Bob's Laundry Room

The Undeniable Facts About the Safety of Diet Coke by Julie R. Neidlinger, Lone Prairie   I sat down at the table with friends, enjoying our get-together at the diner.  The waitress took my order for a Diet Coke. She left. A friend spoke up. “They say that Diet Coke increases your chance of getting diabetes  by a factor of seven.” “I heard people were getting seizures from the aspartame in it.” “Today the news said a lady died after drinking 10 liters of Coke.” “That’s nice. Enjoy your glass of city water filled with chemicals like fluoride,” I replied. Are you kidding me? Not much for alcohol. Never smoked. Don’t do drugs, and barely take aspirin. I exercise at the gym three times a week. I walk to work briskly every day, which comes to around 3/4 of a mile daily. When I get home, I try to avoid sitting and work at a standing desk. I go for walks when weather allows. I don’t eat much red meat at all, mainly poultry if any. I drink plenty of water, and often it ...

Melanie and I are at the beach to celebrate our 30th anniversary together. I have been sitting here watching her sleep and remembering the young woman I married and the dream we had to grow old together. We are closer than ever to achieving that dream. Success in marriage is something that comes on you without you even realizing it. We have had our stormy times to be sure, but as time has passed and perhaps without consciously realizing it we have learned our way. We have grown together in the same way as this tree pictured above. The terms you, I, or us have actually become convoluted as there is only one tree and not two. Two root systems (our parent's families) but now only one tree. There is no way to separate the one tree back into two without causing immense damage and making something that has grown to be a beautiful curiosity into something hacked up and damaged. In the end, if your marriage is to be truly successful her family roots are your family roots and your ...