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So, in order to milk life, I decided to complete the Milk Life Challenge with my family! Their have been such fun challenges each day and it has made me realize that milking life is really so fun and inspiring. I want to make the most out of each day that I have with my precious family and enjoy all our moments together.
One of the challenges we completed was the Be The Wheel Deal. It encouraged us to get out on some wheels...any wheels! We got our skateboards and bikes out and had a blast.
I personally did the Stretch Your Workout challenge by increasing my workout by 10 minutes. It made me realize that 10 minutes isn't that much! What a great way to challenge myself to do just a little bit more. You can convince yourself to do anything for 10 more minutes, yet it made me feel so much better those days because I had accomplished a challenge. Now that's milking life!
So, how are you going to Milk Life? Be sure to check out the Milk Life Challenge and accomplish something new! You might even win a prize!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.


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Modern accommodation in the heart of London. A short walk across Tower Bridge from the City of London, in a newly renovated and stylish location.
Benefits of London Tower Bridge Apartments: • Central London location • Near London's top 10 attractions • Close to pubs & restaurants • Excellent transport links • Affordable accommodation • Spacious apartments with all the home comforts • Privacy • Access to The Circle Spa private health club (extra cost) • Free WiFi internet access • Car parking (GBP10.00 per night) . Welcome grocery pack on arrival

subset: commoncrawl


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Got Santa Claus?
Website: http://www.got-santa-claus.com
Phone: 336-314-3194 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Serving areas: Asheboro, NC Greensboro, NC High Point, NC Randleman, NC Burlington, NC – Guilford, Randolph, Alamance counties
Christmas is a very special time of the year! Memories that last a lifetime will take place between now & December 26th. Photos with Santa will help preserve those precious memories!
Santa is available to come to your home or place of business to hand out personalized gifts, make photos and bring a special joy to children, parents, grandparents and employees alike. Santa will memorize the names of your children and call them by name as he hands out gifts (provided by you).
From Christmas office parties to personalized home visits and handing out gifts to family members, Santa Mark will provide a realism and personalized touch that will always be cherished and remembered! Santa Loves to pose with pets for photos TOO!
Tags: Asheboro, Christmas party Santa, Got Santa Claus?, Got Santa?, Greensboro, High Point Santa, Hire a Santa in North Carolina, NC Santa for Hire, North Carolina Santa for Hire, Pet Photos with Santa, Photos with Santa, Professional Santa for hire, Professional Santa in Greensboro, Real Looking Santa in North Carolina, Santa in NC, Santa Mark North Carolina, Santa that makes home visits, The Real Santa
Posted in North Carolina Santa to Hire |


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Once upon a time it was unheard of for a doctor's opinion to be challenged, but today's patients are getting second and third opinions, seeking out alternative health care solutions and pursuing natural options to find out the best course of action for their health.
And recently, the medical system is now being challenged by the medical community itself exposing the flaws of medicine and misdiagnosis that runs rampant in the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, these are the things we hear about and sometimes experience ourselves as our confidence in conventional medical treatment diminishes and new healthcare options become available.
According to several doctors including Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society, Americans are suffering and dying avoidable deaths because the current healthcare system is not working. It is projected that America spends one and half times as much per person on healthcare than any other country. However, it ranks 50th in life expectancy and 47th in infant mortality. Dr. Brawley blames unnecessary treatments on a lack of medical knowledge and the financial attractiveness being supported by big pharma, medical manufacturers, and hospitals. He also stresses the unfortunate attention given to treatment of illnesses rather than promoting health and preventing disease. Why? Because disease is big business and job security for many healthcare professionals.
You, as a healthcare consumer, have every reason to be angry that the costs simply are unsustainable. Studies show, that a majority of cancers are preventable through lifestyle and not medical treatment.
Dr. Brawley is not the only medical doctor to challenge the healthcare system. In fact, this is now widely known in the medical industry and has struck chords with the healthcare overseers. Dr. Brawley recognizes that the medical community needs to take a hard look at itself in the mirror and give healthcare consumers better treatment options as a priority and not because it makes more dollars.
So what can we take from this? We encourage you to take responsibility for your own health. Do your own research and also always challenge your healthcare providers. Getting educated about what you can do to maximize your potential for better health and a longer life should always be your number one concern for yourself and your family. Make wise, informed decisions by getting your information from multiple sources. You shouldn't just take what the doctor orders because if you do, you could potentially increase your chance for health risks.
While steering away from the bandwagon is never easy, relying on a single source for anything in your life can set you up for disappointment. Take back your health into your hands and you too can live a healthier you!
Source: CNN Health
The post Always Challenge Your Healthcare appeared first on ChiroPraise.


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We have similar machines in used Woodworking Machines, Contact our used machienery experts for more details.
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Color lithograph after the work by Henri Matisse, from the edition of 200.
This lithograph was printed and published in 2007 in our Art-Lithographies workshop in Paris using 100% cotton 300 g/m² BFK Rives paper to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the original 1947 Jazz book of which our portfolio is the facsimile.
Artwork entirely made in France: from the production of the paper in Arches in the Vosges department, to the traditional lithographic printing process, one drawing for each different color, one color per press run.
The lithograph was authorized, supervised and validated by the Matisse Estate. On the back of the lithograph feature the copyright of the Matisse Estate and the copyright of the original printer and publisher of this edition.
Delivered with a certificate of authenticity.
Le Coeur (The Heart)
DIMENSIONS: 58x79 cm (22.8'x31.1' in)
PAPER: BFK Rives
PRINTERS: Art-Lithographies studio, Paris
PUBLISHERS: Artvalue, Luxembourg
COA: Yes. Signed by the original printers & publishers
Henri Matisse's Jazz (1947) is often considered the pinnacle of livres d'artiste, or artist's books. Livres d'artiste are typically collaborations between artists and authors resulting in limited edition, fine-crafted, beautifully printed books with original graphic work. Jazz was produced as an edition of 250 books, with the pages folded in half.
To create these works, Matisse cut forms out of large sheets of paper previously painted with gouache by his assistants. The cut-outs were then assembled on the wall of Matisse's studio, under his direction. Tériade, the book's publisher, who suggested that title, explained that the paper cuts embodied the same improvisational spirit as jazz and that music was an indispensable part of Matisse's life. Thus, his paper cut collages resemble jazz.
The themes set forth in Jazz can be separated into four categories: the world of the French music hall and circus, mythology and legends, symbolism for the War between France and Germany, and memories from his life and travels. In Jazz, Matisse's subjects are more like verbs than nouns, however. They express the feeling of leaping, flying, swimming, falling. They cut straight to the viewer's experience rather than merely depicting someone else's.
For an artist like Matisse, the ability to suggest the natural world in all its diversity through the simple act of cutting shapes from colored paper became the ultimate act of creation by his knowing where to start and when to stop.


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Yishai Lerner
Co-CEO, JLL Technologies
Yishai is driven by finding creative, innovative and technical solutions to large problems.
Learn how JLL Technologies is transforming real estate.
Yishai joined JLL in 2017 as Co-CEO of JLL Spark, the strategic venture fund investing in proptech startups, injecting innovation into JLL service delivery to the benefit of the firm's clients and the industry as a whole. In 2019, Yishai was named Co-CEO of JLL Technologies, a newly formed to division to align and expand JLL's technology products and services, at which point he also joined the Global Executive Board.
Accelerating technology adoption in commercial real estate is the latest challenge he is tackling after having sold Mob.ly, a startup he Co-founded with Mihir Shah to Groupon. He was also the first employee at numerous mobile startups after an early career building artificial intelligence for video games at Activision Studios. Yishai has angel invested and advised many startups including Uber and Boom Supersonic.
Yishai helped scale Groupon's engineering team from a dozen to over 500 developers worldwide. He brought to fruition Groupon's first consumer mobile applications followed by merchant products and tools. He was instrumental in helping Groupon scale development and built teams to grow Groupon's mobile business from 0% revenue to 50% of gross merchandise value, merge technology and platforms of numerous acquisitions and led a global migration to a shared SOA architecture. In 2013, Yishai was acting global engineering SVP and CTO orchestrating all core Groupon software development worldwide. In this role, he ran a global e-commerce platform processing over $5B in GMV annually. Additionally, Yishai led due diligence for many of Groupon's corporate and technology acquisitions.
Prior to the acquisition of Mob.ly by Groupon, Yishai was its CTO and Co-founder. Mob.ly built a number of category-leading location-based mobile applications.
Before co-founding Mob.ly, Yishai was the first engineer at two mobile startups. He helped found Carrier IQ, a cell phone provider focused data analytics platform. CarrierIQ at its peak was embedded on a majority of US cell phone devices including many iPhone and Android models. He was also the first engineer at Core Mobility where he helped develop many native product lines for wireless carriers including a Push-To-Talk service for Sprint/Nextel. Core Mobility was later acquired by Smith Micro.
Yishai Lerner holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he concentrated in Artificial Intelligence and contributed to the MIT Media Lab.


