April Fool's Day is just around the corner, so get prepared to pull off some fun (and harmless) pranks on your friends, family and co-workers! Some people love it and some people hate it. These are meant to be fun and light, so have some fun on April Fool's Day and enjoy a few laughs!

1. For the Techno Challenged

If you want to mess with someone’s TV or computer without doing permanent damage, then this is the prank for you!It’s all about the sensors, baby. Simply attach a tiny piece of tape over the laser sensor on the underside of their remote or mouse. This will (temporarily) block the signal. Make sure the tape is the right color—if the remote is black and you don’t have any black tape, use a sharpie to color in it—and then leave it out and wait for the confusion.

2. It's Raining Kittens!

If you can get access to a friend or coworker’s phone, simply launch the website Iphoneception on their browser. You can switch all of their app shortcuts into adorable kitty faces. This is an especially ruthless prank for somebody who isn’t a huge fan of cats.

3. Bubble Wrap Rug Dance

Measure out just enough bubble wrap to hide under the rug of a frequently sued stretch of hallway. Once somebody steps down on it, it’ll make them jump and dive for cover.

4. Tin Foil Office

This is a classic April Fools’ prank for a reason. It takes a lot of artistry to cover everything in somebody’s office with aluminum foil, and it looks really impressive when you’re finished, like you’ve turned their desk and computer and lamp into some kind of futuristic alien workstation. But it’s also easy enough to return everything back to normal after the big reveal. Don’t worry, you can recycle that aluminum foil.

5. Elvis is in The Building

Do you know someone who loves conspiracy theories? This one takes some preplanning but worth it. Tell your friend that you’re pretty sure Elvis has been stalking you. Yes, the King of Rock n’ Roll, who passed away at Graceland in 1977. Your friend will think you’re either crazy or just kidding around. Continue to confide in him that you’re almost positive it’s the real Elvis, and he’s been following you for weeks. Give it all day of April Fool’s for your paranoid ramblings to feel like old news, and then invite them to a happy hour drink. They aren’t aware that you have arranged for an a guy dressed like classic Vegas Elvis to hover nearby, watching you. “Elvis” should catch your friend’s eye first and watch their eyes pop wide open and join in your freak out!

6. Honk if you’re….

Secretly add a bumber sticker that reads: “PLEASE HONK. Driver doesn’t know. April Fool’s Day.” You’ll have to get the sticker/sign in place without the driver noticing. You may need an accomplice to keep the victim occupied while you affix the message to the back of the car. (Make sure it’s something that can be easily removed so the joke doesn’t become a permanent part of his morning commute.)

7. The Sloppy, Wet Sneeze

Fill a spray bottle with some mildly warm tap water, and wait for your moment to strike. Stand behind the victim, no more than a few feet away. Hold the spray bottle up to your face and do a fake dramatic, loud sneeze, and squeeze the spray bottle at the same time, covering the back of them with what they think is snot! Apologize profusely and go along with it for a few seconds before finally revealing the truth!

8. Push it Real Good

Find a door that can only be opened by pulling it, then add an official looking sign to the door that reads “PUSH ONLY PLEASE.” You’ll be surprised how many people keep pushing despite the repeated evidence that it’s just not working. There’s a theory behind this human behavior, which is why it will always work. You’ll have to decide how long to let them struggle before reminding them about April Fools.

9. Ceiling Fan Confetti Trick

Get some paper and cut it up into hundreds of tiny confetti pieces. Carefully place them on top of a ceiling fan—make sure the fan is off, obviously, and that nobody will walk in and catch you in the act—and then stealthy leave as if nothing has changed. Wait for your unsuspecting mark to walk in and flip on the ceiling fan, and then wonder why he’s being showered with confetti like it just struck midnight on New Year’s Eve.

10. Balloon Room Drama

This is where you fill every square inch of your victim’s office/room. It will be impossible for them to enter without popping balloons. You’ll need to use different size balloons to fill in the spaces. The number of balloons needed depends on the size of their office, and the size of balloons you’re using. You can also pull this prank if you have access to their car.

11. Flipping the Screen

This is so simple and it will freak people out, especially if they are techno challenged. All you have to do is get access to their computer, wait till they’re away from the computer and hit Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow. It instantly flips everything on their PC screen so it’s upside down. (Don’t worry, it’s just as easy to reverse. Just hit Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow.) For a Mac, go to their System Preferences, open the Displays option and click on the “Rotate” menu.

12. Possessed Television

You can buy a universal remote and get it synced to your TV. Your friends or family who are watching TV will think they have control with the regular remote. But you’ll be hiding and pointing your universal remote towards the screen. You can hide out of site but within striking distance. When there is a tense moment in the show they are watching, suddenly switch to the Home Shopping Network. They will switch it back, and then do it again. They will be totally baffled that the TV has a mind of its own! This is one you’ll want to practice to be sure you can pull it off.

