Some Christmas Funnies

Bah Humbug!

I have NEVER had a problem ordering stuff online. That is until now. Found out today that one of the websites that I ordered a gift for hubby from has been known to charge your credit card or whatever and then NEVER send your merchandise. Great. I feel like an idiot, but they really fooled me. They had the little lock in the bottom corner of the order page, it was an https website, etc. After checking my order status though, I'm thinking that it is a scam. And after checking my charge card, well, the order came to $88.18, but the total taken off my card was $97.54. Hmm, doesn't sound right, does it? So, I called their 800#. This is what I heard: "Hi, you've reached our customer service center. Our customer service hours are from 8am-10pm Mon-Fri. Please hold for the next available customer service representative" I hold for a couple of minutes when this chipper little voice comes back on the line and says, "We're sorry, there's nobody here right now. Please leave a message and we'll call you back." Ok, I have never gotten through to any customer service that wants you to leave a message. Stay on hold for hours on end, yes, but leave a message and they'll call you back? No, can't say that I've ever done that before. I didn't leave a message. I hung up. I did call back though. Four more times, to be exact and got the same message each time. Wonderful customer service...NOT! I did call the credit card company and they said that I can get my money back, but I'll have to go through their fraud section and it might take awhile to do, but at least I'll get my cash back. I know it could have been worse, but it is still frustrating. I had to make a mad dash to find the dvd's that I'd ordered from this place and now hope, hope, hope that they get here in time for Christmas. Some people are just real jerks!

I'm finished shopping....I think!

I think I wrote my last check for Christmas gifts today. I decided to just go shopping this morning and get things finished up instead of waiting for the weekend to get here and hoping that I found what I was looking for then. I had my list ready and was all set to shop until I dropped. Thankfully, it didn't come to that. I found everything that I had left to buy at Super Wal-Mart. I love that store:):) I just hope that hubby or the kids don't suddenly remind me of someone else that I need to buy a gift for. Last year, I was completely finished shopping when hubby came home and "reminded" me that I needed to buy for some of his nephews that I thought HE was buying for so I had to rush out and get whatever I could find that "fit" them on December 23rd! Yikes! I really don't want to do that again this year.

I wrapped everything as soon as I got home so that is off my to do list also. I do still have three items that I waiting to get in the mail. According to the tracking information, all but one is to arrive this week (Wed and Thurs). The other I have no tracking info for yet and don't even know if it's been shipped! If it doesn't get here in time, I'll just be putting a picture in a box and wrapping it up, saying that the present is coming, I guess. I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, it does. Not much I can do about it. I've still got two weeks though so keeping the fingers crossed that everything gets here in time for Christmas Day.

Getting Contacts

I almost forgot, but my daughter is going to the eye doctor tomorrow and hopefully getting contacts. She's wanted them ever since she first found out she had to wear glasses. We're hoping that she's able to wear them. She has an astigmatism so not sure that she can. She'll find out tomorrow.

Update: Daughter came home and is able to wear the contacts. She loves them! She has to start out slowly, wearing them for only a few hours each day, but she's already gotten the hang of putting them in and taking them out. Had to calm her down a notch though. As soon as she got home, she was bound and determined to toss her glasses in the trash. Uh, hello! What happens if you lose one of your contacts? What happens if they irritate your eyes and you have to take them out? Then how will you see? She hadn't thought about that. Silly girl:) So, her glasses are now stashed in her purse (in a hard case) just in case of an emergency. She is hoping they don't ever have to come back out.

Let It Snow...NO, NO, NO!

We got our first measurable snowfall last night, about 2.5 inches. I was not pleased to see it this morning when I got out of bed either. My son was all excited about it, but not me. Thankfully, it is starting to melt. The roads were pretty crappy this morning on the way into town, but now the road crews have scraped and salted and they are pretty much clear.