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Discover the Wisdom of Thai Cuisine at Bangkok's Newest Thai Fine Dining Restaurant
Bangkok (Thailand) – June 5, 2018 (travelindex.com) – R.HAAN, Bangkok's newest fine dining spot from 'Todd' Piti Bhirombhakdi and Chef Chumpon Jangprai, has welcomed Mr. Santi and Ms. Aruni Bhirombhakdi, Mr.Bhurit and Ms.Nisamanee Bhirombhakdi, Ms. Preerati Bhirombhakdi, Ms. Woranuch Bhirombhakdi, other esteemed guests and medias from the dining industry for its grand opening on May 23, 2018 at Thonglor Soi 9.
Guests have been served to Thai seasonal food mainly made from natural ingredients which reflects Thai's abundant resources. The name "R.HAAN" also comes from the direct pronunciation of the word 'food' in Thai which is the core of our living.
In addition to the ingredients picked exclusively from Thailand, the art of culinary that was put into the cooking process is also portrayed by the head chef who is immensely experienced in Thai culinary which will create an unforgettable dining experience for those who have visited here.
Mr. Piti Bhirombhakdi stated that "Thai food has always been my personal passion. I tried to study its art and was a part of many restaurants until today that I get to launch "R.HAAN". This restaurant will be the gateway to Thai food, for both Thais and foreigners, to indulge in authentic Thai culinary. I also plan widen Thai food's recognition worldwide by opening this restaurants in Asia, Europe and America."
"I want Thai food to be appreciated in every corner of the world, that is why I have partnered with Chef Chumpon Jangprai, Thailand's most decorated chef with more than 30 years of experience, to help create the best dining experience for everyone to enjoy. Not to mention that the restaurants will serve as outlets for our local ingredients to be known and sold across the globe too."
"R.HANN" will focus on delivering authentic Thainess through local culinary, art and culture for everyone to fully immerse themselves in Thai culture.
The Wisdom of Thai Cuisine is comprised with 5 aspects;
1. INGREDIENTS: A home to vast Thai cuisine ingredients such as Bang Pakong sea bass, Pak Naam Bang Ta Boon blue crab, Kam Pang San special fed Thai beef, Ratchaburi chilli and Steamed Hom Mali rice from Chiangrai and Ubon Ratchathani, which will delight those who cook and those who have eaten them.
2. SEASONING: Thai cuisine has always been known for its extreme yet delicate flavors. R.HANN brings you Thai seasonal food, summer, rainy and winter, which will be changed according to the Emerald Buddha's royal cloth-changing event. This tells the story of how food, time and seasons shaped our Thai's happiness throughout the ages.
Also every menu is designed and served in sets, main dishes and desserts, a traditional Thai serving meant to be shared among everyone at the table. You will be treated to our special vegetable and sauce serving and more than 18 menus within a set. The sets are arranged according to Thai's tone mark, primary, secondary and
3. HEATING: The element that combines everything to come together and become a splendid dish.
4. BALANCING: The 5 tastes; sweet, oily, salty, spicy and bitter at the taste tip, completes the real Thai taste. Each flavor needs delicate and experienced hands to fully understand and manipulate them masterfully.
5. PASSION: Displayed through the plates and silverwares hand drawn by highly skilled craftsmen, resembling the ones used in the palace back in Rattanakosin era. You can also feel the passion flows in the decorations, staffs and every elements in the restaurant that want you to enjoy the best Thai food at the best Thai restaurant.
The epicenter of Thai culinary is now here at "R.HANN", visit us at 131 Sukhumvit Road, Thonglor Soi 9 Bangkok Tel. 02-059-0433


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It's Monday, and I have something to confess.
This may sound really silly, but up until yesterday, I thought pickles were their own vegetable.
I thought a pickle was a pickle. Grown on a vine, picked, preserved, and then eaten...
not a cucumber made into a "pickle" by the pickling process.
A pickled cucumber, if you will.
After 26-years, you'd think someone would have told me this valuable information [ahem, Mom & Dad], and yesterday I flushed with embarrassment at lunch when I found out that pickles were nothing more than fermented and aged cucumbers.
Daniel looked at me with a classic, "What did I get myself into?" expression, and it felt like a true Jessica Simpson "chicken of the sea" moment...
and now that I've told you, if you're new to The Sauce—please don't scatter.
I promise I'm not always this dense... or am I? Dangit.
On a completely unrelated side note, the glasses above are from a local Idaho company called Proof, and not only do they make high-quality wooden glasses, but their family business is a pretty cool one that I'd recommend to anyone.
I can't wait until the weather warms up a bit so I can rock these turquoise sunglasses around Boise!
// Am I the only one who didn't know what pickles were? Do you pickle things? I'd love to try a deep-fried pickle! Do they even do that? ... Is your brain as scattered as mine lately? Yikes. It must be a Monday.


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Ladies Cut & Blow dry
A ladies wet cut and blow dried to chosen style
- 1 hr1 h
- 46 British pounds£46
- Customer's Place
Cancellation Policy
Payment Full payments for your appointment is taken on booking to secure your appointment. Payment can be made by card payment or BACS . Once payment has been received your appointment will be booked in and an appointment confirmation will be sent by email. Please check your junk box. A reminder will be automatically sent 2 days before your appointment, Bank transfer account information: Jenna Peddie Hair & Makeup - Sort 30-90-09 - Account 38382768 Cancellations- Excluding Weddings & Events Cancellations made 4 days prior to appointment – (excluding Saturdays and Sundays) Full refund will be given. Appointments cancelled less than 4 days prior to your appointment (weekdays only) 50% refund will be given. Appointments cancelled the day before appointment (week days only) 50% refund will be given. Appointments cancelled on the day of appointment the full agreed total is payable. No refund. Appointments on Saturdays and Sundays need to be cancelled 7 days prior to appointment to avoid charges of 50%. On the day 100% is payable and no refund will be given. WEDDINGS & EVENTS BOOKING AND CANCELLATION POLICY On Booking 50% of the total wedding/event day balance will be required. This is non refundable or transferable. Pamper parties will require full payment on booking. Cancellation policy for events will apply . When your deposit has been received, Your appointments will be booked in and you will receive your email confirmations. Your Booking is completed by signing a contract confirming all details of the wedding. The contract will confirm receipt of deposit, the total amount and when the date the final balance is due. The Remaining Balance will be due 30 days prior to the Wedding/Event. If The remaining balance is not paid in full on the agreed date, Your booking contract will become void and your Booking will become available for other bookings. Your Deposit will not be returned and the remainder of the balance will still be due. If you Book your wedding/event 30 days or less before the wedding/event date, the Full payment will be required on booking which will be non refundable.if you cancel. If you cancel your wedding/event 31 days or more before the wedding/event date the deposit only is payable. If you cancel 30 days or less before the wedding date , The Full Total Balance of your booking is payable and no refund of your deposit will be made. Please contact me by email, Until confirmation has been made by Jenna Peddie Hair & Makeup your booking is not yet cancelled. Additional treatments/clients may be added after the booking is completed but any changes making a deduction to the agreed total balance 30 days before the Wedding/Event date will require full payment. Any changes made to your booking up to 31 days before the Wedding/Event, which make a deduction to the total balance, deposit for those services will not be refunded. Changes made 30 days or less before the Wedding/Event date making a deduction to the agreed total – Full payment of the cancelled service will still be due on the agreed date. CANCELLATIONS & POSTPONEMENTS DUE TO COVID- 19 ( WEDDINGS & EVENTS) We understand that times are very uncertain at present and Jenna Peddie Hair and Makeup has done it's upmost to cater to the forced cancellations and postponements in 2020 and will continue to be as supportive as possible for 2021. This has however forced an adjustment to the flexibility of postponements and cancellations and so the following will apply to bookings forced to change due to national lockdowns & Tier systems or directly being affected by the virus. Forced postponements due to government national lockdown up to 31 days before your wedding , Complimentary transferal of wedding date . We will do our best to arrange the same therapist for your wedding/event where possible. Option to cancel the wedding booking. Deposit is non refundable , final balance will be wavered if booking is cancelled. Forced postponement due to Government national lockdown 30days or less before your wedding. Complimentary transferal of wedding date. We will do our best to arrange the same therapist for your wedding/event where possible. Full payment will be due should you choose to cancel not postpone. Changes made to your wedding booking date that are due to Covid -19 related restrictions E.G guest numbers limited or venue restrictions not favourable but not an enforced government lockdown or Tier system , A £50 fee will be charged to rebook to a new date . Should the original therapist not be available, we will do our best to arrange a replacement. If the changes are made 31 days of more before the wedding the option to cancel will be available, The remaining balance will be wavered but the deposit is non refundable . If the changes are made 30 days or less before the wedding day , The final balance will remain due on the agreed contracted date despite choosing to cancel.
Contact Details
Business address only 69 Waverley Drive, Chertsey, UK


