Movin' on

Almost 14,000 visits later, I am moving on from blogger and blogspot to Wordpress.  As I venture into more  freelance writing, it just makes sense, with more options, features, and a smoother appearance, to explore my options. (www.toddrowley.wordpress.com)

In addition to my day job I have a few projects underway.  Two are novels - and who among us truly knows where they will end up (store shelves and your coffee table, I hope) and two are children's books.  I am also in the midst of developing magazine queries and intend to make a new life and new career for myself, and for my family as well. (www.toddrowley.wordpress.com)

Your comments and encouragement have helped sustain my adventure in words for the past few years.  It has grown into a love that I hope remains for many more to come.  I look forward to continuing to share my writing with you over at www.toddrowley.wordpress.com.  See you there!  And keep the comments coming.

- Todd

Just Eat It!

Without a doubt, each person reading this has heard at least one story of random food findings.  When the stories break there’s a rush of stories hitting Facebook and Twitter with people telling their tales – some true, others, well, that’s up to the reader to decide. 

Such items have been reported in the media including a knife in a Subway sandwich, a finger in a bowl of Wendy’s chili, and a chicken’s head in a package of McDonalds chicken McNuggets.  I’ve seen the pictures online…they look real to me.

I turned to Facebook to ask my friends what they had found in their food.  Though not as extreme as the aforementioned treasures, a few were reported:

- a black rubber washer in my burger

- an elastic in my salad

- a piece of stem-like wood in my salad

- a screw in my Wendy’s salad (I was there for this one.  She took it back in and they were thankful because they knew where the screw had come from and they were now able to fix their equipment!)

*** NOTE: Looking at this list I have found that my friends eat a lot of salad.  Looks like it’s safer to eat meat.  And after reading this, you’ll find a considerable amount of “meat” or at least “meat alternatives” in your food anyways.

Certainly these sorts of finds are unusual.  Many more, though, are permitted through the US Food and Drug Administration.  “Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 110.110 allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods for human use that present no health hazard,” and “The FDA set these action levels because it is economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects,” and “It is incorrect to assume that because the FDA has an established defect action level for a food commodity, the food manufacturer need only stay just below that level.”  The site assures that while these limits are set, the averages are much lower.

So, on that note, let’s get specific (Gag ALERT…read on if you dare)

- 20 maggots are allowed for every 100 grams of drained mushroom

- At anywhere from 1/25 to 1/8 of an inch long, Thrips, these tiny little winged parasites are legally allowed in apple butter, canned or frozen asparagus, frozen broccoli, and frozen Brussels sprouts. 

- Five fruit flies with every 8-ounce cup of juice. An 8-ounce handful of raisins and you could be eating as many as 35 fruit-fly eggs.

- 30 or more insect fragments in 100 grams of peanut butter

- 475 insect fragments in 50 grams of ground pepper

- Average of 10 or more fly eggs per 100 grams, OR 5 or more fly eggs and 1 or more maggots per 100 grams, OR 2 or more maggots per 100 grams, in a minimum of 12 subsamples of tomato juice

This list is extensive and can be found online at the FDA site.

Take comfort friends, the government has everything under control and is only looking out for the good of it’s citizens.  So, what are you having for lunch today?  Still hungry?

Everyone has a story and I think that if animals could talk in a language we could understand, they would have a story too.  I wonder what story the frog found in a can of Diet Pepsi would be…?

More food findings found can be found here…

10 Disgusting Things Allegedly Found in Fast Food

10 Most Disgusting Things Found in Food

The World is My Home

I have been blessed with fortune of doing some travel for a variety of reasons – work, vacation, and missions.  My first out of country experience was a trip to England when I was only four years old.  I remember very little, but what I do recall is filled with joy.

Living in southern Ontario a trip south across the world’s friendliest boarder is less than 90 minutes away.  I ventured to Florida when I was 16 to take in Disney experience.  I’ve ridden my motorcycle to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Kentucky.

In Red Square, Moscow

When my wife and I were first married and venturing out on our honeymoon, we did so without any planning.  When we awoke after a night in Niagara Falls we quite randomly decided to go out east (“Where do you want to go today?”  “I don’t know.  How about out east”  “Sure!”).  We began our drive and soon (14 hours later) found ourselves in New Brunswick.  We toured around New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

In Ocho Rios, Jamaica

In 1998 we moved out to Edmonton, Alberta.  A mere 36 hour drive from our home in Ontario.  We took time to visit Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff in the Rocky Mountains.  We met up with family in Kelowna, British Columbia.  Toured through Calgary, Alberta and over to Vancouver, British Columbia.

I Love Canada!  It is such a tremendous country to take in, but you need time.  A lot of time.  I still have much to see and I hope to make many more visits to each province and territory.

I have been to Novokuznetsk, Ocinniki, and Moscow in Russia.  To Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, and Florida in Cuba.  To Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

Me, playing catch in Florida, Cuba
The children had not seen an 'American'
football before

And I long, I ache, to see more.

I posed the question to my Facebook friends, “If you could live anywhere, where would you choose and why?”  I expected some tropical and exotic replies, and certainly there were some: “The moon so I could fly,” and “Italy…just cuz,” and “Israel. Because it is warm all year but mostly because of the wonderful people, the culture and the incredible history.”  Instead, though, I was mostly surprised by people’s contentment and I questioned my own desire to go into the all world.

Many responded that they liked where they lived and wanted to stay in their current home!  “I actually love where I live (Ontario),” “Colorado.  I love the mountains in the summer, but my home the rest of the year (Ohio),” and “Florida for the summer and my home the rest of the time (Ontario).”

Clingman's Dome, Tennessee
Highest point in the eastern US.

Maybe I’m different.  Well, truth be told, I know I’m different.  I’m just not sure why.  I don’t really want to live anywhere, but I want to experience it all.  I long to see parts of the world that are vastly different than my own back yard.  To spend time in the mountains of Peru.  To hear the sounds of the jungles in South America.  To feel the emotion in Rwanda.  To experience the culture shock in Asia.  Just to see how others live.  And maybe find a fit in this world.  Or maybe, just maybe, the world is my home, and there are so many rooms that I just haven’t seen them all yet. 

If you have a few moments, take a visit at www.chrisguillebeau.com.  I think this guy is really on to something.  Even if it’s a lifestyle that doesn’t interest you, but you find yourself having to pack up and travel for work or missions trips, he has some ideas that you may find helpful.

Everyone has a story.  Many more chapters in mine are yet to be written, with many more destinations to come.  If you could live anywhere, where would you choose…and why?  How about you, Chris?