harleys

The other day, my parents and I were discussing scooters and motorcycles. Nowadays, in a world of high gas prices, it seems so logical for many people to drive a scooter or motorcycle instead. They're pricy though - I know I could probably only afford used Harleys, not a brand new one. Too bad, 'cuz I could really use the money savings.

notebook computer

I am so glad that I have a portable notebook computer. I so love to have my computer with me all the time, and I love the convenience of being able to take my computer anywhere. I need to buy a new battery for my computer - my current battery is nearly shot. But nonetheless, it's totally worthwhile to have a computer I can sit on my lap.

baby gifts

I just found out this weekend that I have (another) cousin who is pregnant again. Guess it won't be long until I have to search for more baby gifts. Seems like I'm doing that all the time nowadays - makes me wonder if ANYONE I know is opting to develop a career before they have kids. Oh well - if that's what they want then it's fine with me!

gold chain

I am not a huge fan of gold jewelry. Gold earrings, gold necklaces, gold bracelets - even a simple gold chain - not my thing. I am more of a fan of silver jewelry. Of course, I also have lots of jewelry of varying colors that I purchased overseas. That's really my favorite thing - colorful and fun, with lots of personality.

viewsonic monitor

My dad is looking into getting (another) new monitor for his computer. He likes the HP monitor, but the viewsonic monitor is cheaper. Of course, chances are he won't get a monitor at all. But it never hurts to dream, right? If I had a million dollars, I'd treat myself to the nicest computer in existance! Plus all kinds of computer peripherals. If only!

acne treatment

For better or worse, I've lived with acne for most of my life. Luckily it is mostly just a nuisance - I've never had any of those really serious cases of acne. My mom always made sure I got the best acne treatment possible. Now I'm in my 20s and I STILL have acne, which is kinda crazy. I would love to have a clear complexion but luckily I'm not too bothered by the acne. Many people have much worse acne than I do, and periodically my complexion is somewhat clear. I can live with that.

diet pills

I am a huge skeptic about diet pills. I don't believe those commercials that advertise "lose 50 pounds in one month!" or something like that - in fact, it's not healthy to lose 50 pounds in one month! Health-wise, I've been told that losing any more than 2-3 pounds per week is unhealthy and means you are losing bones and muscles. That's NEVER healthy! Plus lots of types of diet pills can mess with your heart and brain and stuff. That's REALLY unhealthy!

gardens

We have changed our gardens so much since I was a kid. We take great pride in having a lawn that looks nice, and we've worked hard with seeds and fertilizer to ensure that the grass is always green and lush. We have three landscaped garden areas (two in front, one in back), and at various times, we have paid to get professional garden decor installed. I'm not a huge fan of gardening, but it is nice to have a lawn and garden that looks good.

peta

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - PETA - is in the news. Again. They really don't know where to stop. This time they are attacking KFC (again) and Butterball. Good gracious. I used to respect PETA - I mean, their goals are really noble on the surface. But they've just done enough dumb stuff that I really think they are dumb. They have even euthanized animals - with no apparent reason. Hypocrites.

best hospitals

US News and World Report today released their list of the nation's top hospitals. Kansas City mostly isn't on that list. I'm not sure what to think of that! I do know, though, that I really am confident in our hospitals. At one point I was critically injured and taken to Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill, and I received absolutely incredible care. I mean, I'm alive - what more can you want?

vialuxe watches

I'm not a fan of luxury watches, but I know several people who enjoy wearing something nice, like a crystal watch, a swiss watch, or an iwc watch. I tend to prefer the cheap, rugged kind of watch - something that I can get for $5 or $10 at a large store. Of course, I do think I would enjoy a pocket watch. People don't wear pocket watches enough anymore. If you want to buy a pocket watch, you have to pay lots of money - basically on the same level as a luxury watch. Oh well.

Vialuxe is a great site that sells those luxury type watches. So, if you are looking for a pocket watch - or any other type of luxury watch - check them out. I can't pronounce the names of most of their brands, so they must be pretty nice! They also sell fine jewelry - something else that I don't wear much of, but if that's your thing, then go for it!