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TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: And we are here to help you with your home improvement projects. So get out the tools, pick up the phone and call us. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.
We've got a great hour planned for you. First up, the winter season is always a challenge for plumbing systems, because that is the season when pipes freeze. Then they break and then they spill water all over your lovely house, so we're going to have some tips to make sure that doesn't happen to you.
LESLIE: And also ahead, when it comes to houseplants, is your thumb green or black? If it's the latter, you could just be choosing the wrong kind of plant. Roger Cook, the landscape contractor for This Old House, will be stopping by with some tips on which plants do best indoors this time of year.
TOM: And also ahead, don't settle for a dreary view all winter long. You can bring some life and color into your backyard by attracting a variety of winter birds, if you know the right kind of bird feeder and food to use. And we'll show you how.
LESLIE: Also this hour, one randomly selected caller is going to get super-lucky and win a prize pack for your car from 3M. It's worth 60 bucks and it includes a headlight-restoration kit.
TOM: Yeah. And they're all do-it-yourself projects. You figure if you can do your own home improvement projects, you certainly could tackle a few easy projects for your car and save some money, to boot. So that package, worth 60 bucks, is going out to one lucky caller that reaches us with their home improvement question at 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.
Leslie, who's first?
LESLIE: Now we've got Tim on the line who's dealing with a big crack in a driveway, causing some unevenness. Tell us what's going on.
TIM: Well, I have a concrete driveway. It's 3 inches thick; I found that out after I saw the crack in the driveway. And they poured this driveway in one – as far as width. And they put it – it's probably 16-foot wide and they poured it in 16×12-foot sections with – it looks like fracture pieces in it instead of the actual expansion joints? And where it goes over my drop – the ditch over my cupboard – it has a spot about a – 1 foot in a triangle – 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot – where it has dropped.
And I'm trying to find some way to bring that piece back up level with the rest. That way, I can see – I've already had it sealed but I put a silicone in there along the joints to keep any further erosion from happening.
TOM: How big is the piece that's dropped? You said – is it cracked 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot?
TIM: Yes. It's a 1-foot triangle piece.
TOM: So can you dig that piece out?
TIM: No, I can't, because it did not break on a smooth line. It fractured and it dropped down.
TOM: Yeah. Because you know – I tell you what, I've broken sidewalks in half before, because I had to run pipes underneath them and then put them back in place kind of right where they were and just sort of filled them up and made it level. So, it would be sweet if you could extract that piece of concrete but I guess you can't. And so now you're going to have to pour a new piece.
How thick is the – how far down has it dropped?
TIM: The front – on the back edge of it, it's still level. On the front, it's probably dropped about 3 inches.
TOM: OK. Well, not so bad. What you're going to do is you're going to mix up an epoxy-based, concrete-repair product that has good adhesion.
TOM: And then you're going to put a second layer on that. And QUIKRETE – Q-U-I-K-R-E-T-E …
TOM: Yeah, you want to use the type of concrete mix that's made to be a patch. And the difference is that it sticks to the old stuff. If you use regular concrete mix, it won't stick. But if you use the patch mix, then it will stick. And they also have good step-by-step videos on their website to kind of show you how to do this.
TIM: OK. Would I be better off by just knocking that one piece – that piece – out and refilling it, since it's not that big of a piece?
TOM: Yeah, you might be, because I want to make sure it's stable underneath. But they – there's a vinyl, concrete patcher product that can be used on top of this. And it's designed to adhere to what was there before and not crack again. OK?
TIM: I appreciate it.
TOM: Alright. Well, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Shawnie (sp) in North Carolina needs some help with a backyard problem. What's going on at your money pit?
SHAWNIE (sp): And on my roof, I knew it would rain. All the water would drain toward the back, since it's on a downslope.
TOM: Right.
SHAWNIE (sp): And then I had some contractor come in and connect all my downspouts and all to this black pipe. And they connected all of it and ran it out to one source toward, you know, that little creek. And in doing so – I mean everything was fine; it worked fine. And they thought where I was having such water problems, they sort of made a horseshoe out of the black pipe, with the Styrofoam peanuts and all of that in it.
But what they did, when they dug around the horseshoe area, they found that that was dry. Because they figured if it was wet, it would drain and take care of the problem. But when they put that horseshoe in, wherever they put it, it was completely dry and it was further down that they realized that I had an underground spring.
So, all of my drain pipes, everything is draining perfectly but it's one little problem I had with that underground spring.
TOM: But is that underground spring rising up to the point where the yard is flooding? And how much flooding are we talking about here?
SHAWNIE (sp): It's not necessarily flooding but it stays so wet I can't mow it.
TOM: It's just wet?
SHAWNIE (sp): And there's a place about – I'm going to say 12-inches square-ish, maybe, that is – has puddled.
TOM: I don't think this is a problem worth solving. I think it's a fairly small area of the yard. And areas of the yard that get soft like that, yeah, the grass can be hard to cut sometimes; sometimes, you have to cut it by hand instead of using a power mower on it. But I don't think it's worth you doing anything about it. You would have to do some major, major work to try to take the water that's collecting there, run it downstream and have it sit somewhere else. So, I don't think it's necessarily a big issue.
Shawnie (sp), thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com.
Well, January still is the new year, even though we're a couple of weeks in. So what are you working on to get your money pit in tip-top shape for 2013? Let us give you a hand with any and all of those projects. We're here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
Up next, winter math. Freezing weather equals freezing pipes. We'll have tips to help you avoid that disaster, after this.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Give us a call right now at 1-888-MONEY-PIT with your home improvement question. If you do, we'll toss your name into The Money Pit hard hat, because we're giving away a prize package from 3M today that you can use to give your car a little do-it-yourself makeover. It includes a scratch-removal system, a headlight-restoration kit and a door-edge protector film that protects high-traffic areas from wear and tear. Check it out at 3MAuto.com.
It's worth 60 bucks. Going to go out to one caller chosen at random from those that call us on today's show. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Next up, we've got John in Ocean City, New Jersey on the line who, unfortunately, lost some insulation during Hurricane Sandy.
John, tell us, how's the house? What can we help you with?
JOHN: Well, I lost the insulation when Sandy came in and inundated my house. But I was very fortunate; the water came within 1 inch of getting into the house.
TOM: Wow.
JOHN: So I was very lucky that way. But now I'm faced with replacing the insulation and I'm concerned as to whether I should put the regular fiberglass back or this blown-in type. There's a type that they – that comes in and it swells up and blows in. And I was wondering whether I should go that route.
TOM: Well, when you say "blown-in," are you talking about the expandable-foam insulation?
JOHN: Yes, yes, yes.
TOM: OK. So, listen, even if that got wet, if it was closed-cell, it wouldn't have been a problem; if it was open-cell, you would have the same problem. Do I think that this is necessarily, based on the experience you had with this particular hurricane, a necessity? No. But it's not a bad idea. I mean the advantage of that type of insulation, especially in a windy area like the coast of New Jersey, is that not only does it insulate but it seals out drafts.
So, if it's cost-effective, by all means, I would give that a shot. That said, as you said, the water came within an inch of your house and we all know that Hurricane Sandy was an extraordinary event that is not very likely to repeat itself, at least in terms of the height of the water. And so, therefore, if it was my house, I would not also hesitate to replace that with standard, fiberglass-batt insulation, as well.
JOHN: So you think I – the blown-in might be a good idea?
TOM: I think the blown-in is a fine idea. It will be more expensive and that's what you need to measure.
JOHN: Right.
TOM: I'm sure you have a lot of expenses, as most people that were victims of that storm do. That said, I see nothing wrong with going back with fiberglass insulation, because I don't think it's likely that you'll have to replace that any time in the near future. And frankly, it's not that expensive to do that in a crawlspace.
JOHN: One of the recommendations was an R-19, encapsulated fiberglass insulation. They're right around $3 a square foot.
TOM: Yeah. If that's fiberglass-batt insulation, that's pretty standard. And encapsulated simply means it's inside of a vapor-barrier bag. But look, it's not expensive. You can see that stuff at the home center. It's probably $25, $30 a package, so it's very inexpensive and it'll do a good job.
JOHN: Well, thank you so much for your help.
You're welcome, John. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Well, frozen pipes are a pretty common plumbing problem in winter and they can really wreak havoc on your home and your budget. But there are a few things that you can do to prevent them.
First off, you want to make sure that you're insulating all water and heating lines that are located in unheated crawlspaces, attics and basements. Drafts can freeze these uninsulated pipes in a matter of just hours. Now, how do you do that? Well, you can use foam tubes or fiberglass tubes or fiberglass pipe wrap.
Now, on very cold nights, it's also a good idea to open the doors to any under-sink cabinets that are located along outside walls. This actually helps the warmth of your house work its way into the cabinet and prevents it from becoming its very own ice chest.
LESLIE: If you notice the same pipe freezing year after year, consider having that pipe rerun through a warmer section of your house. It's also a good idea to keep your heating zones above 55 degrees all winter long.
TOM: Definitely. You're always better off spending a little extra on energy bills than for repairs.
And speaking of repairs, if you've got one on your to-do list, call us; we can help, 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Dina in Iowa is on the line with a flooring question. How can we help you?
DINA: My husband and I – about, oh, probably three or four years ago – did some remodeling in our kitchen. And we decided on getting some of the laminate, fake-travertine floor.
DINA: And we went to our local Habitat for Humanity store and got – they're like planks; they're planks of the floor. And we installed them and they looked beautiful. But over the course of the last couple years, things have fallen and chunks have come out. Like some places it's just a scratch here or there but in other places there are some chunks. And luckily, the floor has kind of a brown-rock appearance, so some of them aren't noticeable. But there is one that's fairly large and once you start looking, you can see just how many there are.
So, we can't go back to the store and get more, because it's a ReStore; they only have limited quantities. And really, replacing all that is going to be really tough. I didn't know if you had a way to fix this or any suggestions?
TOM: Well, there's a lot of difference in the quality of laminate floors and some are going to be more durable than others. For those that are not aware, laminate floors are similar to laminate countertops except, for the most part, they're about 20 times more durable.
Now, if you know the manufacturer of the floor – I don't know if that's possible. Most manufacturers actually have a sort of touch-up compound. It comes typically in a tube – it looks like a toothpaste tube – where you can actually squeeze some of the stuff out and patch the floor and come up with a color that's reasonably close. If you don't have that, you may be able to find one from another manufacturer that's close to this.
DINA: OK. I do remember we looked at the flooring. I don't remember the name but I do remember it was a major name brand, because we looked it up online to read about it.
DINA: So, I think we may have one or two squares somewhere; maybe I can look on the back and give them a call. That's great information.
TOM: Yeah. If you can do that, I bet you you'll find that they do have a repair product for the floor. Because you're not the first one that's dropped something on the floor and had a chip.
LESLIE: And you're not going to be the last one.
DINA: Right. OK. Well, thank you. That's good information. I didn't even think to look back at the company, so I will do that.
TOM: You're very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT and good luck with that project.
DINA: Thank you.
LESLIE: Bob in Oregon is on the line with a roofing question. What's going on?
BOB: Well, I had some people saw – and add a roof over a deck on a house, making the deck into a porch. And they – when they nailed the new ledger onto the old soffit, I had told them to get up underneath the existing shingles with flashing, to go over top of the new roofing and so forth so the water continuation – the drainage. And they didn't do that. I've found out since then that there's probably a reason why they didn't and that is because the old roofing on the house is very, very well nailed down – about on 2-inch centers – and plying out all those nails would be a problem.
And so they just put the new roofing up against – as close as they could over top of the new ledger. But it doesn't – of course, it doesn't seal. So the water comes down the old roofing and then runs down between the two and down onto the deck – down onto the porch. And I heard you talking about a product that you were giving away, whether you were going to have a joined floor or whatever. And I said, "Hey, that sounds like exactly what I might need: a liquid rubber."
TOM: Yeah, you're talking about the Ames' Blue Max, which is a great product. But it's not designed to patch a roof installation that was just done horribly wrong to begin with.
And so, my advice on this would be to fix it once, fix it right and not have to deal with it again, by making the proper roof repair which, in your case, is going to involve pulling some of the roof material off of the house so that you can take the roof from the overhang – the new overhang now – and work it up under those shingles properly.
BOB: That's what I'm trying to avoid, if I can, because, of course, the edge of the existing roof is tarred down pretty well. In fact, real well, because I did that myself a few years ago.
TOM: Right.
BOB: And it's nailed down very, very well.
TOM: I understand that. But anything else is not going to be a permanent repair. And I really feel like removing that roof is the right way to go here so that you have a properly flashed seam. And it's going to be important to keep that dry, it's going to prevent rot if the water leaks through there and it's going to add to your home value, because it'll be properly done.
LESLIE: Clarence in Nebraska is on the line with a basement that's cracking up and he wants to fix it. What can we do for you today?
CLARENCE: Yeah. I had a contractor come in and pull my basement walls back. And I've got these cracks in the mortar. Some are pretty big; other ones are hairline. What can I do to fix that? Do you have to cut it out or is there a tool you can chip it out and then re-tuckpoint that or what do you think?
TOM: The common mistake is kind of what you just explained. When you say "tuckpoint," you're assuming that you're going to put more concrete or mortar mix into that crack. And that's not going to work, because the patch in the wall surrounding it are going to have different expansion and contraction rates.
So, concrete-product manufacturers have products designed specifically for crack repair, because they're flexible and designed to stick to the old concrete surface. So, for example, you could go to QUIKRETE.com – Q-U-I-K-R-E-T-E. They have a concrete-repair product that comes in a tube; it looks like a caulk tube.
And you apply it with a caulk gun and it's like a sanded acrylic latex formula and it's designed specifically for crack repair. You can buy it in a 10-ounce size or a 5½-ounce sort of squeeze-tube size. And you can fill the cracks in with that. You know it's going to dry solid and it's not going to open up again. And it's good for either vertical or horizontal applications.
So you want to use a product like that that's designed specifically for crack repair because if you don't, Clarence, it's just going to fall out and you'll be doing the same thing over and over again.
CLARENCE: Hmm. Try to re-crack. I don't know if it would fall out, would it?
TOM: Well, it may and very often, it does, especially if you get any moisture in there, as well. If it's a basement wall and it gets cold, you get some frost heave, it can pop out. So, I would use the product that's designed for it and that's just one by QUIKRETE. And I'm sure that that will work out for you, OK?
CLARENCE: Thank you very much.
LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. You don't have to have a green thumb to have beautiful houseplants; you just have to know how to pick the right ones. Roger Cook from This Old House is going to stop by to tell us how, after this.
NORM: Hi. I'm Norm Abram from This Old House and when we're working on our projects, we listen to The Money Pit.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: On air and online at MoneyPit.com.
Hey, would you like to know how to beef up your home security without spending a lot of cash doing it? Head on over to MoneyPit.com and search "cheap home security tricks." The name says it all. You will get tips on how things like lighting and landscape can increase your home security without spending a boatload of cash.
LESLIE: Tony in Virginia, you've got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
TONY: Last winter, in January, we got rid of our oil furnace and we got a 16 SEER HVAC, 3-ton unit. And this year, we noticed that there was condensation on our windows, so the first thing we did was we turned off the humidifier. In fact, I actually disconnected the line. And then we got a humidity gauge. We also ran a dehumidifier. We can't get the humidity down below 45 percent in the house. It's staying between 45 and 48 percent and it seems not to make any difference to anything that we do.
TOM: OK. So, the difference between the heat pump and the oil furnace you had before is pretty significant. When an oil furnace heats up and heats the air, it's going to deliver that air at somewhere around 140 degrees or so. And when a heat pump delivers the air, it's delivering it at 96, 97, 98, maybe 100 degrees. And so that 40-degree difference means that you're going to have a lot more humidity stay in the air that the warmer oil furnace would have taken out. So that explains why you've got humidity now where you didn't have it before.
So, what can you do about that? Well, you have to look at strategies to try to reduce the moisture load inside your house, turning off – the humidifier was an obvious one because, frankly, you rarely need those with heat pumps, for the reason I just explained. Secondly, taking steps to try to reduce the way moisture gets into your house can help.
So, for example, you can regrade the soil at the foundation perimeter: just the first 3 to 4 feet so that you don't hold any rainwater against that foundation. You can make sure your gutters are clean and the downspouts are extending 3 to 4 feet from the foundation. You can make sure that you have proper attic ventilation so that you have open soffit vents and open ridge vents, so that air is not getting trapped in the attic. And this way, you're moving the vapor pressure, reducing the amount of vapor that gets into the foundation, works its way up into the house and gets out at the attic space.
Now, mechanically, you can add a device called a whole-home dehumidifier. You already have a ducted system. A whole-home dehumidifier is a product that would work both in the winter and in the summer in your location. And it would take a lot of water out of the air. But there's an expense, obviously, to purchase it and to operate it.
So, what you're explaining is not surprising to me. You're just going to have to take some additional steps to try to reduce the amount of humidity. Does that make sense?
TONY: Yes. How about – the basement's our first floor and it's been dry when many of our neighbors have had water in the basement.
TOM: That's a good sign.
TONY: So, I have to tell you, I'm a little reluctant to fool with the dirt outside. But what about – we have a fireplace down there. How about if I run the fireplace occasionally?
TOM: It's not going to be a very efficient thing to do just to run your fireplace to try to dehumidify your house. It's like it's a lot of work to dehumidify, you know what I mean, using a fireplace. But if you were to use a whole-house dehumidifier, then you would have total mechanical and automatic control of that humidity level.
Take a look at the website for Aprilaire: Aprilaire.com. They make a pretty good one and then you could check with some local contractors and see what it will cost to have it installed.
TONY: Thank you very much.
TOM: You're welcome, Tony. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Well, if you love the look of greenery around the outside of your house but seem to only have a black thumb when it comes to getting greenery to flourish inside your home, we have a solution.
TOM: It might not be you as much as it's the type of plant you're choosing. Roger Cook is the landscape contractor for TV's This Old House and joins us now with tips.
Welcome, Roger.
ROGER: Well, it might just be you, Tom, you know.
TOM: It could just be me.
ROGER: Yeah.
TOM: Well, I kill plastic plants from overwatering. I don't have the green thumb.
ROGER: You have a real skill.
TOM: I do. But aside from folks like me, what are some of the most common mistakes that homeowners make when they choose their indoor plants? There are some that are just a whole lot easier to take care of than others, aren't there?
ROGER: Well, sometimes we get our inspiration from the wrong place.
ROGER: I mean you walk around and you see a plant, say, like a ficus. It's an absolutely beautiful plant. You bring one home and all of a sudden, all the leaves are falling off of it. It's because a lot of houseplants need full sunlight and when they don't get it, they drop their leaves.
TOM: Now, that's a great point, because we had a beautiful ficus tree when we bought our first house. It was a condo and we had cathedral ceilings and it looked great. And we tried to take good care of it but it just eventually would dry out. It got very sort of gooey; the sap would come out of it. And the leaves would fall out and it became very difficult. And I found out later that a lot of times, the professionals that take care of these things – you see them in doctors' offices and malls – they cheat. They take them out and they put them outside and they trade in better ones.
ROGER: Yeah.
LESLIE: Right. They swap them out.
ROGER: They swamp them out.
TOM: And they kind of – they rotate them and we don't know this. So it's not so much us killing the plant; it really maybe wasn't the right plant to choose.
ROGER: That's right. And that's why you really have to go around your house and examine it and say, "Where am I getting the most sun?" And then find a sun plant. And then be honest – what side of the house is getting a lot of shade? – in finding a plant that will grow in the shade and putting it there. That's where people made the biggest problem.
LESLIE: Do interior conditions, such as lack of moisture or too much moisture or dryness from heating – those really have to take a toll on the plant, as well.
ROGER: As they would take a toll with us. That's why we adjust the humidity to our bodies but not to the plants. So sometimes, that's where misting comes. When you go around a plant and you mist it? That little bit of extra water will help it. A lot of these are tropical plants and in the tropics, it could be 80-, 90-percent humidity.
LESLIE: Humidity. Daily.
ROGER: Daily, right. But they're not getting it in my house.
LESLIE: No, not in my house, either.
Now, here's a situation and I know we always ask you about this. I have a Peace Lily that was given to me when my father passed away eight years ago. And I love it and this thing has taken over every inch of that pot.
ROGER: Yeah.
LESLIE: I feel like I water it and all of a sudden, the dish on the bottom is overflowing. And I know it's time to repot but I'm petrified of it. So how do you do it without causing harm to the plant?
ROGER: Well, fortunately, Peace Lily is a very, very tough plant and it's really hard to hurt. And it's probably begging you to get it out at that point.
LESLIE: Oh, I think it's asking for it.
ROGER: Yeah. Out of that pot. So let's go to a pot that's 2 to 4 inches bigger. And when you take it out of the pot, shake off some of that soil that's on there.
LESLIE: If there's any.
ROGER: If there's any. And let's get a lot of new soil in there for that plant to grow out into.
LESLIE: And 2 to 4 inches in width?
ROGER: In width.
LESLIE: So height has nothing to do with it?
ROGER: Oh, yeah, yeah. I'd like to see it – let's just think as moving on up.
ROGER: We want it a little bigger in width and volume. Just bigger.
TOM: Now, if you are repotting a plant, what do you do to get sort of the base ready? Don't you have to put some stones or something like that in it or broken clay? How do you do it?
ROGER: Well, every pot usually has a single hole in the bottom of it.
TOM: Right.
ROGER: And you want to make sure that you don't plug up that hole. So you can do what's called "put a shard," which is a broken piece of pottery over that hole before you put the soil. Just something to keep to allow the water to come through the hole but not all the soil behind it.
TOM: Good tip. Now, what's one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to houseplants?
ROGER: Watering: overwatering or underwatering. It's the – typically, 99 percent of the plant – times when the plant has a problem, that's why. There is no regular schedule. Every plant will dry out differently, every soil type will dry out differently.
You need to check the soil. And I do that by putting my finger into the pot. If I can get down two or three knuckles, I can tell whether that's moist or overwatered there or dry. That tells me to water it.
TOM: You're really getting your hands dirty on this, aren't you?
ROGER: Well, if that's what gardening is all about. Inside or outside, you're going to get dirty.
TOM: Roger Cook, the landscape contractor on TV's This Old House, great advice. Thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
ROGER: Thanks for having me.
LESLIE: Alright. You can catch the current season of This Old House and Ask This Old House on PBS. For local listings and step-by-step videos of many common home improvement projects, visit ThisOldHouse.com.
TOM: And This Old House and Ask This Old House are brought to you by GMC. GMC, we are professional grade.
Still ahead, would you like to turn your boring winter yard into a vibrant, colorful space? Well, you can do that by attracting winter birds with the right seed and feeders. We'll tell you how, after this.
TOM: Where home solutions live, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete. And we're taking your calls at 888-MONEY-PIT.
Now, one caller this hour is going to get a prize pack from 3M for your car. It includes a scratch-removal system. I've actually tried this; it really works very well. Don't ask me how I end up with all these scratches on my cars. I swear, I don't do it but I definitely can fix them with this 3M system.
And you're also going to get a door-edge protection film and a headlight-restoration kit. When your headlights seem to get fogged up or they get a dull film on them, this is going to fix that.
You can check it all out at 3MAuto.com. The 3M Auto giveaway is worth 60 bucks, so give us a call right now at 888-MONEY-PIT for help with your home improvement project.
TOM: Do they have a lacrosse-ball dent-remover kit inside that package from 3M?
LESLIE: You should use your toilet plunger for that.
TOM: Well, we love our kids but really need to learn how to keep the cars out of the trajectory sometime, you know?
LESLIE: Right?
LESLIE: Well, if you'd like to add some life to your backyard during the winter season, you might think about making some simple changes to attract winter birds.
Now, all birds don't catch that red-eye from Mexico at the first sign of a cold winter. Even the northernmost parts of the U.S. has cardinals, woodpeckers, finches and many more winter-loving birds. And you can attract them to your yard simply by giving them the right food.
TOM: That's right. Now, most winter birds eat seeds. They have to, because insects are hard to find in the cold. So you want to stock up on both sunflower seeds and safflower seeds. The great thing about safflower is that squirrels don't like them.
Now, if you love woodpeckers, you can also hang suet for them but hang that high, because most winter mammals like it, too.
LESLIE: Also, don't forget about water. Break up ice in bird baths or add warm water to melt that ice and birds will flock from all over your yard for a little refreshment.
TOM: 888-666-3974. Give us a call right now with your home improvement question.
LESLIE: James in Missouri is dealing with a plumbing concern, which seems to happen every single winter. Tell us what's going on.
JAMES: Yeah, every January, it seems to – the pipes freeze under the house.
TOM: Now, what have you done to try to stop them from freezing?
JAMES: Well, plugged up the outside entrance; it's only a crawlspace. But I don't own the house but I live there and the last three years it's done this. So I'm wondering if they've used the right pipes. Right now, it's plastic but I'm not sure if it's the right gauge or what.
TOM: Have the pipes been insulated?
JAMES: I don't think so.
TOM: OK. So that would be the next step here. The insulation for the pipes is pretty inexpensive. I mean maybe you can get your landlord to do it or take it off the rent and do it yourself. But you want to get these insulation sleeves and they will sort of snap around the pipes. And if you insulate those pipes, that will protect them from the freezing weather and make it a lot less likely that they're going to seize up when the temperature drops for an extended period of time.
JAMES: Now, does it matter if it's copper or plastic? Does it make a difference?
TOM: Nope. They could both be insulated with the insulation sleeves.
TOM: Just be careful at the corners. Make sure you tape the corners. You might want to use some insulation wrap at the corners. Just don't leave any exposed gaps. Do a really good, careful job sealing it all up. The insulation sleeve is slitted down the side and snaps around the pipe. Usually, you tape it once or twice to keep it in place and I think you're good to go.
JAMES: So do you even think about the electric heat tape?
TOM: Only use electric heat tape when you have a frozen pipe and it's metal and you follow label directions. And you could put it on for a limited period of time until the pipe thaws and then turn it off. It's not a permanent appliance; that's dangerous.
JAMES: OK. I didn't
JAMES: Cool. Well, I appreciate the info.
LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. Mold can show up pretty much anywhere and in any weather. We're going to tell you the best way that you can get rid of it for good, after this.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Give us a call right now with your home improvement question, your home improvement project, your do-it-yourself dilemma. Or head on over to MoneyPit.com and post your question in the Community section any time of the day or night. We answer lots of those questions through the week but we like to pull a few out for the show on the weekends. And we're going to start with this one from Trish in Louisiana.
LESLIE: That's right. Trish wrote: "I've got mold growing on the roof, on the shady side of my home. Can I run bleach through a pressure washer to get rid of it?"
TOM: Well, first off, we want to deal with why the mold is on the shady side of your house. First of all, I want to point out that it's probably – it may be mold; it's more likely algae. We call everything that's green and sticks to the outside of our house mold but it could be moss, it could be algae, it could be mold. It's probably more like algae or moss. And so, not that it makes any difference, it still looks ugly.
How do we get rid of it? First, take a look at all of those trees that are creating that shade. If you could punch some holes in those trees to let some sunlight through, that's going to help slow down the growth of that stuff, because it needs that cool shadiness to kind of really take hold. So the more light you can get on that side, the better. You don't have to take the trees down. Just open them up a little bit; it makes a world of difference. You want to treat what you have right there now.
Now, I think using a pressure washer on a roof is not a smart idea because if it's too strong, you're going to poke holes in it. What you could do is you could use a bleach-and-water solution – maybe 10-, 15-percent bleach in water – up on that roof. But if you do that, you're going to – you want to make sure that you capture all of the runoff, because it's going to kill your plants.
You can use another product called Wet & Forget which, as the name implies, you pretty much spray it on there and you forget about it and then it naturally will break down the moss and the mildew and the algae and the mold and take it off your roof.
Once the roof is clean, what you can do is get a strip of copper flashing. Lay it across the top ridge of the roof. It won't be terribly visible but when it rains, some of that copper will release and that acts, also, as a mildicide and will keep your roof nice and clean from this point forward.
LESLIE: Alright. Next up, Gary in Georgia posted: "I have wood trim on the outside of my house. Is there any advantage to painting it with Rust-Oleum? Would it provide a better barrier against the elements?"
Unless your wood is metal, not really.
TOM: I'm sure that the Rust-Oleum people are very happy that you're such a fan of their product. You think it can do miracles.
LESLIE: "We'll just use it everywhere."
TOM: Yeah. I guarantee you this: if you paint it on your wood, your wood will never rust. How about that?
However, if you just want a good-quality paint job, you don't need to use a metal paint on it. You want to make sure you prime the wood properly and with exterior wood, you want to make sure it's thoroughly dry. You know, choosing the right weather for this project is really more important than ever. If it's thoroughly dry, then you put on a good-quality primer. What I might use is an alkyd-based primer or an oil-based primer. Let it dry thoroughly and then put a good-quality top coat – quality exterior paint – on top of that.
Doing those two steps in the right order will assure that you will have a super-long-lasting paint job here that won't have to be repeated the next 8 to 10 years.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what, Gary? You could always replace it with an extruded PVC trim, which you would never have to paint or deal with any sort of these maintenance things again.
TOM: Yeah, like AZEK or something like that, mm-hmm.
LESLIE: Alright. Next up, Brad in Missouri wrote: "I have a gravel driveway. Can I still use a snow thrower?"
TOM: Yeah, you can. You just have to be careful the way you use it. You can hold the depth of the snow thrower so that it doesn't dig into the gravel itself. But many folks have gravel driveways and they use snow throwers quite successfully.
Now, if you've got an asphalt or concrete driveway, I mean those blades can practically scrape on that surface; it's not going to be an issue. But if you set the depth properly, you're not going to get down to the gravel. You want to stay 2 or 3 inches above. You should be fine.
And by the way, there's a great article about how to choose a snow blower, on our website, at MoneyPit.com.
LESLIE: Alright. And on MoneyPit.com, we actually cover the four most common types of snow blowers and we'll help you choose the right one for your house.
TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online, 24-7, at MoneyPit.com. Thank you so much for spending this hour with us.
Hey, if you've got questions, maybe they pop into your head at any time of the day or night, remember you can always call us at 888-MONEY-PIT. If we're not in the studio, we'll call you back the next time we are.
Happy Home Improving. I'm Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I'm Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …
LESLIE: But you don't have to do it alone.
(Copyright 2013 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)


