*car insurance*

It is very difficult anymore to find low cost automobile insurance policies. However, car insurance is essential if you plan on driving anywhere, and especially if you live in the Midwest and don’t have reliable public transportation, like me!

The internet has been merged with insurance so much lately. With most insurance companies, you can find insurance quotes online. One such company will give Advantageauto quotes online.

i can't resist!

I've seen this video before but, you have to admit it, it's CUTE!

*nasa news*

Latest news for NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak: the judge says she can remove her electronic tracking bracelet. Prosecutors say Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando, wearing protective underwear to reduce the number of stops, wearing a disguise, to attack and possibly kill a romantic rival. I have to admit, I really wonder what drives a woman to do something like this. It’s especially surprising that this is a NASA astronaut, although lately there has been a lot of controversy coming out about them!

another hamster video

These look like Syrian hamsters. It's awfully challenging to get a pair or trio of Syrians that will live together without fighting (particularly of the same sex). But I do wish I could find one.

*kitchen faucets*

My dad has fixed the faucet in our kitchen more times than I can count. Faucets are like that… they just break after awhile! So whenever the faucet starts leaking or when it won’t turn off completely, my dad gets in there and tightens this or that, or maybe replaces a washer. I suppose one of these days we’ll have to start looking at new kitchen faucets, though – it won’t last forever!

funny hamster video

*weddings*

Weddings are so doggone expensive anymore. You have to buy so much stuff just to pull of what is considered to be a “respectable” wedding. In the end, your wedding can cost thousands of dollars. It’s really pretty ridiculous! It’s a good thing that you can get some of your wedding supplies, like personalized wedding favors or bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, for a lower cost through the internet. If you’re getting married and you want to save money, you’ll have to do lots of planning, but it will all be worth it in the end. And hopefully your wedding will be just the beginning of a magical lifetime together!

Top Ten Signs Your Neighbor is Hiding Osama Bin Laden

Courtesy of CBS and the Late Show with David Letterman

10. He's turned backyard jungle gym into Taliban training camp

9. You call over there and someone answers, "Death to America... I mean, Yello"

8. There's a large "No Infidels" sign on the front porch

7. In latest video, behind Osama is you mowing the lawn

6. Neighborhood suddenly reeks of figs and sheep

5. Just had delivered issue of People's "25 Sexiest Mullahs"

4. Got invited to summer block party -- this years theme: "Sun, Fun and Jihad"

3. Mailbox now reads, "Rutherford/Bin Laden"

2. Car in the driveway has a hilarious "Martyrdom or Bust" bumper sticker

1. Last Sunday, Kim Jong-Il dropped by for Brunch

lost bible

A cowboy lost his Bible while he was mending fences out on the range.

Three weeks later, a cow walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth.

The cowboy couldn't believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the cow's mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, "It's a miracle!"

"Not really," said the cow. "Your name is written inside the cover."

*ninja*

I must admit that, as of late, I have not really been a fan of Halloween. I do have lots of good childhood Halloween memories, though. Halloween was different back then – much less gory! The costumes at my class parties usually consisted of a lot of princesses (I was a princess one year!), maybe a few animals (I was a rabbit one year!), a few cowboys and sheriffs, maybe a Native American costume. The goriest outfits in a classroom would be maybe a Halloween Ninja or a few Halloween witches. Nowadays the goriest outfits have so much blood and general yuckiness. So if you want to back down to a ninja or princess outfit, I’m all for that.

thunderstorms

I miss thunderstorms. I’m a true Midwesterner, and it’s been awhile since we’ve had a thunderstorm. I love sitting indoors and listening to the thunder boom outside, or watching the lightening outside the back door. Sometimes, when there is no lightening but the rain is pouring down in sheets, I like to step outside and just feel the rain pounding against my skin. According to the Weather Channel, we *might* get another thunderstorm in a week or so. Not nearly soon enough for me!

weird and wild shark encounters

This story, out of Kaaawa, Hawaii, has got to be one of the strangest, if not THE strangest, shark encounter ever recorded. A boy was out body boarding when, he says, he kicked his foot INSIDE the mouth of a tiger shark. The shark didn’t actually bite him, but since his foot brushed against the shark’s tooth he later had to get a half-dozen stitches in his heel.

*sea world*

When my parents took me to Florida, we were only able to go to Disney World. We didn’t get SeaWorld Tickets or tickets to any other theme parks or museums in the area. Years ago, when I was pretty young, my parents took my sister and I to Sea World San Antonio, which (as I remember it) was pretty neat. Maybe one day I’ll be able to go back to one of the Sea Worlds. I love animals and marine life, and I would love to visit there again. It reminds me of the dolphins and whales that I saw from the ship when I was in Africa. Even in the wild, they are incredibly intelligent creatures.

one shelter, two ticks

Yeserday I went up to the shelter to walk the dogs. Of course I loved it... I mean, as far as exercise goes, it's a lot easier when I'm volunteering and when I have a bunch of really sweet dogs to keep me company.

After I got home yesterday, I felt pretty grubby so I jumped straight into the shower. In the shower I discovered two tiny ticks on me! Luckily they were both on my legs - one on my left ankle, one on my right knee. And even more luckily, those were the only ticks I could find! They were the teeny-tiny seed ticks, or maybe deer ticks. Right after my shower I got a pair of tweezers, a roll of scotch tape, and a couple of index cards, and I pulled out the ticks and taped them to the index cards (just in case I get sick and need to refer to them later). But luckily, I don't think they got in deep enough to do any damage. Both of them survived being pulled out of my skin, so I don't think they had latched onto a blood vessel yet. Icky!

tell me why...

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know that the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest but duck when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 's' in the word 'lisp'?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum cleaner one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end you first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

Why do you never hear father-in-law jokes?

*hotels in paris*

During her freshman year of college, my older sister had the opportunity travel to Paris with a group of students and professors from her school. She and her friends went to several famous Paris museums, as well as places like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. There’s a reason they call it the “City of Lights” – Paris is a beautiful city, during the day OR during the night!

She was lucky because she got to sleep in the best of the Paris Hotels. Hôtels en Paris can be found online very cheap. In fact, my sister’s group found their hotels in Paris in advance on the internet, which made their travels so much easier.

baby stories

It really does take all kinds to make the world go 'round! Here's two stories that are just about polar opposites!

This first story is about a woman here in Kansas City. She worked at a local McDonald's and was very pregnant - must've been eight or nine months. Anyway, she went into labor at work and had the baby in the restroom of McDonald's. (ick! I would SO not want to deliver a baby on the floor of a McDonald's restroom!) After she delivered the baby, she tried to flush the baby down the toilet three times. LUCKILY I guess the baby didn't fit! Her co-workers checked on her after she had been in the bathroom for a long time - that's when they found her with the baby. They called 911. Paramedics were able to successfully revive the baby, and now he is recovering at Children's Mercy Hospital and is expected to be fine.

This other story comes from down south, in coastal Texas. A shrimp boat took off with a crew that included a cook who was eight months pregnant. When she went into labor 30 miles offshore, the captain used a new roll of paper towels, net twine, and boiling water to successfully deliver her baby - even though the baby was breech! The captain had to give him CPR, but soon he was breathing and crying normally. (I can see a commecial for it already: "Bounty Paper Towels: Best for Delivering Your Baby at Home!")

*bid4prizes.com*

I found this website which offers free gifts and free sweepstakes. You go to bid4prizes.com and find the gift/prize that you want, and then you bid on it. The lowest unique bid wins. This means that, for example, if two people bid one cent, then one cent is NOT a unique bid. If only one person bids two cents, then two cents is a unique bid and that person wins.

The bid dollars are imaginary, though – the winner does not actually have to pay anything for their prizes. Even shipping and handling are included. Some prizes come in the form of cash prizes, which are almost better than the other free gifts. You can find all kinds of cool stuff on this site, so check it out.

