NEW WEBSITE

In the last couple months, the traffic on my website, FunnyPhotoContest.com, and the number of contestants has dropped about 50%.  Of course, I’m discouraged and wonder if after 6 years, my site has run it’s course and the time has come to shut it down. I don’t want to end my website as I’ve greatly enjoyed running the site and it has kept me very busy.

In addition, I worry about how I will fill my time once my website goes away.  Luckily, yesterday I received a surprising and actually inspiring email from a classmate.  Since 1992, Chuck R. has operated a website for our high school classmates -- The West High School Class of 1958.  But a few months ago, he closed down the site.  It was a great site and it was a shame he ended it.  So yesterday, when I received an email from Chuck, I was delighted to see he sent an e-newsletter to me and all of my classmates.  Plus, he mentioned he would be sending the e-newsletters about every six-eight weeks.

Eureka!!!! What a great idea.  Instead of my FunnyPhotosContest.com website, I can create an e-newsletters for my relatives.  I have 100’s of cousins whom I don’t even know.  What a wonderful way to connect to them and get to know one another.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

MRS. MARTIN

My daughter told me that yesterday when she went to the car wash, she began talking to a nice older lady as they waited for their cars.  She said that as they chatted she kept thinking to herself, “this lady looks so familiar.”  But she just couldn’t recall who the woman might be.

And then all of a sudden, she said to the woman, “Is your name Mrs. Martin?”  The woman replied that it was before she  remarried. “Oh my gosh,” my daughter said,  “you were my first grade teacher.”

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

JAMES’S BIRTHDAY

I feel just terrible that I forgot my son-in-law’s birthday last week.  Every January when I pick-up a new calendar for the year, the first thing I do is write my family’s and friend’s birthdays on the calendar.  But somehow I neglected to write James’s name on Aug. 6^th.  And so, I did not send him a birthday card with a check enclosed.

Although it did not make-up for my awful oversight, I did call him after receiving an email, at dinner time, from my daughter stating, “Just a reminder, it’s James’s birthday.  But you can be sure, I will never, ever again forget his birthday.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

THE ARTIST

On the second Friday of every month, the local senior center offers a free movie.  This month the movie was “The Artist”.   My friends, who had seen it, told me it was very good and described it as a black and white movie without any sound.  It sounded interesting and I looked forward to watching it.

Sure enough the clothes, hair-do’s, make-up, and even the plot resembled a movie made in the fifties.  It was as if I had stepped back in time.  And my friends had been right – it was a delightful film.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

FIRST PLACE

I almost canceled my plans to play duplicate bridge this morning, but I'm sure glad I didn't.  On Thursday when the right side of my hip / buttock started hurting, I took a muscle relaxant when I went to bed to make the pain go away.  Although I did feel some what better in the morning I took some ibuprofen anyway and did some stretching exercises in hopes of preventing it from getting worse.  Unfortunately, after meeting friends for lunch and then watching a movie at the senior center in the afternoon, the pain returned in full force.  I had been sitting on a hard chair for two hours and no doubt that caused my sciatic to return.

As soon as I arrived home, I took more ibuprofen, iced my hip, and then did more stretching, determined to heal myself. However when I woke, the pain had barely receded.  Nevertheless, as I did not want to disappoint my partner, I dressed and drove off to the bridge class.  I was very uncomfortable all morning, but we won first place, and it was worth it!!!

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

FOSOMAX

I started taking fosomax for osteoporsis in 2003.   But three years ago I began feeling a tingling sensation in my jaw.  Since I heard this could be a dangerous symptom, I called my doctor and she told me to stop taking fosomax.  Instead she recommended I begin taking 4000 IU of Vitamin D3 twice a day.

Unfortunately, in the last year or so, my bone loss has increased and once again I need medication for my osteoporosis.  That is not what I wanted to hear and to make it worse the new medicine costs $2500 a year for a shot every 6 months. 

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions. http://www.FunnyPhotosContest.com>

OIL CHANGE

When I bought my new Toyota a near ago, I received a bonus of a free oil change every six months for two years.  And so, last Feb. I went to the Toyota dealership for my first oil change and while I waited I enjoyed the free cookies they provided. 

