New Year's Resolutions

It is a long standing tradition to make New Year resolutions. You know the routine: lose wait, quit smoking, exercise, save money, etc.  I'm not to big on these, but if you are, here's one piece advice.

Be realistic.  If you make resolutions and fail miserably, it can be a bit depressing. Failure usually comes from being over the top with your goals.

Want to lose weight? Don't set a goal of 50 pounds in the first month. You will not do that and, if you come close, you will likely wind up sick. 5 pounds is reasonable, and when you accomplish that, you can feel pleased.

If you have not exercised in years, don't start out trying to run 10 miles and lift weights for 3 hours each day.  Start with walking a mile and doing some stretching and calisthenics for twenty minutes a day. Work up slowly from there.

Saving money is always a fine idea, but don't tell yourself you are going to cut down to a diet of Ramen noodles and toast and bank half of your paycheck (unless you are in a deep financial crisis). You will not live up to that resolution for more that a day or two. Resolve to cut out a dinner out each week and save an extra $20. That will help your finances and, from there, maybe you can find other, minor corners to cut.

In short, don't set yourself up for failure. Keep your goals realistic. Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.

Post Holiday Stress

Christmas is over; well, I guess a lot of folks have today off because of the Sunday holiday, but even if you're not working, it's not a holiday. Come the weekend, we're at it again with New Year. This week figures to be a bit odd.

Be practical and realize that most people will be on auto pilot this week. That is just human nature, so don't get stressed if your employees are not giving it their all, if service in stores is sluggish, and no one seems to be accomplishing much. This is a once a year phenomenon, and it will pass, about a week from Wednesday. Just roll with it and chill out yourself. It will do you no good, and possibly a lot of harm, to expect the Nation to hop back to full speed this week. It ain't happening.

In your personal life, take it easy on yourself. After a weekend Holiday, filled with rich food and drink, be kind to your body. Give your gastro-intestinal tract and your liver a short time out and go easy on heavy foods and even easier on alcohol. It will not be a joyous New Year if you start it sick.

If you have been burning the candle at both ends the last few days, be nice to yourself and get some sleep. Naps are nice.

The Holidays come but once a year and should be enjoyed. There is nothing wrong with the Country taking a week or so to slow down and goof off a bit. There is even nothing wrong with over doing thins this time of year. Just remember that the body has limits and you need a little time to recover before you start the next go round.

Time to be Impractical

It's Christmas week and this is the only post I'll do on this site this week. You officially have my permission to be impractical this week, mostly.

This is a week of shopping and parties and feasting. Forget diets, eat, drink, and be merry. You can worry about diets next year. There are exceptions. If you have a medical issue, diabetes for instance, sorry, you must be careful.

As far as partying, please be sure that, if you are driving, if you have more than two drinks, don't drive; take a cab or Uber. You do not need all the problems that come with a drunk driving charge.

Shop. That is part of the season, but try to use some restraint. Go easy on the credit cards. You do not want to be the Grinch, nut you do not want to faint when you open your bills in January.

Other than that, have a great Holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Foodies and Common Sense

I spent the latter part of my working life around food and, since some of that involved catering, I had to deal with many considered foodies or, sometimes and more accurately, food snobs.

These are folks who jump on ayt food fad around and delight in nothing more than finding exotic, new culinary experiences. Okay, I'm generally game to try new foods and I certainly enjoy good food, but it is a fine line between enjoying and obsessing.

There are folks, many, who will demand always top cuisine and gourmet quality and preparation at all times. They would not accept a frozen ingredient and would faint if offered anything from a can. If someone told them that crocodile toes cooked in elephant sweat was the latest craze, they would be on the next flight to Africa.

Let's be honest and practical. Food is a necessity; it provides the energy and nutrients to keep us alive and well. Eating can, and should be, a pleasurable experience, but it is a fleeting experience. Short after you complete the last bite of a meal, the experience is over, unless you have gas. By the next day, all sign of it has left your body. Why spend inordinate time and money on such a passing pleasure.

Enjoy your food. Treat yourself from time to time. But use some sense. Be practical.

Cheap Healthy Cleaning

Cleaning products are not cheap and, often are harsh and generally unhealthy to use. Now, every now and then you do need to use things like degreasers. But, for a lot of your cleaning, try two safe, effective chemicals; vinegar and baking soda.