"ouch!" by this old house

Usually on Saturdays, my mom and will watch "This Old House" on PBS. We don't have cable, and ever since they replaced the former host with the new (and much cuter) guy, it's been a lot more enjoyable. Not just because the host is cute - but the show has a better pace.

So anyway, I admit that my construction skills are pretty minimal. I don't know a lot about building stuff! But when I think about construction, I usually think about building stuff the way Pa builds the log cabins and furniture in the "Little House" books. Definitely not this!!!

*hotels in australia*

Australia is one of the other continents I’ve never visited. The idea never really occurred to me until I went to Africa and met several people from Australia and New Zealand. The Aussies were really nice people! That led me to learn more about their homeland. There really are some neat things in Australia – and I’m not just talking about kangaroos or the Sydney Opera House!

Of course, with my connections in Australia and the internet, it would be a breeze for me to secure hotels in Sydney, hotels in Melbourne, or hotels in Brisbane. That’s good, because I’d probably want to visit every part of that continent that I could!

*london hotels*

I certainly hope that before too much longer I will get to visit London. On my way to Africa, I flew through Heathrow, which is as close as I’ve ever come to London – or even Europe, for that matter! London is so filled with history, and I think it would be a really neat place to visit – even if only to say that I got to go there!

London is filled with adorable hotels and B&Bs. Luckily I can find all of these on the internet and book a room without ever leaving my home! I know that I will appreciate it when I get there, too – I hear it’s quite chilly and rainy in London, and I probably wouldn’t want to search for a hotel in that weather!

*mailboxes*

When I was 16, naturally I was very eager to get my driver’s license. In the course of learning to drive, I managed to knock down two mailboxes – ours and our neighbors! (Fear not, my driving skills have improved significantly since those days!)

Luckily my parents were able to find good replacement residential mailboxes that met the USPS standards. We actually found quite a selection of both residential and commercial mailboxes!

*online tutoring*

So how many parents and students out there have needed tutoring or homework help at one point or another? I know I sure have! And sometimes it can be so hard to find a qualified tutor!

Here’s the fantastic part of the internet: Online tutoring is available 24/7 in subjects like math – including algebra or geometry – and science. You can find tutoring for all the K-12 subjects, and also for most college courses. If you need tutoring help in the middle of the night, you can get help online. If you need help during the day, it’s always available online. That’s the beauty of the internet!

who is peter?

I teach Sunday School to three-year-olds and, last Sunday, I said, "Today, we're going to study about Peter. Can anybody tell me who Peter was?"

One little boy raised his hand so I asked him to stand up and tell the class who Peter was.

He stood up and proudly declared, "I think he was a rabbit."

10 rules of housekeeping...

"Vacuuming too often will weaken the carpet fibers." Say this with a serious face and shudder delicately whenever anyone mentions Carpet Fresh.

Layers of dirty film on windows and screens provide a helpful filter against harmful and aging rays from the sun. Call it an SF factor of 5 and leave it alone.

Cobwebs artfully draped over lampshades reduce the glare from the bulb, thereby creating a romantic atmosphere. If your husband points out that the light fixtures need dusting, simply say, "What? And spoil the mood?"

Explain the mound of pet hair brushed up against the doorways by claiming you are collecting it there to use for stuffing hand-sewn play animals for underprivileged children.

If unexpected company is coming, pile everything unsightly into one room and close the door. As you show your guests through your tidy home, rattle the door knob vigorously, fake a growl and say, "I'd love for you to see our den but Fluffy hates to be disturbed and the shots are SO expensive."

If dusting is REALLY out of control, simply place an urn on the coffee table and insist that, "THIS is where Grandma wanted us to scatter her ashes..."

Don't bother repainting. Simply scribble lightly over a dirty wall with an assortment of crayons and try to muster a glint of tears as you say, "Johnny did this when he was two. I haven't had the heart to clean it..."

In a pinch, you can always claim that the haphazard tower of unread magazines and newspapers next to your chair provides the valuable Feng Shui aspect of a tiger, thereby reducing your vulnerability. Roll your eyes when you say this.

Dust bunnies cannot evolve into dust rhinos when disturbed. Rename the area under the couch 'The Galapagos Islands' and claim an ecological exemption.

Mix one-quarter cup pine-scented household cleaner with four cups of water in a spray bottle. Mist the air lightly. Leave dampened rags in conspicuous locations. Develop an exhausted look, throw yourself onto the couch, and sigh, "I clean and I clean and I still don't get anywhere..."

*emergencies involving children*

Back to school season is upon us, and with the excitement comes the dangers students face when they are away from their parents. Luckily, though, there are plenty of options available for concerned parents. Defywire has created a list of procedures that parents should go through before an emergency occurs to make the day of an emergency smoother. Hopefully it will never happen to you. But you can never be too prepared.

letter from a farm kid (now at san diego, marine corps recruit training)

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you have to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay... practically nothing. Men got to shave but it's not so bad... there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you 'til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over inSilver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.

Your loving daughter,
Alice

*hotels in spain*

I’ve never been to Spain, but I’d love to visit one day. Oddly enough, when I visited Thailand, I met two women from Barcelona, Spain. Again, when I visited Hong Kong, I met a gentleman from Barcelona. When I was in Africa, one of our second officers was from Barcelona.

Of course, knowing me, I would have to check out the historic sites in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain – and there are plenty! I think Spain is overlooked in terms of the history that it offers. Barcelona has several parks, cathedrals, museums, and historic buildings. Madrid, also, has several historic homes and palaces.

Of course, thanks to the internet, I’ll have no trouble getting Hotels in Madrid, Hotels in Barcelona, or Hoteles in Barcelona. There’s no better way to get a great rate and to learn everything about what to expect before I ever leave my home.

*uk hotels*

My family almost went to the UK this summer. It didn’t happen, for a number of reasons, but I still hope to visit the UK one day. After serving on the ship, I have lots of friends all over the UK that I’d love to visit. Plus, there are so many historical sites all over England and the UK. I love history and it would be so neat to visit those places.

There are lots of old castles all over the British countryside. It would be so neat to visit Stonehenge, which is a truly ancient site. In London, I could visit Big Ben, the famous clock, or go to Trafalgar Square or Westminster Abbey. Plus, London and other parts of the country have museums and historic sites celebrating Charles Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austin, and other famous British authors.

The internet makes a vacation to these places so much easier, too. It’s fantastic because I can find Hotels in London, Hotels in Manchester, Hotels in Birmingham, or hotels in just about any other part of England. I can make a reservation and learn everything about the hotel without ever leaving my home.

*email marketing*

Yesterday I wrote about snail mail lists. This post is kind of about the same thing, but it’s about email marketing. Specifically, this is about email marketing for bloggers. Have you ever thought about creating a newsletter before? I certainly have! You can create a newsletter that will update your audience about the news and changes going on at your corner of cyberspace. Create a mailing list, include a space on your blog where visitors can sign up, and keep your audience up to date.

My only hesitation about creating a newsletter for my blog is that I hate to add to the junk e-mail that many people already receive. However, I still wonder if I couldn’t create a larger audience this way! What do you think? If I had a newsletter, what would you like to hear about? If you had a newsletter, what would you write about?

What about sending a reminder email to your audience every time you update your blog? How would you like to ensure that all of your readers get the chance to read all of your posts? Email marketing may be the solution for you! I’m definitely considering it. Why not? Aren’t we all in pursuit of more readers?

grandma's visit

My mom lives in another state and she came to visit us for a week.

When she arrived, my four-year-old son, Andy, told her, "I sure am glad to see you, Grandma. Now Daddy will do the trick he's been promising us."

Grandma was curious. "What trick is that?" she asked.

Andy replied, "He told Mommy that he'd climb the walls if you came to visit."