I was worried about driving in it today too. You see, for the past 10 years I have had a FRONT wheel drive car. My last car was like a little bulldozer moving through snow. Nothing could stop me. I had no fear of sliding off into ditches or getting stuck in drifts. My little car would power on through no matter what situations I put it in. This winter though, my front wheel car went to my daughter. She just got her driver's license in June and we (her dad and I) wanted her to have a safe, reliable car. SO, that meant giving her mine. Granted, I got a new one in the process (Dodge Charger) and, don't get me wrong, I LOVE it. But, my Charger is a REAR wheel drive car and for those of you who drive rear wheel drive cars, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say it sucks in snow! This morning I was spinning every time I tried to take off and sliding each time I tried to stop. I'd turn a corner and no matter how slowly I'd push on the gas, the rear of my car would slide. Needless to say, I was pretty tense by the time I got back home.

Anyway, I'm glad that the snow is melting off the roads. I can handle snow if the roads are clear. I enjoy looking at it, it's very pretty, and I even like to go out and build snowmen, having snowball fights and ride the 4-wheeler while pulling the tobaggon, but having to drive in it, well, let's just say that if it didn't snow anymore this winter I would be a happy camper.

Sweeny Todd starring Johnny Depp

I'm so psyched to see that another movie is coming out starring Johnny Depp. He is one of my all-time favorite actors. I've been watching him ever since he was in 21 Jump Street on tv! My favorite movie of his has got to be the Pirates of the Carribbean ones. There is just something about him in those movies, maybe it's that he's supposed to be a dangerous pirate, that drives me crazy.

Anyway, if you haven't heard of the new movie that is coming out, take a look at this trailer. Once you see it, I'm sure you'll be like me, and want to go right out to the theaters and see it. You'll have to be patient though because it doesn't hit theaters until December 21.

In this movie, Johnny Depp plays a man who is sent to prison and vows revenge on the people who sent him there. When he gets out of prison, he becomes a barber and ends up becoming known as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. To me, the best revenge movie has got to be Carrie though. The scene where she finally gets her revenge after the prom is phenomenal and you cheer for her the entire time.



You can find out more by taking a minute to visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site. You can also visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace.

On The First Day of Christmas

Hard to believe that today is December 1st! This year has just flown by for me. The older I get, the faster the years go it seems. Anyway, to start off the holiday season, I thought this quiz from blogthings was a good idea.

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Christmas Story

Loving, fun, and totally crazy. Don't shoot your eye out!

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

It's that time of year again. Time to pull the decorations out of the attic and embellish your home with red and green. I think our house has finally been finished. The tree is up...check. The wreath is hung...check. Garland is strung...check. Yep, I think we're done. Now to sit back and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy time spent with your friends and family today and be thankful for all that you have. Happy Thanksgiving.

Snap, Crackle, Pop

This is my hubby. Doesn't he look serious in this picture? He's really not, actually he is a pretty big goofball, but I love him anyway.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about dear hubby and the constant pain in the neck that he is...I mean, has! lol You see, he has always been one to lift and pick up things that are way too heavy for him to do so. I have been at him ever since we first got married to get help when it comes to moving heavy pieces of furniture, lifting pieces of machinery, etc. but he doesn't listen. He has always said that if he could lift it then it was fine and he'd continue to do it until he couldn't anymore. Well, that day has finally arrived. He now has constant pain in his neck, shoulders and upper back from all the lifting that he has done in the past. We both think he will eventually need surgery on either his neck or upper back, but for now he uses a lot of muscle rub to get relief. It would be awesome if I won this contest that Freeze It Gel is having because I would win an entire years supply of Freeze It to ease his pain. It would also ease my pain because I wouldn't have to hear him whine about how sore he is.

If you have never heard of it, Freeze It is AWESOME! I think it is the best muscle rub out there. You can use it for muscle soreness, arthritis pain, joint pain and even muscle strains. Take a look at their new television commercial to learn more about Freeze It.



I strongly urge you to go out and buy Freeze It and try it yourself. It really is one of the better products out there. You'll be glad that you gave it a try.

