FIVE THINGS YOUR CELL PHONE CAN DO

(FYI: I didn't know if this was true or not, so to check it out, I dialed 112 from my cell phone. It showed up that I was dialing "emergency", so, like an idiot, I hung up. Within seconds, my phones rings and it's the Linn County Sheriff's Department wondering if I am okay. I told the gal that other than the fact that I'm sitting home alone on a Friday night verifying cell phone tips and calling random classmates, I am fine. So, I guess at least we know that tip #1 works. I need a beer.)

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST: The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112, and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.

SECOND: Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

THIRD: Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

FOURTH: How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the memory card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either.

FIFTH: Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800)FREE411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.

KELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, here's the story....

I was sitting here today clicking around on pictures in that PennyPostcard link I posted a few days ago. I saw a picture of a house in Martelle. Which made me think of going to school there and once living there. Which made me think of Kelly McMann. Which made me Google her ass and I found a phone number for a gal by that name in Iowa City.

So, I pick up the phone and dial the number thinking I am going to get someone's voice mail, leave a message, and have them wonder what kind of whack-job was calling them because they wouldn't have a clue who I was. But, nooooooooo!

I reached Kelly and we had a most wonderful chat!! She now owns a dog-grooming business in Iowa City and she sounded great!!! She gave me permission to share her e-mail address with everyone, so here it is...

denmannss@aol.com

I gave her the blogsite address, so now she is part of the fun!

Welcome, Kelly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WONDERFUL VIDEO FROM BRENDA

Brenda passed along the link to this video about teenage driving. Watch it yourself and then pass it on to your kids. It's worth it!

The actual website is http://www.journeysafe.com/presentation if you want to share it with others.

Thanks, Brenda!!

BLOODDDDD IS not FUNNNEEEEEEE, is it CHAR-LAY?

JEEPERS

Blogspot.com has this contraption that you can put on websites to see the amount of traffic and page visits each day. It also tells you from what countries your visitors are coming.

So, I just checked this for today and so far, the Anamosa Class of 1981 blogsite has had visitors from South Korea, Saudia Arabia, Spain, Hungary, Malaysia, Canada, Brazil, and Portugal. Those are just today alone!!

Who do you suppose is reading our blogsite in those countries?

The person in Malaysia clicked on SIX different pages!!! I am thinking maybe they are doing a search of some kind and accidentally arrive on our site somehow, but that Malaysian dude sure likes us!

CAT IN THE BOX

Slow news day. This is all I have for today so far. My cat, Odie.

MENTAL HEALTH MONTH

February is Mental Health Month...

You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least one unstable person . . . . . .. . my job's done!!

Life is too short for drama & petty things! So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly! From one unstable person to another.....

Hope everyone is happy in your head - we're all doing pretty good in mine!!

SAD NEWS

Diane e-mailed this morning to inform me that Jan Costello's dad, Jack, passed away this past Saturday. You can click here to read his obituary in the Gazette.

Our condolences to Jan and her family. You can e-mail Jan at this address: ltsiebs@msn.com

CHAT WITH DEB

Well, Deb and I spent over an hour and thirty seven minutes on the phone this afternoon. We solved all the world's problems and probably created a few more of our own.

So very nice to chat with her!! I miss that gal.

I'll never forget your advice, girlfriend. You are the best!!

P.S./Deb just got a promotion at work and promised to write and tell us all about it......

WHERE IS THIS MAN?

Ernie, where are you?

FORE!!

Greetings All -

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I'm fine and that I'm pretty settled in here in the International Zone (IZ/Green Zone) in Baghdad.

I appreciate the emails, cards, & boxes that I have received during the past 90 days, it's always great to hear from everyone and I honestly can't believe how fast the time is going; in about 90 days I will be heading back for R&R and I simply can't believe it.

Other than the occasional mortar/rocket attacks on the IZ, life here is pretty decent (compared to how many of the Soldiers have it on remote sites).

I was able to get out the other day and visit some old friends serving in the NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) and had to take the time to play their NATO 9 hole golf course.....that's right, I found a golf course in Baghdad (look out Randy & Luz.....I'm practicing)

Again, it's always great to hear from you and please let me know if you would like anything from over here!

Cheers!

Mike H.

CHECK THIS OUT.... KINDA COOL

I was sent this link by a friend and it is so cool. Just click on it and it will bring up links to old pictures from counties in Iowa. I back-linked it to Jones County, but on the link, within the website, that says Return to IA Penny Postcards, you can click on other counties. And, if you click here, you can get pictures from all over the country. There are some pretty cool pictures there.

LIL' MISS ERIN

While shuffling through a pile of unfiled paperwork, I came across all my Christmas cards from a couple months ago. Here is a lovely (scanned) photo of Erin and her family: husband, Dick, and sons Will, 14, and Thomas, 10.

Erin hasn't changed a bit. Still as gorgeous as ever!!