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GOVERNOR'S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE: Hawai'i Forest Legacy Program accepting applications for conservation acquisition assistance
Posted on Jun 16, 2016 in Latest Department NewsHONOLULU — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is seeking new projects for the Hawaiʻi Forest Legacy Program that will protect important working forest lands from the threat of conversion to non-forest uses. The Forest Legacy Program, administrated through DLNR's Division of Forestry and Wildlife, is accepting applications for conservation acquisition assistance through the program.
The Hawai'i Forest Legacy Program works with private landowners, state and county agencies, and conservation non-profit groups to promote sustainable, working forests. Roughly 66 percent of forest land in the State of Hawai'i is privately owned, with the majority of our private landowners wanting to preserve these forests and leave a lasting legacy. Unfortunately, millions of acres of privately-managed working forests nationwide have been lost or converted to other uses, with millions more projected to be converted in the next decade. Hawai'i is not an exception to this trend.
"With the help of land trusts and conservation-minded landowners, we have been able to protect our important forest resources, preserve forest essential for water production, shelter for endangered species, and safeguard our culturally important sites," said Suzanne Case, DLNR Chairperson.
More than 2.5 million acres of threatened private forests in the U.S. have been protected under the Forest Legacy Program, of which 47,000 acres have been protected in Hawai'i. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife is currently working on projects that will protect an additional 3,700 acres of important forested watershed lands through the Forest Legacy Program.
The majority of Hawaii's projects are conservation easements that allow landowners to retain ownership of the restricted title to their property while providing permanent protection from development or unsustainable uses. Often times, this economic opportunity provides landowners with an alternative to selling their land to development companies. Conservation easements are strictly voluntary to enter into and the restrictions are binding to all future owners in perpetuity.
"The national Forest Legacy Program is very competitive with only a few dozen projects funded by the U.S. Forest Service each year," Case said. "Hawai'i always puts in strong projects that compete well in this national program," she noted.
The Hawai'i Forest Legacy Program has identified forest lands throughout the state as important and in need of permanent protection. More information about this status can be found in the State's Assessment of Needs on the Hawai'i Forest Legacy Program website (https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/forest-legacy/). The Hawai'i program accepts both fee title and conservation easement acquisitions. Fee title acquisitions are voluntary and can provide landowners with the knowledge that their property will be managed and owned in perpetuity by the State of Hawai'i.
The deadline for the next round of applications to the Hawai'i Forest Legacy Program is August 10, 2016. Applications can be found at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/forest-legacy/ and should be submitted to Irene Sprecher by email. Landowners and non-profits entities who are interested in participating in the Forest Legacy Program are encouraged to contact Irene Sprecher at the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife at (808) 587-4167 or by email at [email protected] to discuss their property and interest in the program.
# # #
Images by Division of Forestry and Wildlife at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qyi1g7h8vn5davp/AADs1yKXhk89u9PPPzxR_KHUa?dl=0
Media Contact:
Deborah Ward
DLNR Communications Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320