*lap band surgery*

Earlier today I briefly mentioned weight loss surgery. I definitely don’t think stomach stapling or lap-band surgery is a quick fix for weight loss! However, I do think that food can be an addiction, and for people with morbid obesity, I do think surgery is an option. But remember, don’t opt for surgery until you’ve already tried to lose weight through diet and exercise.

mommy

A father went to the store with his four-year-old daughter. He was just getting essentials like milk and bread and he decided to save time by not pushing a cart around the store.

"That's not the way Mommy does it," his daughter informed him.

"I know," he said. "Daddy's way is okay, too."

It was raining when he came out of the store and he quickly carried his daughter, a bag of groceries and the milk to the car. Not wanting to set anything down on the wet ground, he put the jug of milk on top of the car, opened the car door with his now free hand, put the groceries in and set his daughter into her car seat. Then, he got into the driver's seat.

"That's not the way Mommy does it," his daughter told him again.

"There's more than one way to do things," he replied patiently. "Daddy's way is okay, too."

As they left the parking lot and headed down the street, he heard a scraping sound on the roof as the jug of milk slid down the roof, bounced off the trunk and splattered to the ground, sending milk in every direction.

In the second it took him to process his mistake, his young daughter looked at him and, in a most serious voice, said, "That's NOT the way Mommy does it."

*attic lift*

So when I first saw this opp, I was intrigued. What is an attic lift? When I saw it, I knew I had to write about it. With the housing market like it is right now, lots of people are not selling their homes! Houses – like mine – are getting very full. Our house has lots of stuff in it – my stuff and my sister’s stuff, but also since the deaths of my grandparents, we have received a lot of stuff from their homes. It has been years since we were able to put two cars in our two-car garage. If you are in a situation like ours, get an attic lift. I think I will be looking into this!

scared of thunderstorms?

One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?"

The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't, dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."

A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: "The big sissy."

*handbags*

My good friends know that I am a bag and accessory junkie. Handbags, purses, scarves, jewelry – I have way too much of all of it! So I’m always cruising for good looking, low cost accessories. There are quite a few great deals on the internet. Lots of good websites have “clearance” and “sale” sections. You have to be smart about it, though – some websites only sell junk. Some of them only have handbags that look very out of style. So, find the best websites for the best deals. One such site is belisi.com. You can Shop for handbags at Belisi Fashions.

whose daughter?

A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Brown's daughter."

Her mother told her this was wrong; she must say, "I'm Jane Brown."

The following Sunday, the Minister spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Brown's daughter?"

She replied, "I thought I was but my mom says I'm not."

*drug rehab for teens*

I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll say it again: Drug rehab and other addiction centers are so important. Rehab is especially important with teenagers. Teens are at such a developing time in their life. If you’re a teenager, and you’re in need of help for an addiction, find a Teen Rehab center. These are especially oriented towards developing teenagers and can help you get back on the right track.



This is a sponsored post.

the turtle

Deep within a forest, a little turtle began to climb a tree.

After hours of effort, he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground.

After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground.

The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting nearby on a branch watched his efforts.

Finally, the female bird turned to her mate and said, "Dear, I think it's time to tell him he's adopted."

*coke zero*

Have you tried Coke zero yet? I must admit that I am purely a Coke drinker – no Pepsi for me! I like Coca Cola Classic, and I like Diet Coke, so imagine how pleased I was when I heard that Coca Cola was producing a new, low calorie beverage! I strongly urge you all to try it!

*hawaii*

Another great island to visit in Hawaii would be the big island, which is also called Hawaii. There are tons of Big Island vacation rentals, all over the island – on the beach, in the cities, everywhere. I found a great Hawaiian Travel Blog with lots of information about places to visit in Hawaii.

Did you know that Hawaii’s Big Island is still growing? Because of the volcanoes on this island – specifically the ones in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – the island is growing by a few inches every year. Isn’t that amazing?

The Big Island also represents more climate zones than any other Hawaiian island. Eleven different climates are represented – everything from lush rain forests to arid deserts to black sand beaches to snow capped mountains. It’s small enough that you could easily travel from one climate to another and back again, all in one day! How cool is that?

*maui*

I wish I could find a Hawaiian Local Travel Blog so I could learn more about places to visit in Hawaii. Of course, if I visited Hawaii, I would want to see the flora and fauna of the islands. Plus the ocean is an obvious travel choice. But I think there is a lot more to see.

Maui would be one great island to visit. There are Maui vacation homes for rent all over the island. There’s an ocean center in Maui where you can actually swim with dolphins, which would be very cool. There are lots of natural waterfalls and rainforests – plenty of God’s amazing creation to admire. There’s a dormant volcano, and you can explore old lava flows and see where the lava became rock and where it met the ocean. I think that would be cool – I’ve never seen a volcano before, and I think it would be neat to see a volcano and the effects of a volcano on its surrounding environment.

*Hawaii homes*

I would really love to travel to Hawaii. I’ve done a lot of traveling so far, but in all my travels I still haven’t made it to Hawaii. Hawaiian vacations sound so nice sometimes. It can be challenging sometimes to get Hawaiian Local Travel Information. That’s one reason I’m glad I have the internet.

When I think of a Hawaii vacation, I often imagine myself living in a cottage, sleeping in a hammock, on the beach. I can almost smell the salty air. I would love to rent a cottage or visit a spa in Hawaii and just be completely spoiled rotten. I would get a massage and a facial, and then I would lay out in the sun on the beach.

Nowadays it’s pretty easy to rent a cottage on the beach, which sounds so nice. It would be so nice to spend time in a cottage that is in such a great location as a beach in Hawaii, and renting is perfect because you won’t have to commit to any of the long term risks.

who is peter?

I teach Sunday School to three-year-olds and, last Sunday, I said, "Today, we're going to study about Peter. Can anybody tell me who Peter was?"

One little boy raised his hand so I asked him to stand up and tell the class who Peter was.

He stood up and proudly declared, "I think he was a rabbit."

*hypnosis*

When I was in college, the university always had a hypnotist during “welcome week”. I only went to his presentation once. It was kinda funny, I guess, but I felt bad for the people who allowed themselves to be hypnotized and then did dumb stuff onstage.

I do think, however, that hypnosis is a pretty neat tool that can help if you are trying to overcome bad habits or addictions. It might help you to stop smoking or to quit another bad habit, like chewing your nails or overeating. It’s not a miracle cure-all but it definitely can help. If you learn hypnosis, you can actually hypnotize yourself – which is pretty cool!

flip flops and bare feet

My friends know that I just love flip flops, and I love to be barefoot. I run around the house in bare feet all the time, and sometimes I run around outside barefoot. When I was in college, sometimes I would even go to class barefoot.

Sometimes I come across a story like this one, saying that flip flops are hazardous to your health. Every now and then I will even come across a story saying that being barefoot is hazardous to your health. Usually these stories will talk about how running around barefoot or in shoes without adequate support will cause spinal and other musculoskeletal problems.

I find this to be odd. I suppose they've got some kind of scientific support for their claims, but I always wonder, if that's true, how did people get along before shoes? I was born without shoes and I'll probably die without shoes. Why are shoes so essential in the meantime?

tragedy at the Utah mine

I am filled with so much compassion for the families and searchers at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah. A sixth bore hole has revealed no signs of life. The mine's owner has filed papers to close and seal the mine. I think that is the best option - that mine is clearly a dangerous place now. However, I just cannot imagine how difficult it must be to walk away from the mine knowing that the bodies of six men are inside.

*silver and gold*

In recent years, the value of the dollar and other currencies has fluctuated wildly. The stock market has bounced like a ping pong ball. Many investors are opting to invest in the “gold standard” of investments – silver and gold!

In the days before banks, the early investors bought precious metals like gold and silver and just hid them from the neighbors. The prices of gold and silver have remained relatively stable, adjusted for inflation. The value of currencies was originally built against the set value of precious metals stored in places like Fort Knox. In fact, early coins were made from gold, silver, and other precious metals.