Most of Country's biggest performers will have to wait until the big show April 7th, but three of the fastest rising New Country stars can celebrate early after winning huge awards in the Best New Country categories.   Ashley McBryde, Luke Combs and Lanco have all been named winners in the new artist categories.
New Female Vocalist category listed nominees Ashley McBryde, Danielle Bradbery, Lindsay Ell and Carly Pearce.  Yesterday the envelope was opened early for New Female and Ashley McBryde won the ACM award. McBryde is also  nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.
Luke Combs crushed the Best New Male Vocalist category to win the ACM.  Lanco grabbed the Best New Group award for 2019.  All winners  received a surprise phone call from 14-time ACM Award® winner and two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year and current ACM Award nominee Carrie Underwood. 

photo courtesy of Alysse Gafkjen 

Cheese, Bites and Booze
California Artisan Cheese Festival
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Jackson Family Wines Hanger

Life is about the pursuit of great taste…in the form of cheese and booze!

Cheese, Bites and Booze is just one of the many events associated with the California Artisan Cheese Festival, which takes place every spring in Sonoma County. My friend and I arrived early and were greeted by excited and friendly workers who got us quickly checked in and slapped with wristbands. Once the doors opened, the sold out crowd flowed into the Jackson Family Wines Hangar at the Sonoma Jet Center. The space was vast and filled wall to wall with booths of, you guessed it, Cheese, bites and booze! It was light and bright and clean and we made our game plan to hit every one of the booths at least once before the end of the evening. We were given a comprehensive printed program with each of the vendors listed and a map. We didn’t look at it once, because it was just one great booth after another! Cheesemakers, restaurants cooking up cheesy bites, wineries, breweries and distilleries, oh my!

We spotted judges amongst the crowd with their clipboards carefully scrutinizing the delicious bites. Not only could the judges select a favorite, but the crowd could chime in too for the People’s Choice awards which were tallied via text. Music from Solorio flowed nicely through the space…not too loud and not too soft. We wandered through the maze of deliciousness, finding some of our own favorites: Tips Roadside with a chili con queso with Pedroza Dairy Northern Gold, peppers, and hand cut potato chips; Railroad Stop Bar & Kitchen with Laura Chenel’s Goat Cheese mousseline on a toasted baguette with persimmon chutney; and The Gables Wine Country Inn with Pennyroyal Farm blueberry laychee on an almond cookie with Crème Fraiche and local honey. The combinations of flavors that the chefs were creating, was positively heavenly.

We can’t forget some of our favorite beverages too – a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Black Kite Cellars; Boochcraft High-Alcohol Kombucha; and Pampelonne Sparkling Wine Cocktails. Cheese makers from all over California were on hand to sample their cheeses straight and to answer questions about their unique cheese making styles – Beehive Cheese Company, Valley Ford Cheese Company, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., and Cowgirl Creamery, just to  name a few of my favorites. Needless to say, it was a night of over indulgence of amazing foods, coupled with perfectly paired drinks, excellent entertainment and lots of our local Sonoma County friends.

Sponsors include: Visit Santa Rosa, Life Opens Up, Jackson Family Wines, Sonoma Jet Center, City of Santa Rosa, Bellwether Farms, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Beehive Cheese, Mike Hudgon Distributing, Pisenti & Brinker, Pure Luxury Transportations, Ellipses, Real California Milk, and Clover Sonoma.

Venue................................. 5 stars

Entertainment/Program... 5 stars

Food.................................... 5 stars

Drinks................................. 5 stars

Décor.................................. 5 stars

Flow.................................... 5 stars

Overall................................ 5 stars

Women In Conversation

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

A mid week delight to inspire and help us look forward to finishing the week stronger than the last.

With an excuse to cut out of work early on a Wednesday, my friend and I arrived at the event to retrieve my tickets from will call, where there was no line at all. We had our choice of meals from gourmet food trucks, The Fig Rig (The Girl and the Fig Restaurant), Black Piglet (Zazu Restaurant) and a pop up from Ramekins. We chatted with the vendors and said hello to Duskie Estes, owner of Zazu Restaurant who had been spending the past several weeks dealing with the aftermath of the flood of their restaurant in Sebastopol. As always, Duskie had a smile on her face and was embracing thankfulness.