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Kring Named as Fellow of the Geological Society of America
July 7, 2009
Source: NASA
Dr. David A. Kring, Senior Staff Scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, has been named as a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA).
Kring received his Ph.D. in Earth and planetary sciences from Harvard University. He specializes in impact cratering processes produced when asteroids and comets collide with planetary surfaces. Kring is perhaps best known for his work with the discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater, which he linked to the K-T boundary mass extinction of dinosaurs and over half of the plants and animals that existed on Earth 65 million years ago. He has also studied the environmental effects of impact cratering and shown how impact processes can affect both the geological and biological evolution of a planet. This work includes studies of the dramatic environmental perturbations (e.g., prolonged darkness, acid rain, wildfires) expected after the Chicxulub impact event, plus studies of several smaller local, regional, and global effects produced by the thousands of impact events that affected Earth after life evolved.
Kring has also explored how impact cratering may have affected the early evolution of the Earth-Moon system. In particular, he has led a decade-long campaign to test the lunar cataclysm hypothesis, which is one of the great intellectual legacies of the Apollo program. Indeed, the bombardment of the Earth-Moon system remains the highest science priority for our nation's return to the Moon. Kring has suggested that an intense period of impact bombardment may have affected the origin and early evolution of life on Earth. In particular, he suggested that early impact bombardment created vast subsurface hydrothermal systems that were crucibles for prebiotic chemistry and provided habitats for the early evolution of life. He calls this concept the impact-origin of life hypothesis.
GSA Fellowship is an honor that is bestowed on the best of geoscience professionals once per year at the GSA Spring Council meeting. GSA members are elected to Fellowship in recognition of distinguished contributions to the geosciences, and nominations may only be made by a Fellow of the Society. Kring was nominated by James Wright Horton.
GSA's newly elected Fellows will be recognized at the 2009 GSA Annual Meeting Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 17, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. A complete list of the newly elected Fellows can be found online at www.geosociety.org/members/newFellows.htm.
For more information, visit
Center for Lunar Science and Exploration
Last updated July 7, 2009


