The Morning Show with Mike & Susan

I went to spend time this weekend with my daughter Megan and baby Ryan.  My daughter Sarah Beth and I were on our way home (and hour plus trip) when as I was exiting to Highway 6 - my front left tire blew out…because I’d slowed for the ramp I was able to control the car and pull over.  THANK YOU, GOD! 

I got out and the tire was shredded! But as I looked up, I was less than 500 feet from a tire store! THANK YOU, GOD!!  Once I limped into their parking lot, I went inside to get help…but there was a 3 hour wait to get any help at all.  The man at the counter suggested Walmart about a mile or so away.  I headed out to the parking lot of the tire store and began pulling out the spare and jack and stuff…and was trying to get the lug nuts loose when a young man walked out of the garage area and asked why I was changing my own tire in THEIR parking lot!  I told him about the wait and said I couldn’t get to Walmart without the spare.  He said, “I can’t let you do this!” and he walked back inside to grab a floor jack and proceeded to change the spare, air it up and he didn’t ask for anything in return! THANK YOU, GOD!

Off to Walmart - great guy named Jesse met me and wanted to help but they didn’t have the size and type of tire that my car takes - stuck again!! But, after trying to think through what could be a solution, Jesse offered that if I would go back to the tire shop - buy the tire from them, (with no waiting) and bring it back to him - he would mount it and put it on my car for less than 10 bucks!! THANK YOU, God! 

25 minutes later we were back with the tire - Jesse fixed it in another 30 and we were on our way. So, here’s what I learned - There are still some very kind and helpful people.  People that really do want to serve you and help you - even if it is over and above their job!  They are simply nice guys!   But more than that I learned that even when trouble comes God is always looking out for us!  Whether it is a tire store a block from your blown tire - or a Jesse who will do what ever it takes to make sure you have the help that you need!  THANK YOU, GOD!   and God, please bless Jesse at the Alvin Walmart, and the young man I didn’t get a name for at the tire store….they did your work, and did it well! AMEN!

We found a list of the things you should NOT say at work.  First of all these sorts of things can get a person fired, second they make other people uncomfortable and third - as Christians at work, we need to represent!

Things Never to Say at work…

 1. “That’s not my job.”

When you boil things down, everyone does things that “aren’t their job

2. “I don’t mind helping you with that.” (With a fake smile pasted on your face.)

There’s nothing worse than someone who offers to help and then complains about it later.

3. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but … “

Anytime you start a sentence with that phrase, you’re asking for one thing: The recipient of your knowledge to, indeed, tell someone you said that. If it’s really a secret, keep it to yourself.

4. “I haven’t gotten a raise, EVER.”

Since most employers base salary increase on productivity (not longevity), asking for a raise based on how long you’ve been with the company or how long it’s been since your last one will tell your boss only that you want more money — not that you deserve it.

5. “I’m so … stressed out/busy/sick of working here.”

Constant complaints about your workload, stress levels or the company will quickly make you the kind of person who never gets invited to lunch.

6. “I have (insert weird, gross or inappropriate medical condition here) .”

Nobody cares about your aches and pains To your employer, your constant medical issues make you seem like an expensive, high-risk employee.

7. “Who did you vote for?”

The old adage that you shouldn’t discuss politics is as true today as ever before. People have strong, passionate views  and you may alienate yourself.

9. “I don’t have time for that.”

In case you didn’t realize, everybody’s busy. If your boss asks you to do something, chances are it’s not really an option. If your main concern is accomplishing the task on time, be honest and tell that to your boss.

If you need a big smile - she’s the kid to make sure you get it today!

We talked with mom, Kristen Welch who has  ‘we’re that family” blog.  She told us that she and her husband got the idea from a former Bible College Professor to pay their kids to read the Bible.  Her daughter who is 9 and her 7 year old son, took the challenge to read through the whole Bible.  They were offered 100 dollars when they finished.  Her son has already earned his 100 and her daughter is almost there.  She says the great thing is they’ve been able to have wonderful discussions about stories of the Bible the kids are reading about….and Kristen tells us her son has begun to read the Bible again - she said he told her that now it’s not about the money it’s about that he loves the Bible!  

She also tells us that several other people have offered the challenge to their kids too!

