samhexum

How my lost wedding rings led me to a sister I never knew existed When Brittany Oliver, then 29, looked down at her left hand on a beautiful day, she felt like she’d been punched in the stomach: Her diamond wedding rings were gone. Incredibly, she would get them back the next day — and that would lead her to a new discovery: a long-lost sister. It would take four years, though, for their story to unfold. The saga begins on Labor Day 2015, at New York’s Seneca Lake. “I’d been playing volleyball in the sunshine with my husband, Steven, and daughters when I saw the rings were gone,” Oliver, now 33, tells The Post. Frantic, she retraced her steps. She even had friends, who owned a boat, post a sign about the missing jewels and cruise around the lake. But hours passed to no avail. Eventually, she says, “We went home. I was devastated.” While Oliver was combing the ground for her precious jewelry, Kala Rounds, another local spending her holiday at the lake, caught wind of her plight. “I heard that a woman was in tears over a lost ring and jumped to help,” says Rounds, then 25. “I thought about the time I’d lost a bracelet from a boyfriend and how upset I’d been. I could only imagine how losing a wedding ring would feel.” So she joined a group of strangers determined to help her find them. The search party spent hours scouring the shoreline. Rounds, now 28, remembers wading through waist-deep water, squinting through the muck on the lake bed, hoping to see a glint. Occasionally, someone would spot one and fish out a piece of jewelry — but there was no sign of Oliver’s diamond-studded wedding band or her engagement ring. They were starting to give up hope when a guy in the group hollered that he’d found the rings in the water. Someone called Oliver, who hopped on her friends’ boat, while Rounds corralled the search team onto her family’s boat. They met in the middle of the lake for the handoff. Both women remember seeing each other that day: the mother of two in happy tears, and Rounds, a disability-access counselor, pleased to have helped. The two went their separate ways: Oliver to her home in Watkins Glen, NY, and Rounds to Odessa, NY — both small towns, just 15 minutes apart. After an upbeat Facebook post from Oliver, life went back to normal — and remained so, until Christmas 2018. “[My husband], Steven, thought a 23andMe test would be fun,” Oliver says. So he wrapped one up for his wife, who was glad to receive it. Having grown up with her maternal grandparents, a mother who was in and out of her life and an estranged father, Oliver was interested in learning about her ancestry and family. But when the results arrived in January, something wasn’t right. “There were family connections on there that I didn’t understand,” says Oliver. Unable to reach her mom, she asked relatives if they could explain the results, but everyone was strangely evasive. After a day of confusion, “I finally spoke to my mom . . . and that’s when she reluctantly dropped a bombshell — the man on my birth certificate may not actually be my father,” Oliver says. “I went into shock.” It turns out her mom had been dating two people at the time of her conception. One was the man Oliver grew up believing was her father. The other was Mike Rounds. “One quick Google, and there he was,” she says. “The next day I took a deep breath as his home phone rang, ready to launch into this speech I’d prepared. But thinking I was a telemarketer he said, ‘Make it quick.’ So I just blurted out, ‘I think I’m your daughter.’ ” An hour later, Oliver, Rounds, and his wife, Beth, met at a local restaurant. It turned out the two families had been living just 15 minutes apart. That’s when Kala Rounds — now living in Syracuse, NY, two hours away — got a text from Beth, her mom. “She told me everything. And just like that, I had a sister.” The news didn’t come as a total shock to Rounds: Her mom had once told her that her dad might have gotten an ex pregnant. But for Oliver, it was a bolt from the blue. “There was so much for me to absorb,” she says. “For 32 years, I thought I knew who my parents were. Then suddenly I have a different dad, a brother and a sister. It made my head spin.” As soon as Oliver returned from meeting her biological dad and his wife, she reached out to Rounds on Facebook. “I nervously typed, ‘Hey, I’m your sister.’ I wanted her to realize that it was OK for us to talk.” The messages began flying immediately, and Rounds — recognizing Oliver’s name from that fateful incident in 2015 — mentioned the rings. Brittany was blown away. “When I realized it was Kala who’d helped find them, I couldn’t believe it. This woman who’d spent hours searching [to help] a perfect stranger, she was my sister. It was overwhelming,” she says. Four days later, the two met at Kala’s grandmother’s house. “I was supernervous and kept trying to make jokes,” Kala says. “But as soon as we started talking, it was like we’d known each other forever.” Both sisters were amazed at how similar they were. “When I decide to do something, I do it right away, no hesitation,” Kala says. “I’d never met anyone like that before, until Brittany.” Brittany agrees. “The nerves just fell away as I realized I was a blond-hair, blue-eyed version of Kala.” Now the sisters text constantly, and get together for meals, campfires and bowling. Brittany’s still amazed at everything that happened to bring them together. That day by the lake she thought she’d lost something precious — only to find something even better. “Meeting my sister was like a perfect piece of a puzzle falling into place.”