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Lisa McPherson: The Clearwater Police Department Files
Lisa McPherson, a Dallas native, a line dancing enthusiast, and a dedicated Scientologist for most of her adult life, died on December 5, 1995, after 17 days in the custody of the Church of Scientology. She was 36 years old.
The Clearwater Police Department investigated her death. The State of Florida ultimately charged the Church of Scientology with two felonies: abuse/neglect of a disabled adult and the illegal practice of medicine. Although the state later chose not to pursue those charges, a wrongful death case has been brought by her estate. The suit was settled on May 28, 2004.
This site presents the information collected by the Clearwater Police Department in their investigation of Lisa's death. It offers additional information to help put the evidence in context, but tries to avoid drawing conclusions or offering opinions.
Another sites provides extensive information about Lisa.
- The Lisa McPherson Memorial Page, http://www.lisamcpherson.org, provides extensive information about Lisa, including media coverage of the case.
Where Do I Start?
Learn Who's Who | Browse Documents by Type | Browse Documents by Year
You may wish to start with the Felony Indictments filed by the State of Florida at the conclusion of the investigation and the Investigative Report on Facts concerning being held against her will.
The logs kept by the Scientologists who watched over Lisa in the days leading up to her death are very informative. You may also want to read excerpts from Lisa's Scientology ethics files, which were also included in the police department's investigation.
The chronological document listings provide a useful glimpse of the documents available and offer some insight into Lisa's life and the progress of the investigation. Of particular interest are the documents from the last two years of her life, 1994 and 1995, and from the first two years of the investigation, 1996 and
1997. The period from 1988 to 1989 is also of interest; Lisa was on staff in 1988 and joined the Sea Org in December, resulting in fear of being assigned to the Rehabilitation Projects Force (RPF) and eventually leaving the Sea Org and returning home to Dallas.
The most recently added documents are listed on the New Pages page.
The documents that have been transcribed so far fall into three major categories:
- police investigation and reports, including interviews (both sworn and unsworn), sworn statements, and depositions taken by Clearwater Police Department investigators;
- documentary evidence, including hospital records, drugstore files, bank records, and similar items;
- Lisa's Scientology records, which include her Scientology ethics and personnel files, some of her correspondence, and tests and forms she filled out during her years in Scientology


