able to reverse it in the little girls who suffer from it as well

An article in Reuters in February 2007:
Hope Raised for Reversing Severe Childhood Disease

By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON | Thu Feb 8, 2007 4:39pm EST


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists searching for a way to treat the rare but severe childhood neurological disorder Rett syndrome have reversed the disease in mice, raising hopes for doing the same in people.


In a study appearing on Thursday in the journal Science, researchers led by Adrian Bird of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland switched on a gene called MECP2 in mice with the equivalent of Rett syndrome to make their symptoms vanish.


The surprising results contradicted the notion that damage to the brain caused by the disease, which occurs nearly exclusively in girls, is permanent.


"It rocked us back on our heels because in a way we were expecting a more disappointing result," Bird said in an interview.
(and the article continues from there... )

There is actual hope for a real cure for Rett Syndrome, according to these scientists!  So an organization called Girl Power 2 Cure, started by the mom of another little girl with Retts, is doing a fundraiser this month. 

The foundation is only asking for $1.11 -- that's not a lot of money, right?  This is the campaign that they are doing on facebook:

Let's kick off 2011 right! If every family with a daughter with Rett Syndrome on Facebook reaches out to all of their FB friends for a minimum $1.11 donation throughout 1/11, we can raise thousands of dollars this month! 

Donate HERE

 Make Rett the FIRST charity you support in 2011!

Make Rett the FIRST curable neurological disorder!

LEARN MORE ABOUT RETT SYNDROME:
http://www.girlpower2cure.org/
PASS IT ON! 2011 is OUR YEAR!

And here is more information about Rett Syndrome from the Girl Power 2 Cure website:




I hope everyone who reads this article sends in their $1.11 today! 
And someday, Kelly will be able to talk, and she'll say THANK YOU!  :)

Nothing is new!

Did you ever turn on the news when it was a slow news day, and watch the news reporter try to create a story where one doesn't really exist?

That's kinda where I am today.

Nothing exciting is going on today.  Everyone went back to school and work, and nothing fun is planned.  There was some weather... but it wasn't really exciting weather.  There was a nice sunrise and a nice sunset, but I didn't have a camera handy.  I have no exciting celebrity gossip to share.  I would like to post something, but I don't have much of anything to say.

Luckily, that also means nothing extremely bad is happening (at least, as far as I know!)  Everything is copacetic, hunky dory, status quo, peaceful.  (Unless I'm missing something... which of course is very possible.)

I guess the most exciting thing I can tell you about is that I went food shopping and Shoprite is starting the CanCan sale.  (I spent about $150, but the receipt said I saved $119.  I live an exciting life, don't I?)  I was so happy, I'll probably go back tomorrow and fill up another cart.

I also read on Woodbridge InJersey that Woodbridge Township is going to have a Passport day on January 6, for anyone who hasn't gotten their passport yet.  If you are interested, you can click HERE on the link and get all the details.

So that's it... Have a pleasant, uneventful day!

It's all over.... :(

I hate when it's over...
but tonight, the fat lady is singing.
(I assume that everyone has heard that saying... that it ain't over until the fat lady sings?)
(Well, like I said, she's singing.)
It's the end of vacation.  Back to school and work tomorrow... :(

And I'm not a big football fan, but the rest of my house was rooting for the Giants to make the playoffs... and those hopes are over as well...

I guess we'll all have to be satisfied by the next best thing....
We can become Jets fans,
and count the days until Saturday again...

Happy New Year

Welcome 2011!  Today is 1 - 1- 11.  It is starting out as a good year, open and full of possibilities.

Just a few things to think about in the coming year... My resolutions, sort of... actually, things that we can all try to do, to make the world a little better... what would YOU add to this list?....

-- I'm going to try to conserve energy more.  I waste electricity and gas all the time, and it costs me money and hurts the earth too.  I need to use less STUFF and consume less energy and get used to less in general.

-- I'm going to try to eat healthier, more often (not counting parties, of course! ) and exercise more.  Seriously, I really am.  I'm going back to the gym.  Seriously!

--I'm going to try to be nicer to everyone around me, all the time.  I'm going to try to be especially nicer to those who mean the most to me; sometimes,  you take those people for granted the most.  I'm going to call my mother more, and go visit my aunts and uncles who are getting older and I don't see very often.

-- In Shop Rite, I will try to be more aware of where I am, and not get so busy looking at the food that my cart is blocking everyone else from getting by. (And I hope EVERYONE ELSE makes this SAME resolution, lol!)

-- When I'm driving, I will try to not be in such a rush that I get all mad at people who are slower than me, and I will let people merge when they need to, because I need to merge sometimes too.

-- When I'm in a store or a fast food place, and someone is working, I'll try not to be impatient with them, because they are probably tired and cranky... I would be tired and cranky if I was waiting on all the cranky customers...

-- I'm going to try to figure out what I want out of my life, and then DO it.  Even if it's really BIG, why not at least try?  (I started this resolution last year, and it's been working really great.  I highly recommend it to everyone!)

-- I'm going to try to live in the moment as much as I can.  RIGHT NOW, everything is fine.  I'm sitting here at my computer and I'm warm and comfortable.  What's the point of obsessing over what went wrong yesterday, or worrying about what I have to do tomorrow?  I'm happy right NOW, so I'm happy, right?

-- I'm not going to expect to be entertained all the time.  Life isn't really supposed to be all about fun and excitement at every moment of the day.  Sometimes, maybe most of the time, just "pleasant" or "humdrum" or "Ok" is ok.  The status quo is middle of the road is good enough, and I really don't need more.

-- Last but not least -- I'm gonna try to find a really good, steady, long-term,  job this year!!! If you know of anyone who's hiring, let me know!