Thank you. Now I'm hearing Helen Reddy sing I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM... And I've had so many men before In very many ways He's just one more

I wish you good results, or at least peace of mind, whichever way you decide.

More importantly, how are you feeling? If it's even slightly better, and you can afford it, continue on and see if some positive momentum builds.

The Biebs won the All-Star Game MVP!

Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez is commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging. Prior to joining the de Blasio administration, she served in executive leadership roles with AARP, EmblemHealth and other organizations. She also served as New York’s first Latina Secretary of State. After serving as a senior adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio, I am honored to serve as the new Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging and to serve the city’s 1.6 million diverse older adults. I plan to highlight and address critical priorities for older New Yorkers, like social isolation. In a city of nearly 9 million people, many will endure loneliness – especially as they age. In fact, 1 in 5 older adults are socially isolated, which can lead to depression and a decline in physical health. Carrolyn Minggia, 64, is among them. She battles a syndrome that causes her immune system to attack her nerves. Since the death of her aunt, whom she moved to New York to care for, she also battles loneliness. We recently gave Minggia a robotic dog to ease that loneliness. The dog has sensors, responds to touch, barks and nuzzles and provides comfort. But technology isn’t the only way to fight the widespread problem of social isolation. Low-tech approaches, like acknowledging and greeting people or checking on older neighbors, go a long way. In 2017, we launched our ThriveNYC Friendly Visiting Program, which pairs trusted and trained volunteers with isolated older adults. In just a few years, we have provided more than 50,000 hours of in-home visits. Beyond those visits, the program allows for intergenerational exchange in which strong bonds are formed between visitors and program participants. Older adults who wish to explore options outside of the home can visit more than 200 senior centers across the city, many representing the languages and cultures that make New York City strong. The centers are safe places to socialize, have a meal with friends, take fitness and wellness classes, enjoy art classes, and attend cultural activities. Senior center membership is free to anyone age 60 or older. The Department for the Aging also plans to launch a campaign that highlights the problem of social isolation in order to encourage more people to explore resources that are available to them through the City of New York. If you are isolated, call 311 for more information about available services. The Department for the Aging is here to help.

Burger King brings back tacos for a limited time with new $1 Crispy Tacos For a limited time, the home of the Whopper will also serve tacos. Burger King announced Tuesday that participating restaurants nationwide are introducing a $1 Crispy Taco. Prices will be higher in Alaska and Hawaii. “We’ve seen success with tacos in our West Coast restaurants and knew it was time to bring this West Coast favorite nationwide,” Chris Finazzo, Burger King's president for North America, said in a statement. “The Crispy Taco adds variety to our snacking items and truly hits the spot.” According to Burger King, the taco features a “crispy, crunchy tortilla filled with seasoned beef, shredded cheddar cheese and crisp lettuce, all topped with just the right amount of our savory taco sauce.” In a commercial, The King, Burger King’s mascot, shows off the new tacos in a commercial shot in Austin, Texas. “This is Burger King, this is not Taco King here,” one person in the commercial says. Some locations starting selling the tacos before Tuesday's official launch, according to social media reports. Twitter user @palmqueezy tweeted Monday "@BurgerKing we need to taco bout this... Who let this happen?" Burger King's Twitter account responded simply: "Corporate." This is not the first time Burger King has offered tacos nationwide. According to Comicbook.com, the tacos exited most locations nearly a decade ago in 2010. Burger King also isn't the first burger chain to serve tacos. Jack in the Box said on its website that tacos have been a permanent menu item since the mid-1950s.

Burger King brings back tacos for a limited time with new $1 Crispy Tacos For a limited time, the home of the Whopper will also serve tacos. Burger King announced Tuesday that participating restaurants nationwide are introducing a $1 Crispy Taco. Prices will be higher in Alaska and Hawaii. “We’ve seen success with tacos in our West Coast restaurants and knew it was time to bring this West Coast favorite nationwide,” Chris Finazzo, Burger King's president for North America, said in a statement. “The Crispy Taco adds variety to our snacking items and truly hits the spot.” According to Burger King, the taco features a “crispy, crunchy tortilla filled with seasoned beef, shredded cheddar cheese and crisp lettuce, all topped with just the right amount of our savory taco sauce.” In a commercial, The King, Burger King’s mascot, shows off the new tacos in a commercial shot in Austin, Texas. “This is Burger King, this is not Taco King here,” one person in the commercial says. Some locations starting selling the tacos before Tuesday's official launch, according to social media reports. Twitter user @palmqueezy tweeted Monday "@BurgerKing we need to taco bout this... Who let this happen?" Burger King's Twitter account responded simply: "Corporate." This is not the first time Burger King has offered tacos nationwide. According to Comicbook.com, the tacos exited most locations nearly a decade ago in 2010. Burger King also isn't the first burger chain to serve tacos. Jack in the Box said on its website that tacos have been a permanent menu item since the mid-1950s.