This may be one of the best times in history to purchase silver or gold. If we have an economic recession or economic depression in the future, your economic future may be made secure by your silver or gold.

Sheridan's does NOT make it right

I've blogged about Sheridan's Frozen Custard before. First I wrote about a disappointing experience at Sheridan's in this post.

Well, then I wrote this post, in which I wrote about how Jim Sheridan personally contaced me and promised to send me a gift certificate to his restaurant.

Days passed. Weeks passed. It's been almost two months, and I still have not received the promised gift certificate. I have had two more incredibly unpleasant experinces at Sheridan's, both due to poor customer service. I now have only this to say to Mr. Sheridan: You have lost my business. Permanently. It will take a miracle to get me to return to Sheridan's Frozen Custard, much less to say nice things about Sheridan's to my friends or to write nice things about Sheridan's on my blog. You blew it, Mr. Sheridan. You blew it.

Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth Suddenly Becomes Convenient?

Whoops! Hottest U.S. Years Were In 1930s

gimme a break...

At the school where my mom teaches, they recently installed a new security filter on their computers. It's supposed to prevent the high school kids from visiting or viewing inappropriate web pages. (It's important to interject here that they consider 99% of the internet to be inappropriate. Blogging and social networking sites are inappropriate, as well as news sites like cnn.com, and even some email sites like gmail.com.)

The administration seems to have a great deal of confidence in this new filter. I find their confidence quite laughable. It was a high school sophomore who showed me how to hack through their last filter. I'm betting it will only be a month or two before the students ar able to hack through the new filter. What can I say? Kids are smart!

*curtains*

In my old apartment, one of the first things that I had to get was curtains for all the windows. It’s amazing, how many little things you need to take care of whenever you buy or rent a new place. If you enjoy sewing or crafting, you can also make your own curtains. You can find lots of heavy-duty curtain fabric online, or you can buy ready-made curtains for lots of different sizes of windows online.

grandma's visit

My mom lives in another state and she came to visit us for a week.

When she arrived, my four-year-old son, Andy, told her, "I sure am glad to see you, Grandma. Now Daddy will do the trick he's been promising us."

Grandma was curious. "What trick is that?" she asked.

Andy replied, "He told Mommy that he'd climb the walls if you came to visit."

*pens*

I’m kind of a writing utensil junkie. I guess that was one of the nice things about working at Office Depot – the employee discount – although I certainly don’t need to spend any more money on this! I have oodles of pens and mechanical pencils, and through many years of trial and error, I can tell you which ones are the best.

*diamonds*

When I was at Walmart the other day, shopping for earrings, I saw a couple shopping for wedding bands at their jewelry counter. I guess Walmart would certainly be a low-cost place to shop for those. I’ve read about diamonds for sale online, but that’s a pretty risky business, since you can’t see the diamond before you buy it and there is actually a lot of variety in the quality of the diamond. Not sure that I care a whole lot – in fact I’m not sure that I would even buy a diamond, just because of the risk that it could be a blood diamond mined from a war zone.

*jewelry*

I’m not really a jewelry person, but since I got my ears pierced I’ve been looking more and more for cute and good-looking earrings. In general I don’t wear a lot of fashion jewelry, but I’ve found a couple of pairs of earrings that I like. My biggest challenge is that, since I got my ears pierced in Africa and originally wore a lot of really cheap earrings, I am pretty sensitive to nickel and possibly some other metals. So I am always looking for good-looking earrings that are sterling silver or 14k gold.

*real estate*

We had a visitor in church last week from Arizona. It was pretty interesting, since one of the retirees from our church has been considering selling her home here in Missouri and buying a piece of Arizona real estate. Personally I’m not sure if it’s a great time to do so, or at least to sell her Missouri home. It seems that, lately, it has been a good time to buy real estate but a poor time to sell real estate.

mommy

A father went to the store with his four-year-old daughter. He was just getting essentials like milk and bread and he decided to save time by not pushing a cart around the store.

"That's not the way Mommy does it," his daughter informed him.

"I know," he said. "Daddy's way is okay, too."

It was raining when he came out of the store and he quickly carried his daughter, a bag of groceries and the milk to the car. Not wanting to set anything down on the wet ground, he put the jug of milk on top of the car, opened the car door with his now free hand, put the groceries in and set his daughter into her car seat. Then, he got into the driver's seat.

"That's not the way Mommy does it," his daughter told him again.

"There's more than one way to do things," he replied patiently. "Daddy's way is okay, too."

As they left the parking lot and headed down the street, he heard a scraping sound on the roof as the jug of milk slid down the roof, bounced off the trunk and splattered to the ground, sending milk in every direction.

In the second it took him to process his mistake, his young daughter looked at him and, in a most serious voice, said, "That's NOT the way Mommy does it."

*Memory Walk*

My family has been blessed. We have a history of cancer and heart disease, but no one in my family has died of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a really tragic neurodegenerative disease that usually strikes people over age 65. Generally it is marked by progressive cognitive deterioration as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms and behavior changes. In the “olden” days, doctors just called it dementia, but it’s much worse than that. I cannot imagine the heartbreak that the families of Alzheimer’s patients must go through every day. There is no known cause or cure for Alzheimer’s.

The Alzheimer’s Association was created to research Alzheimer’s and to hopefully find the cause and cure. Every year, they hold a Memory Walk, a 2-3 mile walk that raises money in the fight against Alzheimer’s. The Memory Walk occurs every year in over 600 different communities. You can become a “team captain” and promote the Memory Walk. It’s not hard work, and you’ll make a big difference in the lives of Alzheimer’s patients around the world.

You can also mobilize your office in the fight against Alzheimer’s. You may be sacrificing one day in your lifetime, but imagine the difference that you could make in someone else’s life. Don’t be overwhelmed – take the first step now!



Team Captain

more problems from China...

It's like my mom says: They don't have to start a war to take over the world. They just have to sell us inferior products.

We've seen massive recalls of pet foods and children's toys. The pet food was contaminated with melanine. Some of the toys were covered with lead paint. Other toys contained magnets that could be swallowed.

Well, here's one more: a story about a couple who bought some sidewalk chalk for their toddler daughter, and discovered that the sidewalk chalk created sparks. Where was it manufactured? Go figure - China.

interesting observation on human behavior...

I went out earlier, and I noticed something strange and interesting while I was driving.

I remember, way back when my parents taught me to drive, my dad always told me that anytime I stopped at a stoplight (or a stop sign or other intersection), I should always leave enough room in front of me that I can see the rear tires of the car in front of me, as well a bit of pavement. That way, if I am ever hit from the rear, my car will not be shoved into the car in front of me. He'll still remind me of that, if he ever decides that I haven't left enough room in front of my car.

So, I am always working on creating the habit of leaving room in front of me. Today, as I sat between cars at a stoplight, I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that the car behind me was CLOSE - very close. I looked in front of me and saw the car in front of me edge forward. I had tons of space in front of me. So I edged forward, just a bit. Then I looked in my rearview mirror again, and I saw the car behind me edge forward, closing the bit of space I had created between us. I edged forward again. He edged forward again. I edged forward. He edged forward. This continued until the light changed.

Seriously, why do we edge forward at a stoplight, particularly when we are two or three cars back? I understand, if you are at the front of the line, that you may edge forward to try and trigger the light to change. But way in the back - what is the point of moving forward? We are certainly strange, strange creatures.

*VoIP*

Long ago, in a land far far away… okay, so it wasn’t THAT long ago, or THAT far away, but it was then and there that the telephone was created. Soon after that, Southwestern Bell was created. Then Southwestern Bell became “Mama Bell”. Then Mama Bell became the “baby Bells”. With the invention of the internet, the telephone scene changed drastically.

