Now that ski season is almost here it's time to think about quitting smoking, again.  And if this baby can do it, so can we!


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For any of you who have checked out 'My Favorite Blogs' list you might have come across, Abby's Blog.  Abby Sunderland is a 16 year old girl from California who set out to sail around the world solo.  I forget how I came across it originally but I thought it was amazing that such a young girl would take something like that on. 


Today we were at the Frisco Boathouse when I heard that she had been reported missing.  I couldn't believe my ears.  When we got home I had a chance to check her blog and her family had posted an update about the situation on her blog which I reposted below.  I hope they find her unharmed and she gets home OK.

REPOSTED FROM:  "ABBY'S BLOG"
We spoke with Abby early this morning and learned that she had had a very rough day with winds up to 60 knots and seas 20-25 feet. She had been knocked down several times but was handling things well. The wind had subsided to around 35 knots which she and Wild Eyes are quite comfortable with.

We were helping her troubleshoot her engine that she was trying to start to charge her systems. Satellite phone reception was patchy. She was able to get the water out of the engine and start her up. We were waiting to hear back from her when American Search & Rescue authorities called to report having received a signal from her emergency beacon (EPIRB). We initially thought that the signal was sent automatically from her water-activated EPIRB and that it had been activated during one of her knockdowns. As we pulled the paperwork from her EPIRB registration, we learned that the signal had come from her manually activated EPIRB.

We were referred to Australian Search & Rescue and while we were on the phone with them another signal came in from her handheld PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). Her water-activated EPIRB has not been activated so we are hopeful that the boat is still upright.

We are working closely with American, French and Australian Search & Rescue authorities to coordinate several ships in the area to divert to her location. There are several ships in her area, the earliest possible contact is 40 hours. We are actively seeking out some sort of air rescue but this is difficult due to the remoteness of her location. Australian Search & Rescue have arranged to have a Quantas Airbus fly over her location at first light (she is 11 hours later). They will not be able to help her other than to talk via marine radio if they are able to get close enough. Hopefully, they will be able to assess her situation and report back to us.

Abby has all of the equipment on board to survive a crisis situation like this. She has a dry suit, survival suit, life raft, and ditch bag with emergency supplies. If she can keep warm and hang on, help will be there as soon as possible. Wild Eyes is designed for travel in the Southern Ocean and is equipped with 5 air-tight bulkheads to keep her buoyant in the event of major hull damage. It is built to Category 0 standards and is designed to self-right in the event of capsize.

Thank you for all of your kind emails and calls. We appreciate your prayers and support.

We will update as soon as there is some news.

Laurence, Marianne and Team Abby

I was reading "The Post" this morning, as I normally do while I drink my coffee, and noticed that there was a blurb about 'new baby falcons'. There are now 15 nests in NYC but I think the ones at 55 Water are the best monitored so I assumed that's who they were talking about. Here is the newest batch of falcons from the building management office I used to work in.


If you want to watch the falcons, live from the 14th Floor ledge where they reside, click on the link below and choose 'Live Bird Cam' from the menu on the left side of the page.



Frank was nice enough to forward me a copy of the article in the Daily News and you can see how unhappy momma gets when you try to get the babies to tag them.

"Re-posted from The New York Post"

This driver is on the road to hell.

A 20-year-old woman has been cited for running down Lord Jesus Christ -- in a crosswalk, no less.

Officers responding to the accident in Northampton, Mass., checked the 50-year-old victim's ID and found that that's his name. He suffered only minor injuries.

I wasn't planning on writing about this because I could care less.  I watch her reality show on E! with her sisters, Pretty Wild, because it's on a lot.  She seems pretty sincere about not being involved with the "Bling Ring" but if anything this whole ordeal should be a lesson learned for her.

Anyway, the article in the "NY Post" has a picture shown of her sister, Tess, while they are discussing the six month sentence given to Alexis. 
I've just come across so many mistakes lately in articles and finding one like that in the Post is unbelievable.  Tess is a model and this probably won't help her career.

This dog is absolutely amazing! For any of you who didn't see this story, this is why German Shepherds are the best dogs to have.  Sorry Beige. 

The police video below shows Buddy, a German Shepherd from Alaska, leading a police officer to his owners home workshop that had caught on fire.  It just proves how smart they are.  The dog keeps looking back and stops when the officer slows down to make sure that he's still being followed, when he knows for sure that he is he takes off like a bullet. That's a good dog.

According to the "Telegraph" being a blonde is the way to go if you are looking to live a wealthy lifestyle.  As a blond you are likely to marry a man that makes 6% more than the average husband and you yourself are likely to be paid $2,500 more a year.
 I wonder if that extra income is enough to cover the cost of your hair maintenance for the year.  The article didn't say how good your dye job had to be.

This is a pretty cool place that I saw on the news recently. They will pay to buy your old cell phones and electronics. Basically you just log on, search their database and if you aren't in the Denver area you mail your stuff in and get a check. So much better than holding on to it, like I am now. I need to see if I can get some of these old phones outta here!

In Chicago today Ronald McDonald was retired in a mock ceremony after advocate groups were pressuring McDonald executives to put down the clown.  I don't understand how the mascot for a company can be blamed for child obesity.  I remember being a kid and not getting to eat there that often where now it's all parents feed their kids.  It's time to put the blame where it belongs.

I saw this story on the news the other day and I can't even imagine having it happen.  Two Colorado parents, not the smartest in my opinion, stopped at a convenience store on their way home from Phoenix, leaving there 3 kids in the car with the keys in the ignition with the engine running. 

Apparently the carjacker didn't realize the kids were there but when he finally did he just dropped them off on some random corner and told them to ask someone for help.  Thankfully the bad situation didn't turn worse and they were returned to their parents without further incident. 

After 3 tragic infant deaths the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled over 1 million baby slings that could cause suffocation. 

I saw this on the news the other day, In Grand Junction a skunk was looking for food and ended up with his head stuck "In a Peanut Butter Jar".  Poor skunk!  But now I know not to leave Peanut Butter outside, lol.  I can't believe that the skunk didn't spray anyone.

 

According to an article in the  "NY Post" NYC cabbies have been running a scam for years ripping off customers for over 8 million dollars. 


Now for those of you who have ridden in a cab in the past few years like I have will not be surprised by this at all.  According to the Post, Bloomberg is trying to get people "Reimbursed".  Where is my money Mr. Mayor?

A photographer takes a picture of a wooden house built upside-down in Gettorf, Germany. The fully furnished so-called "crazy house" has a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and a sleeping room. Visitors have to pay a fee to enter this tourist attraction, which is set up at the local zoo.

 Judge Ellen DeGeneres is not liking the HD cameras that are used to film American Idol. 


Rumors are swirling too that she's asking for an extreme wardrobe budget of $150,000 for the season.  Who knew she needed so many tee shirts.   

I saw this on the news today. In Japan they introduced a machine that will wash your animals for only $10. 



 Problem is that it doesn't seem like the animals like it very much.

Since I was checking the NYC papers today I came across this story.  An 83 year old man was charged in beating up another man who was 17 years is senior, almost 100 years old!