Since it’s now August and time for another oil change, I called the dealership this morning to schedule an appointment.  The agent I spoke with asked me how many miles I had on my car.  Since I’m retired and don’t drive a lot, I told him that I have only 3,000 miles on my speedometer.  “Oh,” he replied, “now a days you can wait until you have driven 10,000 between oil changes.” 

What a surprise.  At this rate, I am good for another two to three years!!  However, I’m sure I should not delay an oil change for that long a time.  The serviceman agreed and recommended that I take care of it at least once a year.  That’s fine with me…though I’ll miss the good chocolate chip cookie.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

ROGER EBERTS

I started reading (actually listening to) Roger Ebert’s book, “Life Itself”.  And to my surprise Rogert Ebert not only grew up in Urbana, Illinois, but was a junior in high school when I was a freshman at the University of Ill in Champaign-Urbana.  How cool that this man whose movie reviews I followed for years and I were at the same place at the same time.  In fact, when he entered the university in 1960, we may have sat in some of the same classes or at least past each other on the University’s quadrangle.

Of course listening to the book felt a little like a trip to memory lane.  What a delight to hear him mention Green Street, the Daily Illini campus newspaper, Gregory Hall, Steak and Shake, etc, places I still remember.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

BUBBLE STUFF

In two weeks, I’ll be visiting my 2 and ½ year-old granddaughter, Lily.  So yesterday when I was at the drugstore, I saw a little stuff toy with a label on the front that said, “Press me.”  Of course, what did I do?  I pressed the button and the toy started laughing and laughing.  In fact the noise seemed to go on endlessly.  But I thought that Lily might like it so I put it in my shopping cart.

However, as I walked through the store it occurred to me that no doubt Lily wouldn’t just press the button once, she would probably press it repeatedly, thus annoying my son and daughter-in-law immensely.  And so, when I got to the check out counter, I told the clerk I changed my mind and decided not to buy it.  At the same time, I noticed a bottle of bubble stuff that I bought instead.  I’m guessing Lily will enjoy blowing lots of bubbles and her parents won’t object too much.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

MOCK CHOPPED LIVER

As a child, I loved the delicious chopped liver my Mother made on special occasions.  Of course back then no one worried about the high level of cholesterol chopped liver could produce with its fried beef liver, hard-boiled eggs, and schmaltz (rendered chicken fat).  Over the years I made it a few times, although I hated the work involved -- frying and then grinding the liver.

But a few years ago I ate mock chopped liver at a friend’s house and it was great.  Plus, instead of liver the recipe calls for walnuts and a can of peas.  It’s almost impossible to believe those two ingredients can produce the same taste as chopped liver.  But it does.  Actually I think the key is that in addition to the nuts, peas, and eggs, the recipe calls for several large onions slowly sautéed in olive oil.

So last week, when it was my turn to hostess my bridge group, I decided to serve mock chopped liver with small strips of celery and they loved it.   It makes a big batch, so of course, I had quite a bit left. And I’m glad I didn’t have to worry about high cholesterol, because I ate it all up in no time at all.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.

COUSIN PETER

I remember as a child my Dad talking about his cousin, Alice, in Czechoslovakia.  and I also remember that Alice sent my sister and I a pair of Czechoslovakian dolls dressed in traditional costumes.  Sadly to say none of the family ever met Alice and there was very little communication with her either.

But in 1992 when my sister and my son took a trip to Europe and Israel, they stopped in Czechoslovakia and finally met Alice, her husband, and their son, Peter. Recently, my son’s wife told me that one of her co-workers was born in the same city as Alice.  And it then occurred to me that perhaps I could “connect” with Peter on Facebook.

My concern however, was that he might not speak English.  Fortunately, my grandson told me that I could write a message, then open “google translate” to have it translated to Czech.  “Wow,” I thought, “that’s great.”  And I also wondered, not for the first time, when did my children and grandchildren become so much smarter that I am?

So this morning, I found Peter on Facebook – at least I think it may be him – and sent a message asking if his Mother’s name is Alice.  Now I have to wait in eager anticipation for, I hope, his reply.

By Hannah

www.FunnyPhotosContest.com a photo contest for cute or funny photos and photo captions.