Now, you can have your old-fashioned grounded telephone, but if you want, you could also choose VoIP phone systems. VoIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol, combines your internet with your telephone. If you’re trying to get a phone hooked up for your home or business, VoIP is an option that would combine two of your bills into one.

someday...

For what it’s worth and whoever cares, I’m still thinking and dreaming about the day when I will have my own apartment and a settled career. The hardest part of it is that it will probably be a long, LONG time before that comes. I’m not earning a ton of money right now – some, but it’s not enough to survive on. And I fear it’s gonna take a long time to prove that I am the smart, intelligent, articulate writer that I am.

whoa...

Now THIS is why I am not a politician!

Seriously… that story is totally, like… whoa. A Japanese man severed his pinky finger and sent it to the government headquarters. My goodness. First of all, how could he manage to sever his own finger? And then to send it to the government – that’s just a bit too far over the top for me!

*email marketing*

Yesterday I wrote about snail mail lists. This post is kind of about the same thing, but it’s about email marketing. Specifically, this is about email marketing for bloggers. Have you ever thought about creating a newsletter before? I certainly have! You can create a newsletter that will update your audience about the news and changes going on at your corner of cyberspace. Create a mailing list, include a space on your blog where visitors can sign up, and keep your audience up to date.

My only hesitation about creating a newsletter for my blog is that I hate to add to the junk e-mail that many people already receive. However, I still wonder if I couldn’t create a larger audience this way! What do you think? If I had a newsletter, what would you like to hear about? If you had a newsletter, what would you write about?

What about sending a reminder email to your audience every time you update your blog? How would you like to ensure that all of your readers get the chance to read all of your posts? Email marketing may be the solution for you! I’m definitely considering it. Why not? Aren’t we all in pursuit of more readers?

*shrimp*

shrimp cocktail

utah mine disaster

It’s hard to believe that after all this effort to rescue them, we may have to give up. I feel so badly for their families. It’s hard for me to understand why a person would choose to become a coal miner, though at the same time I understand the lure of the money. I certainly hope that the rescuers will be successful in finding them.

new template

Well, obviously I’ve changed the template for my blog today. It has been harder work than I anticipated! I began this morning while blogspot was offline, and spent pretty much the whole day working on it. I’m re-learning the HTML and remembering all kinds of widgets and buttons that I wanted to put on my site. I’m mostly done, and hopefully by tomorrow everything will be as I want it!

new template

Well, obviously I’ve changed the template for my blog today. It has been harder work than I anticipated! I began this morning while blogspot was offline, and spent pretty much the whole day working on it. I’m re-learning the HTML and remembering all kinds of widgets and buttons that I wanted to put on my site. I’m mostly done, and hopefully by tomorrow everything will be as I want it!

*mailing lists*

So, I guess on the one hand I’m like the 99.9% of Americans who hate junk mail. It’s certainly a nuisance, if nothing else! But at the same time, as a small business owner (I think that’s what I am!), there is nothing better than a targeted Mailing List for reaching my clients. If I can put an ad for my product in the hand of a customer who needs it, at the moment they need it, then that is how I will make a sale.

Martin Worldwide creates and sells innovative, targeted mailing list products. They have one of the largest consumer databases in the US and can provide cost-effective services to businesses. If you want to send out a mailing list, Martin Worldwide is the place to start.

ehhh... oh well...

Well this isn't my favorite template, but it looks like it'll have to do for now.
Still needs some work - I need to add some more widgets to the sidebar. But it'll do!

what's up with my blog...

Okay, so as best as I can tell, the template for my blog is acting up. So I am REALLY sorry, to EVERYONE, about this. But I am trying to figure it out right now!

my love/hate relationship with alexa

I've spent the past few days struggling to discover a way to improve this blog's Alexa ranking. I'm not really sure if I want to download the Alexa toolbar, but it certainly seems to be the only way to improve my ranking. I hate to add more software to my computer - my hard drive is so nearly full. It does seem to be a good toolbar, in terms of features. I don't suppose I have much of a choice.

So, I suppose I'll download Alexa. Meanwhile, keep your eyes on this blog. Hopefully within a day or two, I will have a widget installed so that you, too, can install the Alexa toolbar. I'll be talking about it more, I'm sure. So until then... surf away... and have a wonderful day!

url... please comment!

Alrighty folks. I'm deciding which URL I should choose. Now there are a couple of things that go into this... I could start a specialized blog - that is, a blog that focuses on a single topic - and actually it's possible to make really good money that way. Maybe even better money than a general blog. But, my greatest problem there is that I don't know what I should specialize in! Anyone who has suggestions on this, please feel free to send them to me!

So, back to the original problem... if I'm going to buy a URL for a personal blog, what URL should I buy?

I am hoping I will be able to get tidybowl.com or tidybowl.net. Seems appropriate. But what do you guys think? Please, please, make suggestions!

wow... so much to say tonight...

So much, in fact, that I hardly know where to begin!

You have all seen all these sponsored ads that I've done recently. First, in regards to those sponsored ads, I am making a format change. From now on, I will be using *asterisks* to mark my sponsored posts (instead of writing "This is a sponsored post"). I will write an explanation somewhere in the left-hand sidebar, but this "code" will be much more discreet. Some of my advertisers have requested this change, but I still want my readers to know which posts are my original content and which posts are sponsored content.

Second, I am seriously considering purchasing a url and moving my blog onto my own Wordpress blog. I am also beginning the process of training myself in SEO. There is a lot to learn, but I believe it would be a good thing to know.

Though I know that some of my readers are annoyed by the sponsored ads, I am considering the possibility of turning sponsored blog posts into a career. I believe it is possible, although it will undoubtedly take a lot of hard work. I have also learned that, if I learn enough about SEO, I can eventually go into consulting and contract work and have a regular job that way.

So, I apologize for the ads, and I thank you for your tolerance with these ads. If you see anything that you are even remotely interested in - whether it is in a post or in the Google Adsense ads - then please, click on it and learn a bit more about it.

kids and money

I think one of the hardest things out there for parents nowadays is teaching their kids to have good financial sense. Nowadays it is so easy for a young adult to get a credit card. I’ve even read about kids – no older than maybe eight or twelve years old – qualifying for a PayPal account and successfully earning “online” money. There are so many “voices” shouting at a child in the form of advertisements. Luckily there are also lots of good parenting tips available.



This is a sponsored post.

a tumbleweed of thoughts...

My mind is so filled with thoughts tonight. Just lots of ideas, stumbling through my mind. So it will probably take several posts to sort them all out... but I want to do my best!

This first post is sort of dedicated to TJ. Well, it's actually for all of you - you know who you are! but it made me think of TJ. A few days ago I went on a "shopping spree" and bought a couple of Christian music CDs. I haven't bought new CDs in a long time! But I had heard some songs on the radio, and I wanted the CDs... you know how it goes. Mark Schultz has been one of my favorite artists for a long time - once, a few years ago, one of his songs changed my life and gave me the courage to take a step I needed to take. I'd heard a song of his on the radio and I knew I wanted to get his new album.

This post relates back to my post of a week or so ago, when I wrote about my observations about humankind and Christianity. Frankly, in my lifetime, I've been pretty disappointed by the church (speaking in general terms). There have been a LOT of "Christians", many in places of authority (such as pastors and Bible study leaders), no less! who have been extremely judgemental towards me. It's like that Casting Crowns lyric goes - "Jesus paid much too high a price/for us to pick and choose who should come/and we are the body of Christ". As a church we (and I'm accepting some of the guilt here, I'm as imperfectly sinful as the next person) have no business judging other people. And how many people are frightened away from the church because they are not welcomed by the church or because they are hurt too deeply by the very church that should be their refuge?

But I digress. A few days ago I bought the album "Broken and Beautiful" by Mark Schultz. As I read the lyrics to the title track, I was struck by how analogous it was to that post. I'm not exactly sure why. But maybe this song tells us how the church SHOULD be. The chorus sings, "Come as you are/surrender your heart/broken and beautiful". Who among us has not come before God broken? and yet isn't that when God sees us at our most beautiful?

