printing

The more I design things for my websites and church, the more I get to work with people who operate full color printing presses, and it's kinda fun. I think it would be kinda fun to design stuff full time. But it's a pretty cutthroat business, and I don't know if I am THAT skilled, that I could succeed in that business. But it's still fun and I do love the opportunities I have to dabble in that industry.

forex

I got another of those "special invitations" in the mail this week, inviting me to one of those "exclusive" Forex training seminars. It boggles my mind that people actually fall for that. Do they really think they have been specially chosen to learn these special secrets to earn gazillions of dollars? That is such a stretch! The only "secret" they have to earning gazillions of dollars is to rip off gullible people with false promises of wealth!

weight loss success

I am very proud to say that all my hard work lately, exercising and just working, has paid off. I have lost 12 pounds, not by reading an apidexin review or any other diet pill reviews, or even by using diet pills. I lost 12 pounds by running (a lot), even when I didn't want to run. I'm so glad that 12 pounds are gone, although I know I am going to have to work at least as hard (probably harder!) to lose the next 12 pounds. It's a start at least!

vacations

Our vacation this summer was fantastic, and it came just in time, given the chaos earlier in this summer. But oh, I wish it didn't have to end! Being on vacation, ANYWHERE, is just soooo nice. From Europe vacations to Branson vacations- it's so nice to not have to deal with the stress of just LIFE. I may have to just take off soon just so I can have another vacation, for the sake of vacationing!

offices

Life's been pretty crazy this summer. It seems that a lot of things in my life are changing. That's not a bad thing, but definitely strange. I've rearranged a lot of business stuff and cleaned up a bundle of modern office furniture. It's a lot of work but it is good to have a clean and functional office that I can use.

bathroom remodeling

In the course of owning this home, we have made pretty significant changes to every bathroom. In the master bathroom, we basically redid the whole shower, several years ago- replaced the tile, added a seat, and added a new showerhead. In the main bathroom, we also redid the shower- in fact, originally that bath had a full size tub, to which we added a showerhead and shower door. The basement bathroom has received the least attention- just a scrap of linoleum. I suppose it would look nice if we replaced the sink with a nice Elkay model, but we just don't use that bathroom enough to justify it!

outdoor grilling

Fall is almost here, so we will have to quit using our outdoor electric grill to cook. Too bad, since we loooovvveee grilled foods! Of course we love steak, but that is mostly a special treat for us. I think we will probably cook hamburgers and potato salad next week, for Labor Day, but that will be the grill's last hurrah. I have lots of recipes I'd like to try next spring, though, when we can grill again!

chilean miners

Have you heard that phenomenal story of the Chilean miners?

I suppose you'd have to be living under a rock to have NOT heard that story by now. It's really quite phenomenal. Miraculous. The people of Chile went wild, and understandably. Mining is such a big part of their lives, and to discover that these men survived for so long- well, you'd need barricades to hold them back. And not those flimsy little stanchions with velvet rope- you'd need hard core crowd control. Because joy like that just can't be contained.

Of course, the next few months will be the hardest. I just can't imagine waiting in a confined space like they are, waiting for them to get you out. Thank heaven they have some boreholes, so that they can send down food and water, as well as some games and letters. But even with that, it will be difficult. Those men are tough as nails though- to have survived for 17 days while they waited for rescue, you'd have to be.

disability

I get so annoyed by people who take advantage of social security disability. I've met a lot of people in my life who are perfectly healthy enough to hold a job, but instead get some doctor to write a note to allow them to collect social security disability instead. It's even more irritating when you think of the people with LEGITIMATE disabilities who are stuck somewhere in the disability appeal process. So wrong!

online k-12

Every now and then, I see commercials for a few online K-12 schools that serve my state and other nearby states. I always wonder if I should apply for those schools. I have a state teacher's certificate, and even though I have never enjoyed teaching in a regular classroom (why do I have a degree in education again?), I think I could be a great teacher for an Online Schooling situation.

medical assistant

There is a for-profit school that runs the most annoying commercials during the day advertising for medical assistant school. They make it sound like you don't have to work to become a medical. I'm not saying that becoming a medical assistant is impossibly difficult, and it's surely quite a bit easier than many career choices available. But if you want to be a GOOD medical assistant, you have to study and work to be a good medical assistant!

headphones

Lately I've been reading a lot of headphone reviews to find a good pair of headphones to use while I'm running. Once I get a good sweat, earbuds will drop right out of my ears. It's quite irritating. Unfortunately the best headphones seem to be ones that are rather expensive and I will have to save money for awhile to earn enough to pay for the ones I want. But I think it will be worthwhile in the end!

duct tape wallet

I need to make myself a new wallet. For quite some time now, I've used wallets made of duct tape. Personally I just think this is one situation where it's like, if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. I've never found the kind of wallet I like to use so I make the kind of wallet I like to use. Duct tape holds up VERY well and it's pretty easy to even make an rfid blocking wallet. Plus you can get all kinds of colors nowadays!

Regis and Kelly Makes Me Happy

Author: Elias Massey

This is one of those daytime talk shows that has been around forever it seems. I only watched intermittently during the time when the show was called Regis and Kathy Lee. However, when Kelly Ripa joined the show and became a co-host I was hooked. I remembered her from All My Children and found her to be just as charismatic and engaging as ever. However, the one that keeps bringing me and many others back to the show on a daily basis has to be Regis Philbin. The man is a show business legend due to his expressive mannerisms and voice. He always seems excited about everything and it is an endearing quality.