We selected riblets at the Fig Rig, and as I watched others with their trays of different foods walk by me, I suddenly wanted to try everything, and questioned my current food choice. Kale Caesar salad, loaded baked potato, herb French fries and tomato soup with grilled cheese. There really was no bad choice. We walked into the lobby to be seated at cozy couches with tiny tables – just enough space for everyone to sit and eat and then motivate and mingle. The riblets were a delicious, yet messy choice, so I held off hugging my friends as they walked through the lobby, so as not to soil their stylish clothing. We stood in a line that moved quickly at the concessions stand to get a glass of champagne. We chatted with other women in line, whom we did not know, but were happy to be there. We visited the sponsor booths with interesting offerings. We left motivational messages inside books for the United Way children’s reading program. We felt the smooth top of a marble table showing off North Coast Tile & Stone’s expertise. We chatted with familiar faces and others we had just met.

I was struck by the strong upbeat, supportive energy in the lobby, as women we didn’t know started conversations that were positive and fun. It seemed as though all of the women there were ready to connect with other amazing women. Lively conversations, laughter and smiles were abundant in that space. There were a few men there too – a couple that had been dragged there by their wives or required to be there by their jobs. My friend Abraham who came with his wife, said that maybe he would learn something! Smart man.

It was finally time to take our seats for the start of the show. Maya Homicz, a young woman of fifteen, walked on stage and told a short story about how she was diagnosed with anxiety disorder at a young age and how she had struggled to live with it. She found her voice, literally, while attending Camp Roustabout at the Luther Burbank Center. She said that when she was on stage and able to sing, all of her troubles washed away and she felt like her true self. Her voice was beautiful as she sang an inspirational song and shared with a room of over a thousand people, her true spirit and her God-given gift. She was an inspiration to kick off a night that would only get better and better.

The first speaker of the night, was Lucia Garay, a young woman and a junior at Casa Grande High School. She spoke with passion from her heart about the inequality among women, blacks, Hispanics and whites as well as environmental justice. She was bold, she was courageous and had a wonderful message of change for her own generation, and our current generation. I was in awe of these two young women with so much courage, conviction and passion for what they believe in to step on stage and share what they know in their hearts is important for others to hear.

The keynote speaker who participated in the “conversation” part of the evening was Tracee Ellis Ross. She is best known for her portrayal of Rainbow Johnson on the Golden Globe award-winning television series, Black-ish. She was undeniably funny, witty, raw, elegant and smart. She shared a small bit about what an amazing and caring mother she had, who just happens to be the one and only Diana Ross. In just a few sentences, I had a new-found respect for Diana Ross in how she raised her children to be kind, caring and to embrace who they really were. Tracee carries that same spirit into her life, even though she is not ashamed to say she does not have children and is proud to be single. Although she did say that she would like to eventually find a man to be a partner with, she is not afraid to embrace the concept of loneliness. She calls it conscious singledom. She wanted women to remember that THEY get to choose who comes into their life, not the other way around. Her realization that she was “not everyone’s cup of tea” was a hard pill to swallow, but after completing a list of things she loved about herself, she realized that was okay. Some of the things she loved about herself most, she knew some people wouldn’t like – she’s a straight shooter and not afraid to say what she thinks. That can be hard for some people to handle.

I felt that the takeaway from the entire evening’s message was about authenticity – being who you truly are, standing up for what you believe in, especially believing in yourself and being kind to yourself are the best ways to bring your gifts to the world. Now go out and spread your tremendous gift!

Presenting sponsor: Summit State Bank

Founding Sponsor: St. Joseph Health

Supporting Sponsors: United Way Women United, KM Herbals

Contributing Sponsors: Hansel Suburu, SOMO Village, North Coast Tile & Stone

Venue................................. 5 stars

Entertainment/Program... 4.5 stars

Food.................................... 4.5 stars

Drinks................................. 5 stars

Décor.................................. 4.5 stars

Flow.................................... 5 stars

Overall................................ 4.75 stars

Photo Credit Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation celebrated its 10th anniversary by giving $150,000 in surprise grants to animal shelters. The program Mutts Across America has supported 250 shelters with more than $750,000 since its inception in 2015 by Miranda and her mom, Bev Lambert. "Music and rescue animals are the two driving forces in my life, and I’m so fortunate that the success I’ve had with my music allows me to help shelter animals more than I dreamed possible," says Miranda. MuttNation has has helped 1,776 shelter pets and counting!  You can't go to a Miranda concert without seeing MuttNation kiosks set up to get fans involved in animal adoption.  Carey's Morning Bull Ride is launching 'Mutt Of The Week' in days here on 106.3 The Bull giving Sonoma County a chance to add a new shelter animal to your family!  More very soon.
 

UPDATED: FIND THE LIST AND MORE INFORMATION AT https://www.scoe.org/storm-update.html

The following schools or districts will be closed on Friday, March 1

• Guerneville School District
• Monte Rio School District
• Montgomery School District
• West Sonoma County Union High School District