Suddenly this reminds me of my favorite Bible passage, 2 Corinthians 12. Paul writes, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (vv. 9-10) When I am weak, that is when I most need Christ, and that is when Christ can most gloriously shine through me.

Anyway, I won't delay you any longer. Here are the lyrics to Mark Schultz's "Broken and Beautiful". Be blessed!

There’s a businessman
There’s a widowed wife
There’s a smiling face with a shattered life
There’s a teenage girl with a choice to make
It’s crowded here in church today

And the preacher says as the sermon ends
Please close your eyes and bow your heads
Is there anyone in need of prayer
Jesus wants to meet you here
‘Cause we all fall short
We all have sinned
But when you let
God’s Grace break in…

(Chorus)
It’s beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Well he’d never been to church before
But he came today as a last resort
His world was crashing in
And he was suffocating in his sin

But tears ran down
As hope rushed in
He closed his eyes
Raised his hands
Worshiping the God who can
Bring him back to life again

(Chorus)

Cause there’s nothing more beautiful to God
Than when his sons and daughters come
Broken
Alleluia
Alleluia
Come as you are
Alleluia
Alleluia
Come as you are

(Chorus)

Alleluia
Alleluia
Come as you are
(Come as you are)
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Alleluia
Alleluia
Come as you are
(Come as you are)
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

games

I have to admit, I am just not a fan of Macintoshes. They’re not awful computers or anything – just not my thing. But that’s no reason why Mac users should be deprived of Mac games. Games, including mac games and rpg games, are abundant on the Internet. And if you’re smart, you can even find games that you can download for free.

This is a sponsored post.

lap band surgery

Earlier today I briefly mentioned weight loss surgery. I definitely don’t think stomach stapling or lap-band surgery is a quick fix for weight loss! However, I do think that food can be an addiction, and for people with morbid obesity, I do think surgery is an option. But remember, don’t opt for surgery until you’ve already tried to lose weight through diet and exercise.

This is a sponsored post.

the turtle

Deep within a forest, a little turtle began to climb a tree.

After hours of effort, he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground.

After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground.

The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting nearby on a branch watched his efforts.

Finally, the female bird turned to her mate and said, "Dear, I think it's time to tell him he's adopted."

drug rehab for teens

I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll say it again: Drug rehab and other addiction centers are so important. Rehab is especially important with teenagers. Teens are at such a developing time in their life. If you’re a teenager, and you’re in need of help for an addiction, find a Teen Rehab center. These are especially oriented towards developing teenagers and can help you get back on the right track.



This is a sponsored post.

miss me, sweetheart?

My husband and I have been married for eight years. Recently, we made some changes in our lives. He lost 50 pounds and, after being a housewife since we got married, I got a job in a restaurant.

When I came home after my first day at work, I gave my husband a big hug.

He seemed to cling to me longer than usual.

"Did you really miss me that much today, sweetheart?" I asked.

"No," he replied. "But you smell so much like pancakes that I hate to let you go."

words

I love to read. I’ve always loved to read. Whether it’s magazines, books, newspapers, or short stories, there’s something about words that is magical. Words can take you away to a completely different place, where you can be someone completely different, where you can forget all your troubles and cares. I’m amazed and a bit disgusted by our society now that puts so little value on words.

This is a sponsored post.

credit

It’s pretty easy to get into massive debt nowadays. With credit agencies offering credit cards right and left, you can wind up in thousands of dollars of debt, if not more. By that time, your credit card company might send a commercial collection agency after you – and you don’t want that! So do the best thing you can do to avoid that – don’t get into debt.

This is a sponsored post.

hoodia

Did you know that the indigenous populations of South Africa have been using hoodia for hundreds of years? It is a flowering plant, kind of similar to a cactus but not a member of the cactus family. It’s been used to treat indigestion and some infections, and some people claim it works as an appetite suppressant, although that’s quite disputed.

This is a sponsored post.

dell

Personally I’m not much of a fan of Dell computers, although I have heard that they have really good customer service. But if you need a computer, if you do a lot of research and find that the Dell is best for what you need, then go for it. Dell computers and Dell Memory are not awful… just not my personal favorite.

This is a sponsored post.

blinds

When I first moved into my college apartment, I had to buy Blinds for all the windows in that apartment. Because the windows faced north and west – and there were a lot of windows! – the sun would shine right into the apartment unless I got something to cover the windows. The blinds were great, except they proved to be a real pain to dust!

This is a sponsored post.

dog food

Lately, with all the recalls from products made in China, I have been so thankful that I don’t have a pet or a child. Pet food isn’t safe anymore, and neither are the toys you get for your child. If I had a pet, I have no doubt I would struggle to find or create an all natural Premium dog food.

This is a sponsored post.

golf

I’ve played a lot of sports in my lifetime. Most of them were not professional – just fun pick-up games with my friends. But when it comes to golf, my experience does not go beyond miniature golf! I’ve never bought Golf Equipment or played pro golf of any sort. Even with mini golf, I’m a lot better on the computer than in real life!

This is a sponsored post.

california mortgages

I don’t live in California, but I know that California homes are very expensive! If you need or want to buy a home in Cali, you need to get a good california mortgage rate – not to mention a California job that pays well so that you can pay off that mortgage! And once you’ve paid off that mortgage, you can sell the house to pay off your retirement!

This is a sponsored post.

orlando homes

My parents first took me to Disneyland as a high school graduation gift. We had a blast, riding the different rides and getting our photos taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Since then, I’ve looked into jobs and homes in Orlando. It’s an expensive place to live, but a vacation home Orlando would be nice. Of course, you would have to avoid Florida during hurricane season!

This is a sponsored post.

weight loss

Weight loss is such a big deal nowadays. You know how it goes – weight is easy to gain and hard to lose. Personally I get kind of annoyed by all the commercials and such, people getting stomach stapling, that kind of thing. I’m not saying that some people don’t need it, that it’s not a problem for some people. But I hate to see people who get surgery or take diet pills like Ephedra or Fenfluramine-Phentermine like it’s the easy way to lose weight. It can be dangerous! So please, talk to your doctor before you decide to go on a diet or lose weight!

This is a sponsored post.

luxury homes

One of my family’s favorite things to do on the weekend is to go on the free “homes tours”. More often than not, those homes are ridiculously expensive and sooooo nice! We’ll walk around in a million dollar luxury home and tell each other which bedrooms we want and what we like most about the home. If we had a million dollars, we could get a seriously awesome house! If only!

This is a sponsored post.

scared of thunderstorms?

One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm, a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?"

The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't, dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."

A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: "The big sissy."

handbags

My good friends know that I am a bag and accessory junkie. Handbags, purses, scarves, jewelry – I have way too much of all of it! So I’m always cruising for good looking, low cost accessories. There are quite a few great deals on the internet. Lots of good websites have “clearance” and “sale” sections. You have to be smart about it, though – some websites only sell junk. Some of them only have handbags that look very out of style. So, find the best websites for the best deals. One such site is belisi.com. You can Shop for handbags at Belisi Fashions.





This is a sponsored post.

whose daughter?

A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply, "I'm Mr. Brown's daughter."

Her mother told her this was wrong; she must say, "I'm Jane Brown."

The following Sunday, the Minister spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr. Brown's daughter?"

She replied, "I thought I was but my mom says I'm not."

garage lift

So when I first saw this opp, I was intrigued. What is an attic lift? When I saw it, I knew I had to write about it. With the housing market like it is right now, lots of people are not selling their homes! Houses – like mine – are getting very full. Our house has lots of stuff in it – my stuff and my sister’s stuff, but also since the deaths of my grandparents, we have received a lot of stuff from their homes. It has been years since we were able to put two cars in our two-car garage. If you are in a situation like ours, get a garage lift. I think I will be looking into this!