Vialuxe also has numerous ways to research your luxury watches. Makes a lot of sense to me, because if you're going to spend any significant amount of money, you should at least be well educated before making your purchase. They even offer a live chat feature, so you can ask questions in real time. How cool is that?

lightening and gasoline

And of course, speaking of lightening strikes, there was a lightening strike at a petroleum plant near the KC. A tank filled with approximately 2.4 million gallons of gasoline went up in flames. It's quite a fire - quite stunning, really. It's producing a massive amount of smoke, and they have temporarily shut down Kansas City's downtown airport, as well as (I believe) restricting flights in and out Kansas City International Airport. It's still burning as we speak, and could burn for as long as another two or three days. Amazing!

tonight's storm

The storm tonight has calmed down, but what a storm! There was lots of cloud to ground lightening, which is perhaps the worst kind. There was a house fire in Lakewood, and it sounds like it was a really bad fire - two fire departments came out to fight it. A three story apartment building in Westport had a roof collapse and fire - all 17 residents are out of a home and are being helped by the Red Cross tonight. A Price Chopper in, I believe, Gladstone, was struck by lightening and is now missing a part of its roof. Craziness!

hot tub

We don't have a hot tub. In fact, we don't even have a pool! Sometimes we joke about installing a pool in our backyard, and I know I would certainly enjoy having a pool or hot tub in our backyard. I think I may be part fish - I LOVE swimming. Whether it's in a pool or a lake, I love to be wet.

A hot tub would be especially cool. My absolute favorite thing about hot tubs is not the heat, but the water jets. Combined with the heat, that's an incredibly relaxing experience.

Today I found the coolest thing online. It's called Spa Scenes. They will create easy-to-install murals, liners, and/or hot tub covers for your hot tub. All their products bring an lovely touch of color to your hot tub. And isn't that the point of having a hot tub - the relaxing feel of the "ocean"? Nothing spoils that like a large, drab background.

gasoline

I just returned from filling my car with gas. There was a huge gasoline explosion nearby, so we're predicting that the price of gas will go up tomorrow. Just what we need. :(

At the gas station, whoever had been at the pump before me must have had a HUGE tank... they put 17 gallons into their vehicle, and cost $76!!! If you want to know why I don't drive a truck - that's it!

bloggerwave

Many of you know that I am using blog advertising to bring in my income. I am still so amazed that I am paid to write and post ads on my blog. But, nonetheless... I am! One of those fantastic companies that pays me to write ads is Bloggerwave. Bloggerwave is based in Europe and produces many, many excellent opportunities for me to earn money. For my readers in Europe, or any of my readers who are interested in earning money on your blog, start with Bloggerwave. Even if you do something else during the day, you can write one ad each day and earn a tidy supplement to your income!

storm chasers

Storms like this kinda make me wish I was a storm chaser.

Now, don't go thinking I'm going to run off and chase this storm, because I'm not. I know quite a bit about storms, but not nearly enough to put my life at risk. And that's part of what I hate about storm chasing - the pay is HORRIBLE, given how much you have to put your life at risk. Storm chasers provide a valuable service to us and deserve to be paid far more than they are.

But, it drives me nuts to sit around my house and just wait for something to happen. If the storm's not too bad, I can look at radar on my computer, but even then I get fairly antsy. I would rather be "out there" and at least doing something about it.

modeling agency

I've never really wanted to be a model - I don't have "the look" that would win a beauty contest. But I know a couple of people who (in my opinion) should compete in those contests. You have to be careful, you know, because various criminal-types will take advantage of hopeful young models. Luckily I know of one agency that is ethical and generally fantastic - Look of the Year. Check them out - http://www.lookoftheyear.com - you just might get lucky!

storms

We are just coming out from a massive storm this evening. I love thunderstorms, and missed them terribly when I was in Africa. But these past few months, we've received some really powerful storms. Like, strong enough to make me nervous. That takes quite a storm, to say the least. This evening we had another big storm. I'll let you know how this turns out.

memory

Just today I was researching the cost of memory for my computer. I attempted to install a game and discovered that I don't have enough memory on my computer. It's unbelievable how quickly computers are demanding more and more memory. I probably won't get anymore memory for my computer - it's just not the best way to spend my money at this point. I'm starting to price a new computer entirely. At least I know that my new computer will need to have lots and lots of memory!

cell phone amplifiers

Does anyone know what cell phone amplifiers are? I don't. I would guess that they are some kind of cell phone attachment to improve your cell phone signal. I'm not sure why people would need them - it seems like you can get good cell phone signals just about everywhere! Even in Africa there were lots and lots of cell phones and cell towers. One of my roommates in Africa had a cell phone, and she even found a signal when our ship was literally at sea - something like 10 miles from the shore!