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A former New Orleans police officer is facing a federal charge related to the alleged sexual assault of a victim, the Justice Department announced on Thursday.
While acting in his role as a New Orleans police officer, 55-year-old Rodney Vicknair allegedly committed a civil rights violation when he sexually assaulted a victim (identified only as V1 in court documents) two years ago, the department said.
Vicknair was charged through a bill of information, and he has been ordered to appear in court on Oct. 7.
This is not the first time allegations of this nature have been made against Vicknair.
Last year, the mother of a 14-year-old girl sued Vicknair, claiming he had raped her daughter.
In May 2020, Vicknair, in his capacity as an officer, transported the unnamed teen to the hospital to receive an examination following a rape. Vicknair used this incident to groom the girl for months, only to later rape the girl himself at least two times, the mother alleges.
The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court in Louisiana, also states that Vicknair "had a long list of citizen complaints of unprofessional and illegal conduct." The mother is also suing the city of New Orleans, in part, for keeping Vicknair on the force despite these concerns against him, the lawsuit says.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text: Two Main Scopes Will Be Included In The Survey. Scopes In The 2012 Survey Will Be Repeated And An Additional Scope On Oral Health Will Be Included 1. The Global School Health Survey (GSHS) GSHS Surveillance Project Designed By The World Health Organisation To Help Countries To Measure And Assess The Behavioural Risk Factors And Protective Factors In 10 Key Areas Among Young People Aged 13 To 17 Years (form 1 To 5). The GSHS Is A Relatively Low-cost School-based Survey Which Uses A Self-administered Questionnaire To Obtain Data On Young People's Health Behaviour And Protective Factors Related To The Leading Causes Of Morbidity And Mortality Among Children And Adults Worldwide. As In The Previous Survey, Additional Modules On Mental Health To Cover Depression, Anxiety And Stress Will Be Included The Survey. 2. National School-Based Nutrition Survey The National School-Based Nutrition Survey Consisted Of A Few Nutrition-related Components, Including Nutritional Status, Meal Pattern, Physical Activity, Behaviour Modification, Supplement Intake, Food Frequency Intake, And 24-hour Dietary Recall. The Survey Will Be Targeted At Students Aged 10 To 17 Years (standard 4 To Form 5).


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Those of us who have been in the conservative movement for a while know it to be a movement of extraordinary people. Many have given years, decades of their lives, fighting on for no other reason that it is the right thing to do — even when spirits are low and resources are slim or nonexistent. I have been honored to personally know some of these people and we lost one of the really good ones, unfortunately but fittingly, this past Easter Sunday.
Susan Fries Falknor, activist, editor, published poet, committed Christian, and wife of fellow commentator, Richard Falknor, passed on following a brief illness. Although I know she is in a better place, it never diminishes the sense of loss. She will be sorely missed.
I came to know both Rich and Susan through their leadership of the Maryland Center Right Coalition, which brought a small, very lucky group of Marylanders together for regular presentations by state and local luminaries as well as nationally known conservatives. We enjoyed freewheeling discussions on issues of the day with these people. The meetings went for hours and we were always reluctant to leave.
Today I count Rich and Susan among my good friends. Rich worked on Capitol Hill for many years and his learned perspective is always apparent in his blog posts at Blue Ridge Forum, an excellent site you should get to know. In her typically quiet, unassuming way, Susan worked in the background, editing and otherwise polishing Rich's great work.
A writer in her own right, Susan served as a researcher and editor at the American Enterprise Institute, the Urban Institute, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Population Reference Bureau and others. She was also president of Friends of Bluemont, an organization dedicated to preservation of this historic Virginia town formerly known as Snickersville.
Susan was usually quiet, working in the background, while Rich took the lead in articulating their views and concerns on issues of the day. But perhaps because she was usually quiet, her strong encouragements to me always had a profound effect.
While readers of this site may not have heard of her, she had a similar impact on others she met. Gates of Vienna writes:
Susan was a behind-the-scenes worker on behalf of liberty in America, so she didn't boast: you had to know what questions to ask. [She] certainly picked a beautiful feast day on which to take leave of this world. I'm in awe of her choice, but a little envious if truth be told. I hope her going was easy, at least for her. It never is for those who are left behind — and Susan's goodbyes must have been numerous indeed.
Michael Giere of the Bull Elephant writes:
The world of words and the world of conservative activism is now less for her passing, yet richer for her time with us.
William Shakespeare was a man who knew something about a good turn of phrase, so I send my friend away with his words;
I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul remembering my good friends.
To my friend Rich, I join him in his mourning. To Susan I say Godspeed and God Bless you! And I am sure she is now hearing our Lord tell her: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
For those able, there will be a service for Susan this Saturday at 10 am Eastern at the Bluemont United Methodist Church, 33843 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia.


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Previous Video
Complete and Continue
The Four Development Conversations
Getting Started
Download the Workbook (0:31)
Introduction (3:10)
What Your Employees Need From You
Obstacles to Self-Development (3:21)
Six Ways to Promote Employee Development (2:29)
The Self Development Cycle (4:52)
Overview of the Four Conversations (10:00)
The Four Conversations
The ENGAGE Conversation (2:28)
The ALIGN Conversation (2:10)
The PLAN Conversation (1:48)
The CHECK-IN Conversations (3:38)
By Kingdom They Vary (4:53)
ENGAGE - Do's and Don'ts
A "BAD" Engage Conversation (1:57)
Debrief the "BAD" Conversation (3:40)
A "BETTER" Engage Conversation (2:15)
DO's and DON'TS (4:47)
Preparing for the Align Conversation (5:24)
Apply What You've Learned! (1:58)
Download the DEVELOPMENT WORKSHEET
ALIGN - Do's and Don'ts
Recap of the Align Conversation (3:53)
A "BAD" Align Conversation (1:13)
Debriefing the "BAD" Align Conversation (3:25)
A "BETTER" Align Conversation (2:56)
A "MUCH BETTER" Align Conversation (3:43)
A "MUCH BETTER" Align Conversation (continued) (2:40)
Do's and Don'ts (5:33)
Apply What You've Learned! (1:26)
PLAN - Do's and Don'ts
Creating a High-Impact Plan (2:39)
Recap of the Plan Conversation (5:35)
Recap of the Plan Conversation (continued) (4:02)
A "GOOD" Plan Conversation (4:52)
The 70:20:10 Model (5:19)
Creating a High-Impact Plan (4:30)
Do's and Don'ts (4:49)
Apply What You've Learned! (1:13)
CHECK-IN - Do's and Don'ts
Keeping the Flame Alive! (2:18)
Recap of the Check-In Conversation (6:01)
A "BAD" Check-In Conversation (1:34)
Debrief of the "BAD" Check-In Conversation (3:30)
A "BETTER" Check-In Conversation (2:10)
Do's and Don'ts (6:07)
Apply What You've Learned! (0:34)
Check Your Knowledge
Wrapup (3:48)
Creating a High-Impact Plan
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text:
1 In the 30th year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiled people+ by the river Cheʹbar,+ the heavens were opened and I began to see visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month—that is, in the fifth year of the exile of King Je·hoiʹa·chin+— 3 the word of Jehovah came to Ezekiel* son of Buʹzi the priest by the river Cheʹbar in the land of the Chal·deʹans.+ There the hand of Jehovah came upon him.+
4 As I was looking, I saw a tempestuous wind+ coming from the north, and there was a huge cloud and flashing fire*+ surrounded by a bright light, and from the midst of the fire was something that looked like electrum.*+ 5 Within it were what looked like four living creatures,+ and the appearance of each one was like that of a human. 6 Each one had four faces and four wings.+ 7 Their feet were straight, and the soles of their feet were like those of a calf, and they were shining like the glow of burnished copper.+ 8 They had human hands under their wings on all four sides, and the four of them had faces and wings. 9 Their wings were touching one another. They would not turn when they went; they would each go straight forward.+
10 Their faces had this appearance: Each of the four had a man's face with a lion's+ face on the right, a bull's+ face on the left, and each of the four had an eagle's+ face.+ 11 That is how their faces were. Their wings were spread out above them. Each had two wings that were touching one another and two wings covering their bodies.+
12 They would each go straight forward, going wherever the spirit would incline them to go.+ They would not turn as they went. 13 And the living creatures had the appearance of burning coals of fire, and something that looked like torches of bright fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures, and lightning was flashing out from the fire.+ 14 And when the living creatures would go forth and return, their movement had the appearance of flashes of lightning.
15 As I was watching the living creatures, I saw one wheel on the earth beside each of the living creatures with four faces.+ 16 The wheels and their structure appeared to glow like chrysʹo·lite, and the four of them looked alike. Their appearance and structure looked as though a wheel were within a wheel.* 17 When they moved, they could go in any of the four directions without turning as they went. 18 Their rims were so high that they inspired awe, and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around.+ 19 Whenever the living creatures moved, the wheels would move along with them, and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels would also be lifted up.+ 20 They would go where the spirit inclined them to go, wherever the spirit went. The wheels would be lifted up together with them, for the spirit operating on the living creatures* was also in the wheels. 21 When they moved, these would move; and when they stood still, these would stand still; and when they were lifted up from the earth, the wheels would be lifted up together with them, for the spirit operating on the living creatures was also in the wheels.
22 Over the heads of the living creatures was the likeness of an expanse that sparkled like awesome ice, stretched out above their heads.+ 23 Under the expanse their wings were straight,* one to the other. Each one had two wings for covering one side of their bodies and two for covering the other side. 24 When I heard the sound of their wings, it was like a sound of rushing waters, like the sound of the Almighty.+ When they moved, it was like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they would let their wings down.
25 There was a voice above the expanse over their heads. (When they stood still, they would let their wings down.) 26 Above the expanse that was over their heads was what looked like a sapphire stone,+ and it resembled a throne.+ Sitting on the throne up above was someone whose appearance resembled that of a human.+ 27 I saw something glowing like electrum+ that was like a fire radiating from what appeared to be his waist and upward; and from his waist down, I saw something that resembled fire.+ There was a brilliance all around him 28 like that of a rainbow+ in a cloud on a rainy day. That was how the surrounding brilliant light appeared. It was like the appearance of the glory of Jehovah.+ When I saw it, I fell facedown and began to hear the voice of someone speaking.


