Weekend Getaway!

Don't you just love those? We took to weekend off to see some friends up North at their beach house on  gorgeous Lake Michigan.

Our car ride was filled with lots of this...

Even some body art...

I even participated...

 We got held up in some lovely traffic...

 We did a little of this...

 Don't you love being all packed into the car?

 Ahhh. It was a perfect day to travel....

 We had some road snacks which were later substituted for brownies.

 We hurriedly ditched the body art 

Right after dinner (and dessert of course) we dove right in. Sort of. 

 We looked at the rocks...

 And dug our toes into the sand...

Even the view out the front of the beach house was spectacular...

My mom decided this is why she had children... to carry stuff.

 After many boat troubles, we finally went for a boat ride! In a different lake of course.

We then went swimming...

 and enjoyed some refreshments...

When we got back we were angered to see 15+ cars right by our cottage. Our normally barren beach was crowded. 

Someone decided to go wading... in their clothes.

We then sat, ate, and enjoyed the sunset....

Those cheeks!

We even went for yet another dip... in the hot tub this time, though.

We even flew through the air in princess attire...

 And enjoyed the sun set one last time...

 We even practiced rolling our eyes. That'll come in handy a few years down the line.

In the morning, we made a sandcastle...

And then it was time for the princess to go...

We dropped my sister off at camp and we enjoyed the lovely 4 hour car ride home in peace and quiet not associated with siblings and fighting which happened the way up. Ahhh. 

Tomorrow I get to enjoy day camp. My mom signed me up because I wasn't social enough. Now going to day camp is keeping me from being social. *Sigh*

Goodnight! 

Things We Learned on Google Today- All Things Belarusian

Today, we continue our look at the former Soviet republics that are now independent countries with a look at Belarus. Though known for some dubious things, such as the fact that President Alexander Lukoshenko has ruled the nation with an iron fist since 1994. This lead former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to say that 'Belarus was the last true remaing dictatorship in Europe.' Assuredly, Hillary Clinton, in spite of political differences, would agree with that sentiment.

We asked Google what the population of the capital city of Minsk was, and the answer is 1,837,000 people. The whole country of Belarus has a population of 9.5 million.

But, one of the most famous people from Belarus, former Olympic gymnast Svetlana Bogenskaya (pictured here), born 1973, lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two kids. Editorial comment: Are there any gorgeous women who aren't taken? The gymnast won gold on vault at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and she retired at a late age (for gymnasts) in 1997.

She is still active with gymnastics as she has an online retail business selling sporting equipment pertaining to gymnastics.

Are Hot Dogs as Dangerous as Cigarettes?

USA Today: Instead of grouping hot dogs with Mom and apple pie, a national medical group wants you to consider them as bad for your health as cigarettes.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a Washington, D.C., group that promotes preventive medicine and a vegan diet, unveiled a billboard Monday near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the advisory: "Warning: Hot dogs can wreck your health."

The billboard features a picture of hot dogs in a cigarette pack inscribed with skull and crossbones. It aims to increase awareness of a link between colorectal cancer and hot dogs.

Hot dogs, like cigarettes, should come with a "warning label that helps racing fans and other consumers understand the health risk," said Susan Levin, the committee's nutrition education director.

Other health experts disagree.

Although hot dogs are certainly not health food, neither are they toxic, if consumed in moderation, they say.

"It is not necessary to eliminate consumption of red or processed meat; rather the message is that these foods should not be the mainstay of your diet," American Cancer Society guidelines state.

About twice a month, Kimberly Hunt indulges. She harbors no illusions that hot dogs are good for her, but she's not worried about the risks. "Not any more than any other processed foods that we eat," said Hunt, as she finished off lunch in downtown Indianapolis. "There's a lot of things that are going to cause cancer. Are hot dogs on the top of my list? No."

Hot dogs are low in nutritional value, said Dr. Jesse Spear, an internal medicine physician with St. Vincent Medical Group in Fishers, Ind. They're high in salt, which can lead to hypertension and heart disease.

Should we avoid them at all costs? That's not what Spear tells patients. Instead, he advises them to eat a generally healthy diet -- more fruits and vegetables, less processed meats. "I don't personally tell people never to eat hot dogs, because I guess I'm just realistic enough to know that people will still consume them to some degree," he said.

But there's something about a car race that encourages hot dog consumption. Last year, more than 1.1 million hot dogs were sold during the Indianapolis 500. So this year, the Physicians Committee decided to target another Speedway event, Sunday's Brickyard 400, with its $2,750 billboard.

The strong warning is needed to make people think twice about eating hot dogs and all processed meats, Levin said. That includes deli meats, ham, sausage, bacon and pepperoni.

"A hot dog a day could send you to an early grave," said Levin, a registered dietitian. "People think feeding their kids these foods (is) safe, but (it's) not."

The research linking colorectal cancer and processed meat is convincing, says a 2007 report by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research. Just one 50-gram serving of processed meat -- about the amount in one hot dog -- a day increases the risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent, the study found.

George Hanlin has his consumption down to one or two a month, as part of a plan to eat healthier. Monday, he contemplated the data linking hot dogs to health risks. "Will it keep me from never eating hot dogs? No," Hanlin said. "But there's no question I will try to limit it a lot more."