A new study says that just viewing pictures of chocolate sets off the pleasure centers of the brain involved in drug addiction. I've craved chocolate since puberty and this craving has matured into a refined lust for the very dark stuff! In my opinion, the darker the better.

With this startling information, my plans are to fill my kitchen with images of the creamy decadent candy to see if just looking at it is enough of a reward. But, of course, they say the combination of eating chocolate while looking at the pictures increased the pleasure of those addicted to chocolate. My sweet hubby asks, "Is it the same as looking at pictures of naked ladies?" Yes, honey buns, I guess so.

This advanced chocolate knowledge promises help for dieters looking for ways to control cravings. Scientists don't know why some people crave certain things and other don't. I believe the body knows what it needs and wants what it needs. Since I've been anemic, I've noticed wanting foods with higher iron content and I've found out that the dark chocolate is a wonderful source of iron!

See, Streamers, some days the news is very, very good.

1. Oh, yeah, he's brought sexy back! I like Justin Timberlake's song "Sexyback" and I'm not the only one. Dating the older actress Cameron Diaz has put some meat on this boy's bones, musically speaking, of course. "I'll let you whip me if I misbehave" sounds like Donuts helped write the lyrics! The whole song has some great over-lapping textures too.

2. Blue October's "Hate Me" has been haunting me for awhile with its "Kicking shadows on the street for every mistake that I have made" lyrics. The words are profound poetry to me...... "The one thing that torn us apart is the one thing I won." Even though Blue October is a post grunge rock band from Houston, Texas, check them out anyway!

4. My older daughter gave me two CDs I've been listening to:

a) the "surfing" soundtrack from the movie Curious George featuring Jack Johnson & Friends with lyrics like "Wish you could dream, but you forgot to somehow" and

b) Taxi from Bryan Ferry who does a swaying "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and a rocking "Amazing Grace" both of which I like very much.

5. The same daughter turned me on to the XM Radio's Chill station #84. Wow, is it great --- an international jazz and mellow outlet, this station has some of the most creative named groups on the planet. The other day I heard a smooth jazzy number that had a sensual voice whispering "kiss me" every so often in the piece. Hot stuff!

~~~ Sorry if you were expecting a list of Halloween favorites like Monster House? Best wishes for a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to music man Paul Simon today!!!  Thanks for all the beautiful songs we've enjoyed through the years, Paul.

Fill your ears with music this weekend, Streamers --- even if it's only the sound of your own humming! ~~~ Peace & Hugs, Rita

Our town has a restaurant building that has been resurrected many times and the place can not stay OPEN! It was a Shoney's --- something else before that --- when we first moved to town. It was okay then, but of course, in those days there was less competition. That place closed and then it was something else that I don't even remember. Then it was Evie's Home Cooking! Well, after one trip, we all decided that Evie couldn't cook worth a cowpatty. Never went back. Okay, another restaurant went into the now famous haunted spot. That one was no good either. About a year ago, a Chinese super buffet went in and it started out pretty good, so we visited it a few times until it got worse and worse! Yuck.

We've finally decided the building is cursed.

It should be a great location --- next to I-40 in one of the most heavily traveled areas of our town --- with millions of cars passing by each week. Lots of opportunities for success, yes? But no, it can't keep people coming back and the reason is ......... after you get into their parking lot, you cannot get back out again! There's only one entrance/exit and it feeds into an over-load of cars close to a stoplight. Some of the restaurants hired off-duty police to help people get in and out of the parking lot, but that didn't work and nothing will until they get a back exit.

Surely, there must be something that could make a success on that busy corner! Right now it is a sad reminder of poor planning and bad designing. Or could it be because the Free Nancy Branch Creek flows right behind the building and local history haunts that spot forever. I tried to talk to the head cook, but she wasn't talking!

Oh, the last time you saw these feet, they were bowing and thanking everyone for winning the "Best Pedicure" Award in Lucy's video. Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Now they are resting up after a horrible summer of partying and wearing sexy sandals that caused the ruination of their plantar fascias. Adding a heel spur and a bunion into the mix, that right plantar fascia ligament had became inflamed!

The pain finally made me go hopping to the doctor yesterday and I got a shot in my heel. Ouch!!! You all would be proud of me --- I said NO to pain killers and their killer side effects. Hopefully, today I am on the mend and will be my award-winning self in no time.

That is if my fingernail ever grows back! Someone told me it might be a year before the nail on the finger I broke comes back............ if ever! It sure is ugly now. I didn't know what to do with the nail after it became detached on one side and was hooking on everything, so I asked an expert. My hairdresser!!!  Well, she does nails too and she said, " Get someone to hold down that one side and cut off all that dead nail! Then file it down so there's no snags." So, of course, I did just that! It was the best advice I got during all my cry-baby whining.

No sympathy cards, please, Streamers. Just do a good deed to someone in need. ~~~ Peace & Hugs, Rita B