This is a sponsored post.

stock market

Recently I’ve been considering investing in the stock market. I guess that since the market is down right now, it is a good time to invest. However, I freely admit that I don’t know much at all about stocks and bonds and trading and earning money. That’s one of the great things about the internet. Even though I hardly know a thing about the stock market, I can research at sites like Wizetrade and learn about things like how to trade, and what makes a good stock. They also talk about the most important step of trading – when to sell! I’ll let you know if I decide to invest…



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the latest on Office Depot...

So I suppose this update is overdue. But, hey, it's complicated, you know? :)

Last Saturday I went to work, as usual, and did my job, as usual. I can't be completely upfront here about everything that happened, for a variety of reasons... so, if you're really curious, email me and I can explain a bit more in private. But in a nutshell, my manager was acting like a jerk, as usual, and he got really angry for some reason. He was lecturing/yelling at me, and he made an inappropriate comment. So I quit, on the spot, right there.

Right now that means I've joined the ranks of the unemployed, but I'm not upset about it at all. In fact, I'm kinda relieved to be out of that job. I don't know what will come next... but I'll let you know.

pickup truck

I don’t own a pickup truck. I doubt I ever will! When I need to haul something that requires a pickup truck (which is not often), I just call one of my friends who has a pickup truck. Pickup trucks are really good for some people, but I don’t want one because if you get a pickup truck, then you will also probably have to get a toolbox and tonneau cover for the back. Plus the gas mileage is not as good on trucks! Of course, if your job or hobbies require you to haul things around a lot, then a pickup truck would be worthwhile. Just not for me!

This is a sponsored post.

batteries

It’s amazing how much stuff nowadays uses batteries. I remember when I was in Africa, I was always searching for a cheap battery at the market. Not only did I have my laptop, but I had a mouse that used batteries, as well as a pair of speakers, both of which attached to the laptop. Also, all my health/beauty machines had to operate on batteries. It was crazy – and every time I found a cheap battery on sale at the market, I jumped on it. Usually it didn’t last long, but that was okay because it never cost much anyway!

This is a sponsored post.

jewelry

Yesterday I was shopping for earrings at Walmart. Even a discount store like Walmart has tons of quality jewelry! They had gold earrings, silver earrings, gold bracelets, silver bracelets, gold necklaces, silver necklaces, gold rings, silver rings, diamonds, and just about every other gem imaginable. I saw a couple shopping for an engagement ring and several other people shopping for jewelry. It’s become so mainstreamed.

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rc airplanes

When I was younger, I had a neighbor-friend who had a couple of remote control cars and remote control airplanes. One of the RC cars had a little thing that would pop up and squirt water on an unsuspecting person. The RC airplanes were just cool because they would fly. Her mom got mad at us all the time for flying the airplanes inside their house. I guess they’re not good for sheetrock!

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When I was in Africa, my junior high class had to read “Swiss Family Robinson”. They didn’t like it much, but I think it’s kinda interesting to read about how the stranded family built a house and made Bush furniture
out of almost nothing, then fought off the pirates with almost nothing. It’s a pretty neat piece of literature. Modern literature doesn’t even compare!

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life insurance

I’ve been house-sitting for a friend this week, and my friend happens to have satellite television. It’s been a great way to survive the heat wave, but let me tell you, there are TONS of life insurance commercials on cable TV! Of course they are aimed towards older people. It’s crazy – “You too can have whole life insurance without needing a medical exam”, “We offer whole life insurance for everyone”… How lame!

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real estate

One of my neighbors growing up was (is) a real estate agent. I was good friends with her daughter for awhile. I understand she’s done quite well for herself – her agency has grown quite a bit. Sometimes I look at her website or other real estate websites online, just to look at their houses and dream about what I could buy with $100k or even a million. If only!

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Drug rehab

Addictions come in many sizes and shapes, but the most deadly addictions by far are drug addictions. If you’re struggling with drug addiction, now is the time to find a drug rehab center. Don’t wait another minute. I know your life may feel hopeless, and you may feel that you are beyond help. Conversely, you may feel that you don’t need help. Call a drug rehab center anyway. If you really don’t need help, then they’ll tell you that you are okay. If you do need help, they will help you.

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Payu2Blog

Most of you already know at least a little bit about Payu2blog. It’s definitely a website I would recommend. Though they don’t pay as much as some of the other sites, they are one of the few sites that consistently offers new opportunities to earn money. Blog advertising is a great way to get a little spending money – or maybe even more! Payu2blog is a great site if you want to consistently receive assignments and earn $5-$10 per day. It may not sound like much, but it definitely adds up!

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Criticrant.com

Have you ever seen a movie or TV show that was just so fantastic you had to tell everyone about it? Have you ever seen a movie or TV show that was just so awful you had to warn everyone to avoid it? Now you can visit Critics Rant to tell the world about your movie reviews and your reviews of TV shows. Tell your friends about the great movie you just saw, and encourage them to go see it too. Tell your friends about the awful TV show you just suffered through, and encourage them to avoid it. Or, just practice writing your reviews so that you can get a job in Hollywood!

online dating

Most of you know that I’m not really a fan of online personals websites. One of the many things I dislike is the cost – some sites are ridiculously expensive! So when I find free online dating sites, that’s pretty neat. If nothing else, free dating sites are a great way to meet new people and make new friends. While I always encourage patrons of online dating sites to use caution, you don’t have to eliminate them entirely. I would be especially cautious with a free site like this. However, if you decide to pursue online dating, you can still find a fulfilling relationship. Just be smart about it!

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Herfablife.com

Herfablife.com is a nifty new website that is your personal lifestyle guide, specifically aimed at young urban women. At this website, you can find and comment on restaurants, stores, and spas, as well as major events like concerts and the latest in style. This site is still in its beta stage, so now is a great time to sign up! If you’ve just moved to a new city, or even if you’ve lived in the same city for years (like me!), there’s definitely something to be learned from here. Undoubtedly as the site grows, more cities will be added.

Herfablife.com will become your fav lifestyle guide. Look up your city to learn and see what you can learn. You could find all the fantastic out-of-the-way places to visit and learn about all the upcoming events in your city. Don’t discount them for using a cheesy term like “fab” – it’s still a good site! If you’re young and single, this is the place to learn about the comings and goings of your city. It’s easy to register, and all the important news is displayed prominently on the home page. Don’t waste another minute. Get a fab life! Sign up at herfablife.com!

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Mannatech revisited...

I don't like "MLM"s, or Multi-level Marketing schemes. I'm suspicious of everything sold by an MLM. If it's such a great product, why is it not being sold on shelves at Walmart or another store? Or, at the very least, why doesn't it have a good infomercial? Several good products have made the leap from "infomercial" to "Walmart" - the George Foreman grill comes to mind. I'm even wary of the Mary Kay makeup - one of the most common MLMs around. Why can't I see the makeup and compare the colors first?

Anyway, awhile ago I wrote this post about Mannatech, an MLM that sell a sugar pill called Ambrotose. They claim that Ambrotose can cure cancer, Alzheimer's, even Down Syndrome, as well as a host of other illesses.

Well, I did more research on the placebo effect. Turns out, it IS possible for the body's immune system to fight a tumor or another form of cancer due to the placebo effect (although there is no cure for Alzheimer's or Down's). So perhaps some people will take Ambrotose and improve. But I don't believe they are going to improve due to a sugar pill - I mean, cancer feeds off of sugar! It's just the placebo effect.

I got a sort-of "hate" email from Angie Rhoads, who is featured in that post, telling me that I need to know more about glyconutrients like Ambrotose before stating that, "in my opinion, Ambotose is nothing but snake oil". Furthermore, she asked me to "please do not write about something that you do not know about".

