The Squirrels Are Smart Critters

The squirrels have managed to knock down the bird feeder again. After they chewed through the rope holding the bird feeder in place, my husband replaced the rope with some metal twine. We thought we were all set, but the squirrels pulled the twine out of the clamp.

Keep in mind that I couldn't undo the clamp without asking my hubby to grab the pliers. The squirrels, on the other hand, managed to do so within one day.

The poor birds! They get to gorge on seed for a few days while it is spilled all over the deck, but then it takes a few days to get the feeder fixed and back into service.

Statue of Liberty

On the Today Show this morning, they released information that the crown of the statue will be reopened to the public starting in July in 2009. They're going to do a lottery type system to determine who can go up there because for space limitations not everyone who enters the statue proper can go to the crown.

I visited New York back in 1998 and was in the Statue of Liberty and also inside the crown. At the time I was quite impressed, but surprised at how long it took to get all the way up there and how narrow the stairway is. I don't think I've been on a scarier staircase since.

Something else the Today show mentioned and showed pictures of was that the torch was replaced in the 1980s when the country celebrated the Statue of Liberty's 100th birthday. I had no idea that it wasn't the original torch. I also didn't know that when France shipped the statue to the US, that they had manufactured the entire thing whole and shipped it. I assumed before seeing the segment on the Today Show that it had to be at least partway assembled or partway manufactured in the US.

COBRA Subsidy

There are a few rules to the COBRA subsidy for the 65% payment of which I was formerly unaware. All these things pass into law and look great on paper, but when the rules finally come trickling down, there's always a catch. A few random things are included here.

There are income limitations that can make people ineligible for the subsidy. These limitations are based on adjusted gross income and vary depending on if a person is filing as single or married. If a person mistakenly doesn't read the paperwork closely enough and signs that they're eligible when they're not, the IRS will recoup the subsidy at tax time.

The money isn't coming directly from the government. Initially, the employer has to pay the subsidy amount and then the IRS reimburses the employer. Eligibility for the subsidy was 3-1-09, but in the case of my husband and I, we still haven't been reimbursed for our subsidy amount (we paid the full COBRA cost and now have insurance through my employer). This administrative hitch is the reason why.

You have to be involuntarily terminated by the employer to qualify for the subsidy. If you left voluntarily, tough cookies. (You'll still probably qualify for COBRA, just at the regular rate).

You can't be eligible to be covered under any other employer based coverage to be eligible for the subsidy. So, if you're spouse is still employed, but his/her insurance is crappy and covers nothing unless you pay a gigantic deductible, touch cookies. You don't qualify for the subsidy (technically--I have no way of knowing how the COBRA administrator or government would ever check up on this, but it is part of the official rules).

Timba and Salsa

Timba and Salsa are not the same thing. I never knew that; I always thought they were basically identical styles of music.

Sinful Dessert: Peanut Butter Special K Bars

Ingrediants:

1 C white Karo syrup
1 C sugar
1 C peanut butter
6 C Special K cereal

Frosting:

1 C peanut butter
3 Hershey's candy bars

Bring syrup and sugar to a boil over the stove, but don't boil. Add peanut butter and stir until mixed well. Pour mixture over cereal and mix until coated. Spread Cereal and mixture into a well greased 9 X 11 inch cake pan. Allow to cool.

For frosting: melt chocolate and peanut butter in a small saucepan over stove. Spread like frosting over cooled bars.

Pro Hockey

I recently went to my first pro hockey game. When I watched the Nashville Predators win against the Los Angeles Kings, the game went into overtime because the score was tied. After the first goal of overtime was played, the Predators won. They didn't finish playing out the time. I had also forgotten that hockey is played in three periods rather than quarters or halves.

There was a lot less fighting between the players than I anticipated. I'd been to a few minor league games before in which the fighting was uninterrupted for a long time by the refs. This game was tamer, but a ton of fun to watch.

Cough Drops

Old cough drops get chewy after awhile. I found out the hard way with my recent cold. Nasty stuff! The texture was also very rough, causing my tongue to become sore.

Squirrels and Birds

The squirrels outside my house are not only capable of getting to my bird feeders, in the attempt to do so, they have chewed through the perches on one side of the feeder. No wonder the birds fight over the available perches!

The squirrels have chewed completely through the rope on my other feeder, causing it to crash to the ground and spill all the seed. I enjoy watching them as much as the birds, but feel like grumbling that I need to buy another feeder now!

Kindle

I have read a few reviews of the new Kindle. I don't own one, but would love to have one. I didn't know that the new version will read books aloud. It makes me wonder what the voice sounds like and if the inflection is flat like most computerized voices are.