Baking soda is a fine scouring powder. Just mix with a little water into a paste, and it will clean very effectively. It is also a great de-odorizer. Most people know to put a little in your refrigerator, but it is also a good idea to put some, from time to time, in a microwave. Actually, is excellent for general cleaning of your microwave. It is also perfectly good as a toilet bowl cleaner and to, occasionally wipe out your washing machine.

Vinegar is a mild acid. It will cut light grease and is effective as a whitener, like bleach, only much safer.

If you have drain clogs, try this. Dump a cup or so of baking soda in the drain. add about a cup of vinegar, just plain white vinegar. If will foam immediately, so have a drain plug handy. As soon as it starts foaming, plug the drain and let it sit until you hear no more fizzing. Them unplug and rinse with warm water. It is almost as effective as any harsh drain cleaner and much safer.

These cheap, safe cleaners are most effective when used often. Don't let dirt build up and you will seldom have to use harsh, dangerous chemicals.

Take Care of Your Car

There is someone living near me who has a problem. Every time  they start their car, the belts squeal horribly. Now, that in itself is annoying, but that is not why I am writing. Any belt making a noise like that will, at some point, will snap. It may be when she is leaving for work and that is bad. It may be when she is zipping along the highway and that is worse.

Yesterday, I heard a truck go be with a periodic squeal coming from its left rear wheel. This truck needs a wheel bearing replacement. At some point, the wheel will simply seize and the truck will not move, and if this happens when it is going 60 mph, the results will not be pleasant.

I see cars that are leaking an assortment of fluids and I hear brakes so worn that it is definite that there is no pad left, just metal grinding metal. I have neighbors driving on tires that have absolutely no tread.

O know that money is tight and the Holidays are here but some things cannot be put off. I know. I have done just that, several times. Trust me, a vehicle will almost always break down at the worst possible time. And, in almost every case, neglect will make the repairs more costly than if you went ahead and did them when the problem is first evident. In addition, cars in disrepair are dangerous for you and every one else.

Take care of your car.

Canned Foods

As most of you realize, many canned foods are cheaper than fresh or frozen. In recent years, they have lost favor and are even shunned as low quality. This is a mistake.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with canned foods. True, canned vegetables will not be crispy and, in a few cases, may not have the same flavor intensity, but they are nutritious and sometimes very tasty. In fact, sometimes tastier that fresh. Tomatoes are picked green and ripen in shipment (unless you live near a farmer's market). Tomatoes bout fresh in a Grocery store often have all the flavor of soggy newspaper. On the other hand, canned Roma tomatoes are picked ripe and flavorful and when canned, they retain all of that great taste.

My Grandma used to fix dried beans, like pintos, by picking through them for stones (and they were always there) soaking them over night, pouring off the water and refilling the pot with fresh water, then simmering for hours. One day, I had dinner with her, complimented her on the beans and learned that she had switched to canned. They were just as good and since then, I have always used canned pintos, black beans, black eyed peas, etc.

Most folks eat canned tuna. Why not canned chicken or ham? There is nothing wrong with them and, not only are they convenient, they are often very reasonably priced.

There is a myth that dented cans are to be discarded as contaminated. There is nothing wrong with dents. There is only contamination if the top or bottom is bulging; then throw it out.

I would try not to keep cans longer than six months. After that, they are still perfectly edible, but they do lose taste.

In short, canned food is perfectly acceptable and you can often find great bargains that will save you considerable money.

Use Your Heads During the Holidays

At the risk of sounding like a buzz kill, let me ask my fellow Americans, what the hell is wrong with you.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales went through the roof. Great for the stores, but idiotic for consumers. I will bet every nickel I have that almost all of that is on credit. The Cyber purchases are definitely on credit.

I love to give gifts, but I do not love paying interest charges on things I cannot afford. Some of you will never, ever pay off those debts. You will spend a very long making minimum payments that barely cover the interest. I know, every one intends to make bigger payments, but something always comes up.  Your car dies. The kids get sick. The refrigerator breaks down. It is always something and there you are with unneeded debt.

And God help you if you miss a payment, or even if you are late. Then your credit rating takes a nose dive.

Enjoy your holidays, by all means, but set some limits. Buy and give gifts, but make restrict them to what you can afford. I know this sounds trite, but it is true; it is the thought that counts.