Erin Maureen............ CALL ME!!!!!

BAGHDAD CALLING

So, I'm out having lunch with a friend today and my phone rings.

It was Mikey in Baghdad calling to check in!!!!!!!

He hadn't heard from me in a few weeks, so he thought I died. I told him I was just buried up to my butt in snow!!!!

He will be home the first part of June for a couple weeks and said he will be making a trip through Iowa!!!

It was sooooo good to hear from him! Everyone leave him a comment and say "hi"!!!

A NOTE FROM TOM

Hi,

Little bit of snow and cold up there. You guys have had a rough one. 80 today.

Here’s one of daddy and Donelle goofing around.

Keep posting more snow photos, we like to see those this time of year........

TOM

IOWA WINTERS (Thanks, Mary Jo!)

Dear Diary: Iowa Winters:

Aug. 12 - Moved into our new home in Iowa . It is so beautiful here. The hills and river valleys are so picturesque. I have a beautiful old oak tree in my front yard. Can hardly wait to see the change in the seasons. This is truly God's Country.

Oct. 14 - Iowa is such a gorgeous place to live, one of the real special places on Earth. The leaves are turning a multitude of different colors. I love all of the shades of reds, oranges and yellows, they are so bright. I want to walk through all of the beautiful hills and spot some white tail deer. They are so graceful, certainly they must be the most peaceful creatures on Earth. This must be paradise.

Nov. 11 - Deer season opens this week. I can't imagine why anyone would want to shoot these elegant animals. They are the very symbol of peace and tranquility here in Iowa . I hope it snows soon. I love it here!

Dec. 2 - It snowed last night. I woke to the usual wonderful sight: everything covered in a beautiful blanket of white. The oak tree is magnificent. It looks like a postcard. We went out and swept the snow from the steps and driveway. The air is so crisp, clean and refreshing. We had a snowball fight. I won, and the snowplow came down the street. He must have gotten too close to the driveway because we had to go out and shovel the end of the driveway again. What a beautiful place. Nature in harmony. I love it here!

Dec. 12 - More snow last night. I love it! The plow did his cute little trick again. What a rascal. A winter wonderland. I love it here!

Dec. 19 - More snow - couldn't get out of the driveway to get to work in time. I'm exhausted from all of the shoveling. And that snowplow!

Dec. 21 - More of that white shit coming down. I've got blisters on my hands and a kink in my back. I think that the snowplow driver waits around the corner until I'm done shoveling the driveway. Asshole.

Dec. 25 - White Christmas? More freakin' snow. If I ever get my hands on the sonofabitch who drives that snowplow, I swear I'll castrate him. And why don't they use more salt on these roads to melt this crap??

Dec. 28 - It hasn't stopped snowing since Christmas. I have been inside since then, except of course when that SOB "Snowplow Harry "comes by. Can't go anywhere, cars are buried up to the windows. Weather man says to expect another 10 inches. Do you have any idea how many shovelfuls 10 inches is??

Jan. 1 - Happy New Year? The way it's coming down it won't melt until the 4th of July! The snowplow got stuck down the road and the shit head actually had the balls to come and ask to borrow a shovel! I told him I'd broken 6 already this season.

Jan. 4 - Finally got out of the house. We went to the store to get some food and a goddamn deer ran out in front of my car and I hit the bastard. It did $3,000 in damage to the car. Those beasts ought to be killed. The hunters should have a longer season if you ask me.

Jan. 27 - Warmed up a little and rained today. The rain turned the snow into ice and the weight of it broke the main limb of the oak tree in the front yard and it went through the roof. I should have cut that old piece of shit into fireplace wood when I had the chance.

May 23 - Took my car to the local garage. Would you believe the whole underside of the car is rusted away from all of that damn salt they dump on the road? Car looks like a bashed up, heap of rusted cow shit.

May 10 - Sold the car, the house, and moved to Georgia . I can't imagine why anyone in their freakin' mind would ever want to live in the God forsaken State of Iowa

MORE FREAKIN' SNOW!

Well, the kids missed their NINTH day of school due to snow today.

This is what I think about it all....

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I hope you all get lots of huggin', lovin', and smoochin' today!!

BARACK WINS!!

Barack Obama won the very unscientific Anamosa Class of 1981 election poll by a narrow margin.

From all indications, it appears our class somewhat follows the national train of thought, at least as far as the Democrats are concerned.

Thanks to everyone for voting!!!!

There will be a new poll very soon, so check back and vote again!

(picture courtesy of CNN.com)

I AM SICK OF SNOW!!!

It is snowing like crazy again. So far, I think there is, like, 4,927,863 inches of snow in my front yard.

Predictions are for more snow on Thursday. There is a 2-hour delay for the kids at school - AGAIN!! Yesterday, too. And, if they go two hours late, they will probably get out three hours early.

I miss Denny Frary. Joe Winters and his rug just ain't the same.