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Cities with the Best Air Quality

Honeywell AirGenius has announced the best cities as far as air quality goes and I am not shocked to find Memphis was nowhere close. Well, I shouldn’t saw nowhere close because we did rank in the top 100 – 82nd. Hey, we are ranked above Los Angeles, St. Louis, Dallas-Forth Worth, and Philadelphia. I read a statistic recently that said we take over 21,500 breaths a day, but we often don’t think about exactly what we are taking in with each of those breaths. The AirGenius Awards were based on airborne pollen levels, particulates air population, and smoking regulations. If … Continue reading →

Forbes’ List of Pet Friendly Cities

Forbes magazine recently released their list of the most pet friendly cities in the United States. I’m proud to see my area made the top five! Here’s how they determined the best in show: Public park acreage, including dog-friendly park spaces. Number of pet supply and pet service businesses. Number of veterinarians and other care facilities. Cost for veterinary care. The Forbes folks also looked at air quality, but didn’t end up using it in determining their rankings — pets are pretty adaptable. With such short life spans, air quality generally doesn’t have as big an impact on a pet’s … Continue reading →

Larry Hagman Dies at 81

Actor Larry Hagman passed away yesterday due to complications from throat cancer. He was 81. If you are close to my age (49), you may remember first seeing Hagman as Capt. Tony Nelson in “I Dream of Jeannie,” a slightly dumb, but popular show that ran from 1965 until 1970. Before that, he had appeared on television in shows such as “Sea Hunt” and “The Defenders,” but it was really “I Dream of Jeannie” that put Hagman on the map. After “Jeannie” ended, Hagman bounced around television, appearing in “Ellery Queen,” “Barnaby Jones,” and “The Rockford Files” while starring in … Continue reading →

Reducing Travel Costs

Summer is primetime for family vacations. Kids are out of school and travel deals abound. Of course, in today’s financially strapped society, some of these “deals” are not all they’re cracked up to be. If you are looking for simpler ways to cut down on travel expenses, then consider the following ideas: Togethering: This not-so new concept has been thrown around quite a bit since the economy has languished in the dumpster. “Togethering” is basically a new word for family reunion. However, instead of the entire clan hanging out at grandma’s house for a weekend, you select the family members … Continue reading →

Do You Live in a Cruddy City for Children?

What makes a city ideal for raising kids? If you are the editors of Parenting magazine, then you base your decision on great schools, affordable living, low crime rates, decent air quality, an abundance of pediatricians, ample job opportunities, kid-friendly restaurants and outstanding green spaces. Oh, and free museums. The popular periodical culled more than 8,000 bits of info and placed them into 84 categories to come up with its 2011 list of best cities to raise children. The annual list features 100 of the most family-friendly cities in the United States. Only this year your hometown may not have … Continue reading →

Asthma May Be an Issue for Athletes in Beijing

Olympic athletes with exercise-induced asthma may face two problems at the Games in Beijing: competing in one of the most polluted cities in the world and finding an asthma medication that is allowed under anti-doping regulations. Talk about a double whammy! Over the last decade, Beijing has spent more than seventeen billion dollars on pollution clean-up. But the site of the Summer Games is still known as one of the worst cities in the world for air quality. During the Olympic Games, the city will be cutting the number of cars on the road — a good start, but it … Continue reading →

National Park Tour

Last summer our retired neighbors took a West Coast road trip to visit their three grown children and their respective families. Along the way they stopped at four national parks in three different states. They had such a wonderful time they are currently planning another summer road adventure to include visits to four more national parks (minus the stops to see their children). I’ve seen the spectacular pictures they took on their trip and vowed someday before I retire (from life) I would make the same trip with my own family. Here’s the itinerary they followed: Washington State’s Olympic National … Continue reading →