It has been Swine flu mania this week. If you are not feeling well and thinking about calling in sick, here are a few tips I found from career builder.

HOW TO CALL IN SICK WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING YOUR JOB  CareerBuilder.com)

• Speak with a boss or supervisor on the phone — don’t send an email — as early in the day as possible.
• Make sure to apologize for the inconvenience.
• Keep the call short and to the point; your manager doesn’t need to know all the gory details.
• Don’t resort to fake coughs or talking while bent over the toilet; there’s no need to oversell it.
• Keep in mind that the more often you’re absent on Mondays and Fridays, the more suspicious it will seem.

The fakers: Regardless of how conscientious you are, be prepared for a healthy dose of skepticism from your manager. He or she has probably heard every excuse in the book. One-third of workers have taken a day off when they weren’t really sick, according to a survey of more than 6,800 employees conducted by CareerBuilder.com.

Here’s wishing you only good health!! Steve

 Our parents and Grandparents never had a problem with entertainment..I found this article that may fit with our economy here in 2009!!  Enjoy!-Steve

DATE LIKE IT’S THE GREAT DEPRESSION (Lemondrop.com)

• See the Talkies: Way back when, movies were a dime down at the nickelodeon — now it’s a 10-spot or more. Still, it’s tough to beat that sense of sweet escapism. Save money by attending Sunday matinees, or plan an at-home movie night around your Netflix selections. (Stock up on the microwave popcorn flavored with movie butter.)
• Do Something Sweet: In the ’30s, couples would drive on down to the Dairy Queen or sit at the soda fountain, sharing ice cream sundaes for two. You don’t have to go out for a full-fledged dinner — just head to your favorite ice cream store (DQ is still around!) and indulge in your favorite dessert. Rainbow sprinkles just make life better.
• Eat (More Than Just Potatoes): Make a date out of cooking a meal together. The time together will allow for some (probably much-needed) bonding, and the sense of teamwork you feel once you’ve put together your gourmet meal will bring you closer together.
• Step It Up: Community dances used to be a big deal that couples looked forward to all week. There are still free dance events — you just have to look. A quick search for regional dance studios or the newspaper activity listings should turn up similar opportunities.
• Double Date: Years ago, groups of friends enjoyed new board games, such as Monopoly and Scrabble, while playing records on a phonograph. Stop drinking your money at happy hours and host an evening in.
• Wandering Aimlessly: Wandering around, whether by foot or by car, is a no-fail standby for those with a whole lotta nice weather and not much else to do. And with gas prices dropping again, what better way to spend your day together than driving somewhere new, the windows rolled down and the radio blasting something you’ve heard a hundred times before.
• Necking: A popular pastime that never loses its luster, why not just get busy in the bedroom? It costs absolutely nothing but your time.

Did you ever wonder what your favorite TV celebs make for each episode they do?

Check out these amazing numbers!!

Primetime TV’s Star Salaries:

So how much does your favorite TV actor make per episode? Here’s a few figures from Us Weekly:

Charlie Sheen makes $825,000 per episode in “Two and a Half Men“

Kiefer Sutherland brings in $500,000 per episode in “24“

Hugh Laurie makes a cool $400,000 per episode in “House“

Mariska Hargitay brings in $350,000 in “Law & Order SVU”

…and Teri Hatcher brings home $200,000 per episode in “Desperate Housewives.”

One of the best things you can do if you suspect you are coming down with Swine Flu is STAY HOME from work or school, and don’t return until TWO DAYS after your symptoms are gone. Go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing.The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ALSO has offered some recommendations to help prevent the spread of the virus:

Did you know it had it’s own month? Well here are a few recipes I have found that will take this classic sandwich to a whole new level for you and your family!…Enjoy!

 Grilled Cheese and Peanut Butter Sandwich
2 slices bread
2 T peanut butter
1 slice cheddar cheese
2 t butter or margarine

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, lay a slice of cheese over the peanut butter and top with the remaining slice of bread. Spread butter on the outer sides of the sandwich and place in the hot skillet. Fry on each side until golden brown and cheese is melted - 3 to 5 minutes.

Grilled Cheese, Cinnamon and Apple Sandwich
1 T softened butter
2 slices bread
1 small apple - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 slice american cheese

Place the skillet over medium heat. Spread butter evenly and completely over one side of each bread slice. Arrang the apple slices on the unbuttered side of one of the bread slices. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the apples. Place the cheese slice on top of the apples. Top with the remaining bread slice with the buttered side facing outward. Lie gently into the skillet. Cook sandwich on both sides until golden brown - 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Grilled Cheese, Pickle and Vidalia Onion Sandwich
3 T softened butter
2 slices bread
2 slices sharp Cheddar cheese
1 dill pickle, sliced
2 thin slives Vidalia or other sweet onion

Butter one side of each slice of bread with 1 T of butter. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place one bread slice butter-side-down into the skillet and top with the Cheddar cheese, pickle slices, and onion. Place the remaining slices of bread butter-side-up onto the sandwich. Cook until crispy and golden brown on both sides - 5 to 7 minutes.