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Lego Fusion blends real and virtual building into one
Construct something and you'll see it automatically appear in a tablet game
With its new Fusion sets, Lego moves into the digital world while keeping one foot firmly planted in real life.
These boxes come with 200 building blocks which, when used to make structures and other models, can be transferred block-for-block into an app for iPads and Android tablets.
The bricks need to be placed on a special base called a Fusion Capture Plate. These allow you to build 16×16 brick "facades" which will appear in the app after you've photographed them with your tablet's camera. Then, whatever you've built can be manipulated in games and other activities.
READ MORE: The 10 best Lego minifigures ever
For example, in the "Town Master" game, you can drop your facade in a virtual Lego town and have the rest of the house build around it automatically (in a similar colour scheme and building style). In another game, your facade is used to create a castle tower that defends against waves of enemies. Designs will also be shareable via the Lego online community.
The games are certainly aimed at the younger market, and the technology isn't all that complex at present – you can't, for instance, build a huge car and have it virtually replicated in the app just by taking photos – but it's certainly an interesting indication of the way in which Lego's willing to embrace new tech.
The Fusion sets will go on sale in August price at US$35 (£20).
READ MORE: Lego's Mini Cooper is 1,000 bricks of classic car


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The Cadillac Eldorado is a personal luxury car that was manufactured and marketed by Cadillac from 1953 to 2002 over ten generations. The 1967 Cadillac Eldorado is a milestone Cadillac by any standard. The knife-edged, ultra-contemporary shape was an attention-getter in 1967 – and it influences Cadillac design to this day. Although the chassis and underbody structure borrowed heavily from Oldsmobile's year-old Toronado, the style was totally unique. Performance was 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in less than nine seconds and a top speed of 120 mph (192 km/h). The engine was a Cadillac, 429 c.i.d./340 h.p. V-8. Variable ratio power steering and front disc brakes gave the driver better feel through the wheel and more stopping power. Automatic level control capped an already unconventional suspension.
credit: That Hartford Guy


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Albert Gallatin BROWN, Congress, MS (1813-1880)
Senate Years of Service:
DemocratBROWN, Albert Gallatin, a Representative and a Senator from Mississippi; born in Chester District, S.C., May 31, 1813; moved with his parents to Copiah County, Miss., in 1823; attended Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss., and Jefferson College, Washington, Miss.; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1833 and commenced practice in Gallatin, Miss.; member, State house of representatives 1835-1839; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1839-March 3, 1841); declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1840; judge of the circuit superior court 1842-1843; Governor of Mississippi 1844-1848; elected to the Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Thirty-second Congresses (March 4, 1847-March 3, 1853); chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia (Thirty-first Congress); was not a candidate for reelection in 1852; elected to the United States Senate in 1854 to fill the vacancy in the term beginning March 4, 1853; reelected in 1859 and served from January 7, 1854, until January 12, 1861, when he withdrew; seat declared vacant by Senate resolution on March 14, 1861; chairman, Committee on the District of Columbia (Thirty-fourth through Thirty-sixth Congresses), Committee on Enrolled Bills (Thirty-sixth Congress); during the Civil War entered the Confederate Army as a captain; elected a member of the Confederate Senate in 1862 and served in the First and Second Confederate Congresses; engaged in agricultural pursuits; died near Terry, Hinds County, Miss., June 12, 1880; interment in Greenwood Cemetery, Jackson, Miss.
American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; McCutchen, Samuel. âThe Political Career of Albert Gallatin Brown.â Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1930; Ranck, James B. Albert Gallatin Brown: Radical Southern Nationalist. New York: Appleton-Century Company, 1937.Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present


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Crunchies is a natural snack that is seeking to be the healthy alternative to the potato chips and fruit snacks that children (and many adults) love to munch on. They freeze dry all different types of fruits and vegetables and everything is organic, wheat free, gluten free, fat free, and preservative free. I tried some of the fruit crunchies and they are definitely flavor free too. Somehow, I do not think these are going to replace chewy fruit snacks or crispy potato chips anytime soon. Or even real fruit. The Crunchies are not crunchy at all. They are quite chewy though, in the way that you may chew a small piece of styrofoam that has a somewhat tangy and sweet taste to it. The package tells us that it takes eight to ten pounds of fresh fruit to make one pound of Crunchies.
That just seems like a sad waste of fresh fruit. These don't even resemble the dried fruits you find in trail mix. However, to be fair, I did not get to try one of the vegetable flavors. And one probably can't have too high expectations for super healthy snacks. But if you are determined to try them out, Crunchies are pretty much sold in all your neighborhood's grocery stores. There are many varieties to choose from including mango, bananas, strawberries, peas, corn, pineapple, and the list goes on.
Enjoy Life Foods
Onto another healthy snack - Enjoy Life Foods. I was pleasantly surprised by these snacks that purport to be gluten free and free of the eight most common allergens (in case you are wondering what those are: gluten, wheat, dairy, peanut, tree nut, egg, soy, fish and shellfish. Not sure why any of these snacks would have fish and shellfish in them to begin with but I guess eight sounds more impressive than six). They have quite a few products - chips (made from lentils), chocolate for eating and baking, cereals, cookies (crunchy and soft baked), chewy bars, and seed and fruit mixes.
I tasted a few of the chocolate bars (they even have dark as well as milk chocolate), the crunchy cookies, and the "plentils" chips and to my surprise, they were all things that I would not object to including in my regular snack rotation. They tasted quite "normal" and that is probably one of the best compliments I can give to a "healthy snack"! That is also probably because these snacks are not fat free, as the Crunchies are.
I do not suffer from any of the eight common allergens but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to decrease one's intake of wheat and gluten in general. If you are looking for plentils chips or some allergen-free cookies, you may find Enjoy Life Foods at most of your large neighborhood grocery stores.
Kohler Chocolates
Yes, it's that Kohler, the one that makes faucets. The chefs at their American Resort Club (that would be their five star resort in Wisconsin) started making chocolates in 2007. As a caveat, I feel I should note that I am a huge chocolate lover but not a snobby one - I will happily eat and buy Hershey's as much as I enjoy artisanal chocolates made by the local chocolatier. So I am already inclined to like the Kohler's just because they are chocolate.
The signature chocolate are terrapins, which are a blend of chocolate, salted pecans, and caramel. These are quite sweet and after eating half of one, I thought I had better stop. Don't get me wrong, I could have eaten it all but I felt that I needed to exercise some self restraint as it was right before bedtime. I also tried their more delicate handmade pieces - dark chocolate hearts (was not a fan but that is because I don't believe chocolate should be tainted by fruit), the crème fraîche ganache, and the hazelnut ganache.
The crème fraîche was my favorite. There is a definite craftsmanship evident in the chocolates and there is probably a flavor for any chocolate or candy lover out there. But I don't know that I would necessarily go out of my way to seek them out. If you live in an urban area, there is no shortage of "fancy" chocolate that you can procure quite easily - as opposed to ordering online or going to Wisconsin for them. I am now curious about the resort though...}?>
Sheila G's Brownie Brittle
I thought this was going to be like a peanut or chocolate brittle, but it's really a thin cookie-like version of the edge of a pan of brownies - those crispy, chewy edges that everyone loves. Brownie Brittle does have that crispy quality, sort of like you are biting into a chocolate-flavored pita chip, but they are not as chewy as I would like.
They are only 120 calories a serving so they are a nice sweet snack substitute for an actual cookie or brownie. In fact, they taste very much like those 100 calorie pack Oreos where you get the taste of an Oreo but not the calories. Of course having the Brownie Brittle just really made me want to eat a real chocolately chewy moist brownie. Good thing I don't have any lying around the house. There are a variety of flavors to select from as well - toffee crunch, chocolate chip, and walnut.
There were quite a few dairy and cheese exhibitors at the fête and since I love cheese, I tried all of them. They were all delicious cheeses but one purveyor stood out in my mind. The Sartori cheese company makes an espresso rubbed cheese that I could eat a whole wedge of in one sitting (probably not a good idea due to my late-developing lactose intolerance). The combination was just surprisingly good. Don't worry, it does not taste like you are eating cheese with pieces of espresso beans. The cheese itself is called Bellavitano, a variety developed by Sartori - it is creamy, nutty, fruity, and of medium softness. The espresso gives it an almost aged cheddar-like tang to it. I generally like harder cheeses that are very sharp or really soft stinky cheeses, but this Bellavitano hit the nice middle ground for me.
I also tasted the version rubbed with chai but it did not quite appeal to me as much.
Eleanor loves to eat and write and share her opinions to anyone who will listen. Her favorite food is ice cream.
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