Friday, February 27, 2009

Sounds only young people can hear

gah...this is depressing.

A friend recently posted this link to "TrainHorns.net", where you can listen to a sound frequency that is supposedly only audible to those age 25 and younger.

I had read about this before (and that kids were using it as a ringtone to take calls while in school without the teacher hearing it) but this is the first time I ever gave it a try myself.

I failed miserably--didn't hear a thing.

At first I thought maybe it was a hoax, but then I tested it out on my 8-year-old, and she heard it loud and clear.

Getting older sucks.

Train Horn

Created by Train Horn

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Long time no see!

Hey folks, we're back from our vacation and had a fabulous time. I'll be blogging a review of the cruise later this week, but right now, it's time to get ready for tonight's Oscar party. It's an annual tradition here at Casa Yak and I'm really looking forward to it.

Lots of pictures to follow!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Two Years and Counting....

Happy Anniversary Yak Talk!

I can't believe it's been two years since this blog first began. I'm still amazed--and delighted--at how many people pop in to read this blog each day, from all over the world. I hope that you find the blog helpful and entertaining, and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Here's to us...cin cin!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Cruisin' the Caribbean

Well folks, the kids have some time off from school next week, so we're packing up our bags and heading out on another cruise vacation. We leave today out of Bayonne, New Jersey, aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas.

Loyal readers of YakTalk may recall that we were just on this ship back in August 2008 for our trip to Bermuda. We're looking forward to getting back on board and heading for sunnier weather, to escape the frigid snow up north.

We're scheduled to see San Juan, St. Thomas, Labadee and Semana. I'll give you a full review of each port when I return!

And, don't worry about our pets: Scooter, Mittens, Tiger, Squeaky and all of the fish will be under the watchful care of our favorite neighborhood house sitter. She'll be keeping an eye on the house and making sure our furry babies get all the TLC they need, and then some.

I'll catch up with you when I return--right in time for my big Oscars shindig!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Ashes, anyone?

Once a week, I teach a 3rd grade religious education class at my local parish. Yesterday, I was talking with the kids about our next class, which will be held on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 25th this year).

I asked the kids: Where does the church gets the ashes that the priest puts on our heads for Ash Wednesday?

My three favorite answers:

"From dead people!"

"Burnt crosses."

"It's human hair."

Oh dear.

I explained that they're actually the burnt remains from the blessed palm fronds that are leftover from last year's Palm Sunday. They seemed disappointed.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Shopping for a "miracle"

I went swimsuit shopping today.

Ugh.

I'd been dreading it and putting it off for weeks now, but with our vacation coming up in a few days (another cruise...details to follow), I couldn't avoid it any longer. I've put on some weight in the last couple of years, and none of my old bathing suits are flattering anymore, so off I went.

I should confess, I tried picking up a few suits "off the rack" about a week ago at Kohl's, but when I got them home, they looked horrid. Truly. I knew I had to bite the bullet and actually try stuff on under the harsh florescent lights of the fitting room.

Oh, and lest we forget: the three-sided dressing room mirror that shows your butt from every possible angle.

I found myself intrigued by something called the "Miracle Suit." It claims to give the wearer the ability to "Look 10lbs Lighter in 10 minutes." Oh really? This I gotta try.

The "secret" to the suit's purported slimming ability is that it has three times the amount of tummy-tucking spandex.

The selection at Macy's wasn't bad, but I found the jungle print patterns on some of the suits a bit too over-the-top for me. Is it possible for a swimsuit to scream "camoflauge" and "Hey, everyone on the beach, LOOK AT ME" at the same time?

With a mixture of trepidation and hope, I took three swimsuits into the dressing room. The first one I tried on was a blue and white nautical-inspired one-piece. I must admit, from the front, I looked pretty darn good. It certainly lived up to its promise to slim the tummy area, that's for sure.

Then I turned around. Oh dear.

Those extra few pounds that were whittled off my waistline reappeared unceremoniously out the back of the swimsuit. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking some serious back fat that was NOT there before I put the suit on. What the heck?

Strike one.

Next up: a shirred one-piece in solid black with a higher back than the first suit. It was just okay--not bad, but not incredibly flattering either. The worst part was that the spandex in the front was so super-strong, it squashed my bustline into two sad little pancakes. Not the look I was hoping for.

Strike two.

Finally, I tried on a two-piece tankini. I resisted that one at first, because it had a floral print that reminded me of the curtains we used to have in my childhood living room in the early 70s. Nevertheless, I was running out of options, so I gave it a go.

Fortunately for me, the planets all seemed to align this time, and the suit was a keeper. The bottoms (in solid black) had just enough coverage to keep things modest, without subjecting me to one of those hideous you're-not-fooling-anyone skirt attachments. The neckline had a much better built-in bra than the previous suit, so the girls weren't squashed beyond recognition. And, I must admit, the nostalgic floral print wasn't all that bad.

Sold!

If you're curious to check out the Miracle Suit collection, you can view it here: www.miraclesuit.com

Monday, February 2, 2009

One of my favorite movies ever

Bill Murray at his best:



Happy Groundhog Day!