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MY SUN DAY NEWS

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December 15, 2011

Laughter by Paul: December 15, 2011

Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers, when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs.

Tip 6: Emailing

Electronic Mail or email, as it is most commonly known, began in the early 1970’s and quickly spread across the business world. Email as we know it today was mostly advanced with the internet and became popular when individuals began digitally communicating with each other on a time independent basis. Email also provides the mechanism for sending a message to multiple recipients at one time, allowing for an even more efficient communication tool.

Catching up with Jimmy’s Charhouse

My guess is that many residents have been to our dining spotlight for this edition, Jimmy’s Charhouse of Elgin. It’s been a fixture on Randall Road for many years, but as we all know, restaurants change managers and chefs over time, sometimes quite often. So, our mission was to see if there’s been any radical changes in the quality of the food and service, new items on the menu, and overall healthiness of this dining establishment.

Cooking with the Geezer: December 1, 2011

In the last edition’s column, I gave you my mom’s turkey stuffing recipe and hope you have a chance to try it sometime. If you’ve tried it, I’d like to hear from you with your comments. This week, I’m sharing one of my own creations.

Why buy when you can barter!

We just got through the first mad dash of the holiday season – Black Friday. I couldn’t believe it when the retailers were opening at midnight on Thanksgiving day to start Black Friday early. There were some outstanding deals to be had at the additional expense of not getting to bed that night. Our bleak economy has us all shopping for the best deals. A renewed trend that is picking up popularity is bartering. Why use cash or credit when you can swap your “treasures” for what you need? You don’t have to hold a garage sale to sell your collectibles.

Instant hot water

Did you ever wish that when you stagger into the bathroom in the morning and turn on the hot water in the bathroom sink there was instant hot water like in quality hotels? There is a device that will fulfill your wish. It is called a recirculating hot water pump.

Ask an Angel: December 1, 2011

Q: The holidays are right around the corner, and I’m already feeling a little blue. Do you have any tips for getting through the holidays?

Laughter by Paul: December 1, 2011

It was the day after Christmas. The pastor of a church was looking over their Nativity scene when he noticed the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures.

American music that went there and back again to be heard

It was fifty years ago that young English musicians like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, and Eric Burdon began to make a name for themselves in the hardscrabble music clubs of London. Within a few years, their names would be known all over the world, and the British Invasion of America would change popular music forever.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

The answer: to get to Checkers II, of course, because that’s where the other good chickens end up! Seriously, we recently were joined by our Grainery Lane neighbors, Bob and Roberta, for a delicious meal at this country restaurant just a short distance from Huntley in the little town of Union.

Social Security Survivors Benefits

I recently received an inquiry from one of our Sun City neighbors about how Social Security benefits work for surviving spouses. I did a little research on the web and found a website called “Social Security Survivors Planner.”

Mysterious noise solved

Recently two Woodchucks reported that a hissing or low whistling noise started in their homes. One thought it was an electrical sound, but after checking each electrical appliance found nothing. He then noticed that when he turned on the water in the bathroom sink or the shower, the sound stopped. He then turned off the main water valve to the house. This also stopped the noise. Since turning off the water to the house was not an acceptable solution, he kept looking.

Cooking with the Geezer: November 17, 2011

Perhaps you have read my “Dining Out with the Geezers” column, which covers one of my passions in life. You’ve probably heard the old saying that some people “Eat to live, while others live to eat.” Well, the latter describes me pretty well, except it’s not complete without the cooking component. I live and love to cook and eat.

Ask an Angel: November 17, 2011

Q: I am in my late 60’s and am my mother’s caregiver. She lives 30 miles away from me. It’s not a long distance, but caring for her is becoming more challenging for me. How can I care for her needs and not feel burned out?

Laughter by Paul: November 17, 2011

A turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem finger-lickin’ bones

Recently, my wife and I invited good friends and backyard neighbors Kay and Lou to join us for a trek to try the famous ribs at the Crystal Lake Rib House. We were warned ahead of time not to expect anything fancy, which was right on from the moment we walked into the house-converted-into-a-restaurant.

Staying safe in the information era

These are dangerous times. People are seeking to obtain your valuable information. If you feel you don’t have any information of value, you would be wrong. Your personal information is of great value to those looking to steal your identity.

Door Bell Maintenance

A couple of Woodchucks have reported a strange humming noise that turned out to be a failed door bell mechanism. To track down this problem, first locate your door bell mechanism. Have someone ring your door bell, and look and listen for a box mounted high in the wall, usually in the hall.

Paying more, but getting less

There was an ABC TV broadcast earlier this year that raised our attention to some subtle changes that we should watch out for at the grocery store. They reported that the average prices at the grocery store would only rise about 3% this year. That sounded like good news until you heard the rest of the story.

Laughter by Paul: November 3, 2011

An elderly couple was sitting in their rockers on the porch watching a beautiful sunset and reminiscing about the “good old days” when the woman turned to the man and said, “Honey, do you remember when we first started dating and you used to just casually reach over and take my hand?”

Ask an Angel: November 3, 2011

Lately, I’ve been forgetting so many little details. Should I be concerned?

Ask an Angel: October 20, 2011

Q: I’ve noticed some unusual charges on my Medicare statement. How can I make sure I’m not being charged for services I did not receive?

Are you owed unclaimed money?

I often receive emails claiming that I am the long-lost son of a millionaire who put money in trust for me in a foreign bank account and that all I have to do is provide some personal information to prove my identity to claim it. This is a type of scam that is becoming more frequent.

Tip 26: Vacation Checklist

We have had several requests for the going-away checklist we published last year. A few additional things have been added. All of these columns are available on the Sun Day website if you want to refer back to one.

No bones to pick

This week, my colleague Sun Day Ad Representative Pat Hatton and Sun Day Owners Chris and Erika La Pelusa accompanied me to do a review of one of the well-known dining establishments in Algonquin, Bonefish Grill. It’s a national chain, so I have dined not only at this site, but at others while traveling around our country. Upfront, I have to say that I can’t afford to eat out too often, and certainly this is a special-occasion type of place for my wife and me. This has been one of our favorites for birthdays or anniversaries. This occasion was a celebration of sorts for the four of us. In general, it is the sort of restaurant that you’d treat yourself to.

Laughter by Paul: October 20, 2011

A young woman watched a man rush onto the plane at the last minute before takeoff. He spotted one of the few empty seats and silently sat down.

Is your privacy protected?

Every so often, we receive a notice from the financial institutions and credit card issuers where we have accounts explaining the extensive procedures they have in place to protect our privacy by not sharing our personal information with any of their business connections. They go to great lengths to protect our information. Just try to obtain information about your spouse’s account. You won’t get it.

Spreadsheets: The Gem of Home Record Keeping

With any mention of spreadsheets, one may immediately think only of accounting budgets and finances. That’s a bad rap for spreadsheets, which are actually the most versatile tool for keeping all sorts of home records on the computer.

Questions & Answers

This month we received four questions on our e-mail site, more than we have in any month since this column began over a year ago. Question: What is the best way to eliminate green moss growing on the inside of the steel window-well liners?

Perfectly Burnt Toast

Recently, I woke up to one of those soggy mornings that sadly wiped out another day of tennis, which happens to be my favorite sport. So, I immediately called two of my tennis buddies, Roger and Nelson, to see if they were up for a breakfast road trip. Being two of the power-eating machines that they are, it was agreed upon to head for one of the two Burnt Toast restaurants that are equidistant from Sun City. In this case, it was the one on Randall Road just south of Rt. 72.