Spicy Girlled Cheese Sandwich
2 T butter or margarine
4 slices bread
2 slices American cheese
1 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Spread butter or margarine onto one side of two slices of bread. Place both pieces buttered side down in the skillet. Lay a slice of cheese on each one and top with slices of tomato, onion and jalepeno. Butter one side of the reamining slices of bread and place and top buttered side up. When the bottom of the sandwiches are toasted, flip and fry until brown on the other side.

Officially Wednesday April 22nd is Earth day. But we all should live like every day is Earth day. Do you have a recycling program in your home? Do you drive a hybrid vehicle? These are the types of things we should all try to do to help our planet stay green.

How about this very cool electric vehicle? It kind of looks like George Jetson’s car….

 This is a for-real all electric car going into production now.  It already has 100,000 orders.  You can get the plug-in electric, hybrid or gas model….sweet!

Madonna is defying the effects of the global recession - she has reportedly splashed out $40 million on a new home in New York’s posh Upper East Side.  The superstar has signed a contract to buy a four-story Georgian-style townhouse for $5 million less than the original asking price, reports the New York Post.  The mansion features 13 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, a two-car garage, a 3,000-square-foot garden, nine fireplaces, an elevator and a wine cellar with a grotto.But the lavish house is not yet ready for the Material Girl singer to move in - she’s reportedly planning extensive renovations, including security upgrades on the property.

London-based Madonna has been rumored to be considering returning to New York full-time ever since she finalized her divorce from British director Guy Ritchie in January. The couple share eight-year-old son Rocco, and three-year-old adopted Malawian son David Banda. The singer also has daughter Lourdes, 12, from a previous relationship.  Just imagine how many charities could benefit from all that money!

How exciting for all Columbus sports fans.

Tonight marks the very first playoff appearance for the Blue Jackets.

This is a huge step for the franchise and it’s growth. Faceoff is set for 7pm at Joe Louis arena in Detroit.

It will be a big challenge for the Jackets as the Wings are the defending Stanley cup champions.

Our Blue Jackets are the number 7 seed and and Detroit is the second seed.

The excitement will build as the Jackets come home for game 3 on Tuesday next week for the first ever home playoff game at Nationwide.

Go Jackets!!!

New Puppy for Sasha and Malia!

the 6-month-old Portuguese water dog, a gift from Senator Edward Kennedy, is to be named Bo.
Malia and Sasha Obama chose the name Bo because their cousins have a cat named Bo and first lady Michelle’s father was nicknamed Diddley, apparently after Bo Diddley. And then of course, it is also their dad’s initials.
According to the Washington Post, who was promised first crack at the information, First Puppy photos showed up on a site called FirstDogCharlie. Talk about cute!
There was a secret meeting a few weeks ago, known around the White House as “The Meeting”, introducing Bo to the first family. The Post reports Bo charmed everyone and behaved very well. He has been in training with Kennedy’s dog trainers.
Besides being “The First Dog”, Bo will be the first pet not only for Malia and Sasha, but also the president and first lady since neither has had dogs. There will be a learning curve all around. The family also will be deciding on a feeding and walking schedule of the “Portie” as they are called by other owners of the breed.
The Portie was chosen because they are hypoallergenic. To assuage critics who felt a shelter dog should have been chosen instead of a pure bred, the Obama’s are making a donation to the D.C. Humane Society

The man who brings a certain something to American Idol, its across-the-pond predecessor, X Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent, is beginning to question whether he can keep the candle burning at all three ends. And that’s not even factoring in his work as a music producer.  “I don’t want to come over as whiney, because I am very grateful that I have got these jobs,” Cowell tells the UK’s Daily Mirror. “But there is a point where I am not sure we can keep this schedule up. I am not sure we can sustain me doing three shows a year, [along] with the record label and the TV production company.”  Cowell’s three gigs at times have him making four transatlantic flights a week. As a result, “One may have to go.”  At first glance, Cowell hints that Idol would get clipped, if only by process of elimination and due to simple geography.  “I can’t imagine not doing Britain’s Got Talent, and I can’t imagine not doing X Factor,” he says. “I guess [my show in] America is more likely to go, because I have got one year [left on] contract. Maybe that will be the end.”  Not that Cowell plans to kick back should he unearth any free time. Rather, he says, “I have got one idea to launch a big new show next year. But can I tell you what it is? Absolutely not.”