If you’ve got a teenager or have someone close to you headed to college you may have wanted to ask, “What color is the sky in your World?” because it feels like they have been in a different world from yours - well….they sort of have been!   They grew up in a different world than you grew up….here’s what we mean!

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2013

   Most students entering college for the first time this fall were born in 1991.

1. For these students, Martha Graham, Pan American Airways, Michael Landon, Dr. Seuss, Miles Davis, The Dallas Times Herald, Gene Roddenberry, and Freddie Mercury have always been dead.
2. Dan Rostenkowski, Jack Kevorkian, and Mike Tyson have always been felons.
3. The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.
4. They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
5. Margaret Thatcher has always been a former prime minister.
6. Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
7. Earvin “Magic” Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
8. Tattoos have always been very chic and highly visible.
9. They have been preparing for the arrival of HDTV all their lives.
10. Rap music has always been main stream.
11. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream has always been a flavor choice.
12. Someone has always been building something taller than the Willis (née Sears) Tower in Chicago.
13. The KGB has never officially existed.
14. Text has always been hyper.
15. They never saw the “Scud Stud” (but there have always been electromagnetic stud finders.)
16. Babies have always had a Social Security Number.
17. They have never had to “shake down” an oral thermometer.
18. Bungee jumping has always been socially acceptable.
19. They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P.
20. American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
21. Except for the present incumbent, the President has never inhaled.
22. State abbreviations in addresses have never had periods.
23. The European Union has always existed.
24. McDonald’s has always been serving Happy Meals in China.
25. Cable television systems have always offered telephone service and vice versa.
26. Christopher Columbus has always been getting a bad rap.
27. The American health care system has always been in critical condition.
28. Bobby Cox has always managed the Atlanta Braves.
29. Desperate smokers have always been able to turn to Nicoderm skin patches.
30. There has always been a Cartoon Network.
31. The nation’s key economic indicator has always been the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
32. Their folks could always reach for a Zoloft.
33. They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.
34. Women have always outnumbered men in college.
35. We have always watched wars, coups, and police arrests unfold on television in real time.
36. Amateur radio operators have never needed to know Morse code.
37. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
38. It’s always been official: President Zachary Taylor did not die of arsenic poisoning.
39. Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball.
40. Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back.
41. Kevin Costner has always been Dancing with Wolves, especially on cable.
42. There have always been flat screen televisions.
43. They have always eaten Berry Berry Kix.
44. Disney’s Fantasia has always been available on video, and It’s a Wonderful Life has always been on Moscow television.
45. Smokers have never been promoted as an economic force that deserves respect.
46. Elite American colleges have never been able to fix the price of tuition.
47. Nobody has been able to make a deposit in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
48. Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
49. Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations.
50. They have never been Saved by the Bell
51. Someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?”
52. Most communities have always had a mega-church.
53. Natalie Cole has always been singing with her father.
54. The status of gays in the military has always been a topic of political debate.
55. Elizabeth Taylor has always reeked of White Diamonds.
56. There has always been a Planet Hollywood.
57. For one reason or another, California’s future has always been in doubt.
58. Agent Starling has always feared the Silence of the Lambs.
59. “Womyn” and “waitperson” have always been in the dictionary.
60. Members of Congress have always had to keep their checkbooks balanced since the closing of the House Bank.
61. There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.
62. CDs have never been sold in cardboard packaging.
63. Avon has always been “calling” in a catalog.
64. NATO has always been looking for a role.
65. Two Koreas have always been members of the UN.
66. Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.
67. The NBC Today Show has always been seen on weekends.
68. Vice presidents of the United States have always had real power.
69. Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down.
70. Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.
71. Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
72. Congress could never give itself a mid-term raise.
73. There has always been blue Jell-O.

You always hear that 8 cups a day is a must for preventing headaches, flushing out toxins and staying healthy in general, but a recent review of scientific studies found no evidence to support any of these claims.

“A healthy person only needs to drink enough so that she’s not thirsty,” says Stanely Goldfarb, MD, coauthor of the review. Most of us get more than enough fluids: Women get an average of 10 cups a day and men an average of 14, says Dr. Goldfarb. But about 20% of that water comes from water rich foods like lettuce, broccoli, grapefruit, carrots, and of course, soup. (Woman’s Day)

What do you buy when you go to the dollar store/99 cent store/YOU KNOW the stores we mean!.  According to SmartMoney.com there are five categories to get the most of your dollar:

1. Cleaning Supplies
2. Gift Wrap
3. Snacks
4. Shampoos
5. Kitchen accessories

Ryan’s Redneck bassinet - it’s a laundry basket perched on a cooler stand!