Well Angie, I'm sorry to say it, but the joke's on you. Not only have I taught science, not only is my best friend a medical professional, not only have I lived on a ship with 300+ other medical professionals, but Angie, I guess I'll have to remind you about the car accident that put me into a coma, the years of recovery, the brain injury that almost killed me, the weeks I spent on life support, the hundreds of complications I've suffered, the hospitalizations, and the lifetime of bi-monthly visits to eight different doctor. I guess you never considered that I've learned an encyclopedia of information about the human brain, not because I wanted to, but because I needed to. I guess you never thought that maybe I am one of the people who would be dead without modern medicine.

I stand by what I've said. Mannatech is selling a snake oil in the form of Ambrotose, and falsely claiming that it can work miracles. Show me scientific, double-blind studies that analyze the effects of Ambrotose. IF those studies prove that Ambrotose leads to more improvement than a placebo, then maybe I would consider it to be a realisitic option. However, if Ambrotose is so amazing, why is it only sold through Mannatech's salespeople? Why it sold through an MLM? It just does't make sense.

Hope is a powerful drug, Angie. I can only pray that hope is a strong enough drug to keep you healthy for the remainder of your natural life.

an observation about humankind and Christianity...

Today I made a couple of interesting observations. My good friends know that I am, in many ways, not a fan of the church in the United States today. I've been hurt more deeply by so-called "Christians" than I ever was by non-Christians. FYI, I am going to "profile" two of my co-workers. However, I have attempted to change enough details to protect myself while maintaining the core of their stories.

One boy I work with is named "Coby". He is a Christian and is working two jobs in order to save up and go to Bible college in California. Don't ever mention you're tired when you are around him, because he is ALWAYS more tired than you, since he works so much. The general manager loves him, which I find incredibly annoying but that's not his fault. The GM loves him because he's a good salesman - right down to lying to a customer if that's what it takes to sell them a product! He's incredibly cocky and rude, and he becomes offended if I suggest that he is doing something incorrectly. Today I had to return a piece of antivirus software that he sold to a customer, as well as selling them a computer. The software was not only incompatible with the computer he sold them, but they got a virus as a result of it and had to take their computer to Best Buy for help. Apparently, though, that didn't matter much, as long as he made the sale. Coby always considers himself a little bit above the rest of us, because he considers himself a very "holy" person. He's never touched drugs, never smoked a cigarette, never touched alcohol - and I suspect he figures that God will give some bonus points for those. He's very annoying, and he is one of the many reasons why I look forward to getting a different job away from that store. Plus he has a really bad haircut.

Another gal I work with is "Debbi". I suspect Debbi participates in a lot of "sins" that I'm sure would cause most Christians to gasp in utter horror. However, I've found that Debbi is a pretty neat person. I enjoy talking to her during our shift, when we have those opportunities. Believe it or not, we have a lot in common. We're both looking for jobs outside of OD, we both have a wide variety of interests, and we both think that boys are annoying and overrated. :) If all of the employees at OD were like Debbi, I think it would be a much more pleasant place to work. Debbi understands that, although this is a store and we have to make a profit, it's about more than sales. I can't help but wonder, if Debbi were to walk into a church today, would she be welcomed or shunned for her sinfulness? Honestly we should be welcoming her, because Debbi is humble enough to know that she is no better than anyone else. You and I are also no better than anyone else. I mean, you're a sinner, and I'm a sinner. We're all in need of God's grace. The end.

I think we would all do ourselves a favor if we took a good look at ourselves and realized how desperately we need God's grace, and that we are no better than anyone around us.

L.A. Car Donation

My first car was a 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity. Now keep in mind, I received this car in 1999, so it wasn’t exactly a new car! My family had owned that car for years, and it had survived my father, my mother, and my older sister. By the time I got it, it had 120,000 miles and very little of the original paint. However, all the parts under the hood were still fantastic! I drove it for another 10,000 miles before I left for college.

When I left for college, I knew I needed a more reliable car. I bought a new car, and instead of selling the old car, I donated it to the Salvation Army. They operate a fantastic homeless shelter in our area, and I knew they could use either the car or the money from selling the car for its parts.

If you have an old car, and you’re thinking about getting a new one, donating your old car is a great way to get rid of it. Donations are usually tax-deductible, and your car can help an organization by giving them either transportation or money from the sale of the car. If you are interested in car donations in Los Angeles, here’s a great website that can help you. L.A. Car Donation is an easy way to improve the smog problem in L.A. Donate your car in Los Angeles! What are you waiting for?

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myfitnesspal.com

So who out there hasn’t been through a period where they needed to lose a few pounds? There are literally hundreds of diet books and diet plans out there, but in the end they all come down to calories. When you expend more calories than you take in, you lose weight. But in order to diet and change the number of calories you take in, you need a good calorie counter. You can find free calorie counters online. If you’re like me – I attempt to check my email approximately ten thousand times per second – then an online calorie counter is a perfect way to track your diet.

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orlando

An Orlando Vacation is pretty neat. My parents took me to Disney World as a high school graduation gift, which was pretty neat. It was my first time in the Magic Kingdom, and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Mickey and his friends that week. I don’t know if or when I will go back, but it would be a lot of fun to visit again.

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water bottle filter

Recently, Aquafina bottled water has been forced to change their bottling to reveal that their water comes from the tap. Dasani has also admitted that their water comes from the tap, although they have not yet been forced to change their packaging. More and more, if you want to drink “pure” water, you have to get a filter to purify the water. You can even get a water bottle filter
to purify your water on the go.

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gaming furniture

I don’t play poker, or basically anything to do with gambling. But I was raised to enjoy lots of different games. Not gambling games – but board games and party games and such. I remember as a kid, we’d gather around my grandparents’ table and play Tripoli, which includes a poker element. (No actual cash was exchanged – just chips and fun poker.) I suppose poker tables might have made the game easier, although it would have been another piece of furniture to store.

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van racks

When I was younger, my family traveled a lot. We never had a van – we just crammed my sister and me into the backseat of a mid-size sedan along with all our luggage. Nowadays, though, more and more parents are buying minivans and SUVs for their kids. Personally I think those kids are spoiled! But if you do have a van, you can take lots more luggage with you. You can even attach a van rack and have luggage on top of the car.

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i have no ambition

If I was really ambitious about writing these ads, I could make a lot more money than I do... if I could convince myself to work consistently for at least an hour a day, I could probably pull in $25-$50 a day. But I have no ambition. Oh well.

Hopefully I will have the day off tomorrow, and I can work on writing, posting, and so on. I'm kinda "on-call" for my job, since my manager is thinking/hoping there will be a rush (because of a sale) and may need more people than he has scheduled.

Have you guys heard about the Minnesota bridge collapse? Unbelievable. What a world we live in.

A few nights ago, my break at Office Depot was from 7-8pm. Later than usual, but I wasn't complaining. There is also a Petco in the same shopping center, so I went over to that Petco just to "ooo" and "ahhh" at the cute animals. What a perfect time! Since hamsters are nocturnal, they were just waking up and starting to play, and they were SOOOOO cute! I'm going to have to get another hammy. Ohhhh... watching the hamsters at Petco was just precious, and made me want to get another hamster so badly!

coupons

Coupons… who doesn’t love them? I’m always amused by people who walk up to my register at Office Depot with several coupons and a gift card or two. Today I had a gentleman who came to my register with five gift cards – how funny! But at the same time, although I get a laugh out of so many coupons, I respect people who are such smart shoppers. Using coupons, sales, and gift cards saves money, which a consumer can then save or use on another part of their budget.

Couponchief.com lists a number of coupons for online purchases. For example, you can get Office Depot coupons to buy your back to school supplies. Parents (of humans or animals!) can find coupons for digital prints from Snapfish.com. Get a laptop for the school year from Toshiba, CompUSA, or Dell. So swing by! Get your coupons!

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