The show has a wide variety of topics that it discusses. Most of them revolve around stuff in the news and celebrities. Whenever I am watching these two on my family package direct tv I can't help but be excited and happy. They are like a weird set of relatives that visits me everyday, yet knows when to leave at the appropriate time. They are fun while they last and do not overstay their welcome. During the time we visit they are engaging, fun, witty, and remind me of an old married couple in some ways. Anyone that finds themselves to be bored during the day should seriously consider watching them. They will not be disappointed.

A New City Does Not Have To Be Stressful

Thanks for the post, Deborah Cowpie

When my husband and I decided we were moving to a new city, we were frightened by how the kids would transition. We were moving several miles away and this was our first move of this nature. Preparing for this move was imperative to helping my small children transition properly. There were numerous things I did to help prepare for this move long before the truck was loaded and this is what I would do if I had to do it all over again.

Getting my utilities set up was a great first step when moving to a new city. Instead of arriving to this new city and wondering who is the utility and cable provider, I obtained this information ahead of time and made these arrangements prior to the move. This helped my children to have all of the things they were used to like the computer and the television stations they were used to watching and this helped to make things less stressful.

I also found out how to get a first alert alarm around Raleigh, which is essentiall in a new home. Moving to a new city can be seen as an adventure and this does not have to be a bleak time. Getting my family through this move was my top priority and things are great now.

cancer

You know, I've been lucky.

I've known people who have dealt with all kinds of cancers. I even knew one woman once who fought mesothelioma cancer. It was pretty ugly- I mean, she was so sick and had all kinds of side effects from the mesothelioma. She was awesome and proved that surviving mesothelioma is possible. But there are still relapses. And it's just ugly.

I've been lucky. I've never had cancer. Other than my car accident, I haven't been dreadfully ill. And though I suppose I've had some prolonged side effects from that, it has never been really terrible.

I hope my good health continues for many years to come!

growing up

When you're a kid, adults never warn you about how hard it can be to grow older.

Being an adult is fun, but it's also a lot harder than being a kid. You have to start paying bills, which means you have to start earning money. Your body starts falling apart, which means you have to buy term life insurance. And that happens, no matter where you are- you could be on the other side of the world and you'd still have to get Australian life insurance. You get older and one day you have to get funeral insurance.

Ah well. On the upside it really is fun to be an adult. You get to drive and travel... buy things for yourself... and have a fun life.

construction television

Tomorrow is Saturday, which means that in all likelihood I will spend my afternoon watching the construction shows on PBS. Aside from the reasonably good-looking men on some of those shows, I'm always fascinated to see the things they are able to create. I guess it's the crafter in me- it is neat to watch them build something out of a hunk of wood or some other raw materials, with just a few tools, clamps, power saws- remarkable!

exercise

Lately I've been working out a LOT more. Which is a good thing, of course, but with my aching muscles and joints, you wouldn't think that. I need to start looking into places like jointsupplementreviews.net and look into finding something to make my body work a little nicer! Exercise is good, but if it's this difficult and painful, it will be awfully difficult to continue exercising.

junk mail

When we got back from vacation, we had a boatload of mail waiting for us. It's always amusing to see all the junk mail and catalogs you receive for an extended period of time all at once. It's just goofy- I mean, you can buy everything from as seen on TV junk to plus size lingerie to overpriced electronic items you don't really need. What a waste!

almost catastrophes?

The other day I was out driving when I saw some kind of debris blow into the road in front of me. In retrospect, it's funny, but at the time I almost panicked. I did not have time to steer my car around it, and I had a vision of a flat tire, calling roadside assistance, being late for my appointment, needing to replace all the tires on my car- it was unnerving!

always a bridesmaid?

Speaking as a single person...

It is always strange when I get together with married or dating friends. As if I'm a third wheel. Not that I totally mind it- usually it's not too bad and worthwhile to get to spend time with them. But getting together with TWO couples- there should be some kind of 5th wheel insurance! it gets so out of control!

So if you are married, let this be a lesson to you! :)

smoking

When I was overseas, I went on a tour with a tour guide who smoked a pipe. I don't get this. I guess it's just me, but I don't see what the attraction is to smoking a pipe or cigar, much less a cigarette. I know some people like it, and there's supposedly a whole science to it- thus the continued success of smoke shops around the country. But to me it just seems gross!

patio furniture

Our patio furniture is just worn out. If we ever used it, I would definitely need to replace it. It's just dirty and worn out from sitting on the patio for all these years. It's almost bad enough to need patio furniture covers. Luckily?? we never use it so there's no need to replace it!!

funny stuff for sale

One fun part of working online, as I do, is the crazy and weird stuff you learn about. You hear crazy news stories. You see crazy products for sale, like log furniture (really who would want that?). Ebay is always amusing for this- you will find the strangest things there. Sometimes you even get weird emails or messages from friends. It's certainly never the same two days in a row!

phones

My phone has been acting its age. It is about a year and a half old, maybe a little more- which is pretty old as far as phones go. Blackberry released their new Torch this week, which looks pretty attractive, although I am still interested in lower cost alternatives like Samsung or Motorola. I need to do lots more research so I will be ready when I have to replace this phone!

blood diamonds?

I heard on the news tonight that Naomi Campbell had to face a trial regarding whether or not the "certified diamonds" she received were blood diamonds financing the war in West Africa. It's kinda sickening, if you ask me. Maybe it's just because I've been to Africa and lived there and seen what the war did to the people. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of diamonds to begin with. How can she possibly live with herself now?