The great news is little Ryan is little but healthy.  His birth weight was must 5 lbs 11 0unces - and he lost down to 5-3…but he was perfect!  He’s a miracle! Doctors told Megan she couldn’t have children - and then God….Ryan is our miracle baby.

Too cool for sunshine!!!..

It

Help! Bears going for my throat

He looks like his daddy - with his mommy’s cleft chin and beautiful little mouth, and he even decided to add Nana Susie’s dimples for good measure! 

Nana Susie has been having a great time the past week and a half taking care of Ryan and his Mommy and Daddy.  We’ve even had some time to sit back with a good book!

So, now I’ve got the three - my two Granddaughters lovingly known as my “Gift with Purchase” since they were a bonus when my son-in-law (their Dad) came into the family…and now, they’ve got their little miracle of a brother Ryan (named for Nolan Ryan) .  What can a Nana say?  They’re beautiful aren’t they?!

Their aching little backs could be from their backpack! Studies at the Mayo Clinic and at other hospitals around the United States calculate that overpacked or improperly packed school backpacks account for more than 7,000 emergency room visits annually. And according to the American Occupational Therapy Association, over 50 percent of all students between the ages of 9 and 20 suffer from chronic back pain related to the way they wear their packs.

Below are some basic guidelines for buying and packing a school backpack that can help your kid stay healthy … and out of the mudroom.

1.      Cheap means cheap: Unfortunately, a $20 pack purchased at a drugstore chain is worth every penny. The loose price cutoff for a decent pack (unless you buy a discontinued version — see below) is about $40. Licensed gear (stuff with SpongeBob or Miley Cyrus on the side) is often inadequate. Tell your kid Miley Cyrus is a billionaire and doesn’t need your money.

2.      What you get for the money: Padded straps, padded backs, proper shapes. If the pack you’re considering has padded, ergonomic straps (shaped for a kid’s narrower shoulders) and a padded back section to protect your kid from their books, they’ll wear them properly and their books won’t dig into their spine or shoulder blades.

3.      Big (down), small (up): In other words, make sure you place the heaviest stuff in the bottom of the pack snugly against the child’s back, and the lightest stuff on top, away from the child’s back. That way, the pack sways less and moves with the child. Note:
The more compartments there are in a pack, the easier this is to do.

4.      The 15 percent solution: Most experts recommend that your child’s pack weigh no more than 15 percent of their body weight. For reference, an 80-pound 9-year-old should carry no more than 12 pounds. The fact is, this may not seem realistic to any parent (like me) who is used to watching their child go off to fourth grade looking like they intend to summit Everest. Here are some possible solutions: Make sure she only brings home what she needs each day. If it’s not too much of a stretch, get one set of the two or three heaviest textbooks that can stay at home. Actually look in your child’s pack once a week. If my experience is any guide, you will likely find heavy, forgotten items, including sporting gear, extra notebooks and a tuna fish sandwich from 1991.

5.      Chest or ‘sternum’ straps: Look for packs that have a secure strap across the chest that holds the shoulder straps together. This will help stabilize the load.

6.      Use the ‘4-inch’ rule:  A backpack should not descend more than 4 inches below your child’s waistline. Any lower, and a fully loaded pack will force the lower spine to arch backward uncomfortably. Consider child-size backpacks made by brands like REI and L.L. Bean.

7.      Wheels: There are only two drawbacks to backpacks with wheels, which allow your child to roll their books instead of carrying them. Some school districts consider the extendable handles on wheeled packs to be a tripping hazard and therefore don’t allow them, and they could make your kid look like a lost member of the flight crew. Check with your kid on the embarrassment factor.

When you’re ready to buy that backpack -  remember, if you’re on a tight budget, surf the Web at places like overstock.com and cabelas.com (look in Cabelas’ amazing “bargain cave”) for camping and hiking brands you recognize, like The North Face, JanSport and Camelbak. You don’t have to spend a bundle to bundle it up right.

We got the information from the TODAY show …