But what if he doesn't want you to be gentle? :D

My building is not individually metered (NYC no longer allows such construction), so I don't pay for utilities, just $180/yr per a/c ($15/mo all year long). Mine go on in early June (late May if necessary) and go off sometime after Labor Day. Oddly enough, it's the fourth straight such apartment that I've lived in. I last paid a utility bill in 1986.

A cockatoo named Snowball was able to choreograph 14 fly dance moves on his own — including headbanging, and even Vogueing — showing that spontaneously moving to music isn’t unique to humans, a study published Monday found. The prancing parrot rose to YouTube fame a decade ago over a video of him foot-tapping and head-bobbing to “Everybody” by the Backstreet Boys. Now, the study published in the journal Current Biology, shows the yellow-crested bird wasn’t just mirroring his owner, but can actually impulsively move to music, creating a variety of steps on his own. “What’s most interesting to us is the sheer diversity of his movements to music,” said senior author Aniruddh Patel, a psychologist at Tufts University and Harvard University, noting that Snowball developed the elaborate moves without training. A study on Snowball from 2009 showed he anticipates the beat of a song and moves to it — a natural ability that is present in humans but absent in other primates. Soon after, the parrot’s owner, and a co-author on the new paper, Irena Schults, noticed Snowball pulling off movements she hadn’t seen before. So researchers decided to study similarities between Snowball’s dancing and that of humans, including body parts used to respond to music and the diversity of steps. by the researchers shows Snowball grooving to ’80s hits like Queens’ “Another One Bites the Dust” and Cindy Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” by bobbing, swinging and circling his head in different ways, sometimes coordinating the moves with foot lifts. The video, which was analyzed by the study’s first author R. Joanne Jao Keehn, a cognitive neuroscientist and a trained dancer, shows Snowball completing a repertoire of 14 dance moves. “He has this incredible repertoire. His movements to music are amazingly diverse,” Patel told The Guardian. “There are moves in there, like the Madonna Vogue move, that I just can’t believe.” Researchers are now probing whether Snowball will dance if there’s no one watching. “People are fine listening to music on their own, but when it comes to dancing, people want to do that with friends rather than put music on in their living room and dance by themselves,” Patel said. “We’ll see if Snowball is the same.”

I remember busting out laughing when that song started playing in MURIEL's WEDDING.

Shouldn't you have added "control + alt +" to the title?

http://synd.imgsrv.uclick.com/comics/cl/2019/cl190708.gif

Have you tried...

Wendy was the hot topic as she returned from a 5 week hiatus with a new long blonde wig and tales of what she did during her time off. She visited Chez Kardashian and Kim answered the door herself. Wendy also dished about the 27 year old she's seeing. She seems to be digging the single life.

I resemble that remark. :(

BUMP! Some Independent Animals for Independence Day!

There's a nationwide tortilla shortage at Taco Bell Stay strong, burrito fans! Taco Bell fans hoping for a cheesy, bean-filled burrito over the long holiday weekend may be pretty disappointed by the chain's latest announcement. Due to a supplier issue, Taco Bell is experiencing a shortage of tortillas at many of its locations across the country. The shortage affects several of the fast-food eatery's most popular items including burritos of all types, quesadillas and specialties like the Crunchwrap Supreme. “While some Taco Bell restaurants are experiencing supplier shortages, we are working diligently to replenish the supply of our tortillas (used for products like quesadillas and burritos) in those restaurants," a representative for the chain said in a statement shared with TODAY Food over email. While the supplier issue is being resolved, the chain is encouraging Taco Bell lovers "to try any of our other delicious menu items like the Power Menu Bowl or Cheesy Gordita Crunch in the meantime." Many on Twitter have taken note of the fact that the chain is unable to serve some of their favorites and they are pretty unhappy — to say the least. The shortage is basically forcing the affected Taco Bell locations to severely limit in-store offerings. For example, at one location in Huntsville, Alabama, a note was posted outside warning customers that many items ranging from burritos and quesadillas to Quesaritos, XXL Burritos, Chalupas and nacho fry boxes would not be available, WAAY reported. The spicy outrage has boiled over onto Reddit, too, where one thread started by an anonymous Taco Bell employee decries a "tortillapocalypse." Employees from other locations have chimed in saying that they have never seen anything like it. Perhaps this is a good time to try some nacho fries and a crunchy taco or two.