Beginning of a New Week

Aahh, the beginning of a new week. Usually I don't look forward to Mondays, but after last week and this past weekend I was definitely looking forward to today. I'm hoping this week is better and calmer and people aren't as much of a pain in the a** to me as they have been the past few days/weeks. Not saying that I'm enjoying going back to work today, but I am enjoying the peace and quiet that I'm getting right now.

Found out that there won't be a Thanksgiving meal here in our house this year. My brother and his family are going to his inlaws this year and my parents are staying home to rest and relax. That just left me, hubby, and kids and hubby said he'd rather just go out for a nice dinner instead of having me in the kitchen all day. THANKS! It's going to seem weird not cooking or having anybody here, but I'm looking forward to it.

A Surprise in the Mail

I got a cool little surprise in the mail today and wanted to share it with you. There was a nice sized package waiting for me and inside were some really cool gift ideas. This package included Smencils Scented Pencils, Color Flame party candles, and Insta Snow.

I love all of the items I received, but I think my favorite one has got to be the Insta Snow. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. You just take some of this powdery stuff (it looks like sugar), add water and presto! You have snow! It's light and fluffy and looks like what you'd find on a movie set. And the best part is that it doesn't melt, is non-toxic and lasts for weeks. I'm going to use mine in my holiday decorations.

The Smencils Scented Pencil that I received is the Very Berry scent. I love using it because the entire time I'm writing, I can smell it. The only downside is that is makes me hungry, but that's fine. The best thing about this pencil though is that it is made entirely from recycled newspapers!

I've not tried the color flame candles yet, but they look like they'd be fun to use. I think they'd be a great addition to any child's birthday or even an adult's for that matter.

So, that was my nice little surprise for the day. I hope I get another one really soon.

this is a sponsored post.

Changing Servers Soon

I'm in the process of changing my blog over to wordpress. If you want to keep up with me, change any bookmarks or favorites that this blog is listed in to leesak.wordpress.com. This way you won't miss anything that goes on in my exciting life:)

How Often Does It Change?

Ok, I'm getting a bit annoyed with Google right now and their everchanging pageranks. I've gone from a PR3, down to a PR1, back up to a PR3, down to a PR2 (two days ago) and now I'm at a PR0! What the heck?!?!? How often do they change the rankings? Every day? It wouldn't bother me so much if I wasn't trying to earn some extra money by writing sponsored ads. But, a lot of these sponsors go by pagerank and when you have a low one, you get less work. I know there are several people out there that say not to write sponsored ads on your blog, it drives readers away. Maybe they're right. Maybe that's what is going on here even though I'm still showing a lot of traffic to my site. I don't know. It's so frustrating.

Edit: After much searching on the web, I've noticed that several blogs that write sponsored ads have been knocked down to a PR0. Several of these blogs have speculated that google is "out to get" those of us who write these ads. Personally, I think it's a crock to have high and mighty google punish you for what is written on your blog. what happened to freedom of speech?

It Was So Embarrassing!

When I was 16, I was eating lunch with a couple of my friends. When I bit into my hamburger, I was in almost immediate pain. I knew what had happened. My filling had came out. Imagine the pain and embarrassment of having that happen. I made a hasty retreat to the bathroom so I could spit out the bite of hamburger and not gross out my friends. I was in tears because as soon as the air hit my tooth, it started throbbing. I left lunch early to try to get into the dentist to have the filling repaired, but unfortunately they didn't have any openings for me that day. I had to wait until the next day. I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep or eat. Even drinking liquids hurt because when it hit that tooth, it hit the nerve and sent waves of pain throughout my mouth.

I wish I'd had Dentemp OS for temporary dental repair back then to help me with the pain. You use Dentemp OS to temporarily repair loose caps/crowns and loose fillings. It also helps temporarily relieve dental discomfort and pain. Their website states that each packages has enough for about six uses. Just remove from the plastic vial and it is ready to go. No mixing. No mess. AND you can eat within 30 minutes of application. It would be really handy to keep in your purse or car in case of a dental emergency.

PageRank Changed Again

I'm so confused on this whole google pagerank thing. When I first started my blog, it was ranked a PR3 then it dropped to a PR1. I know why it dropped then. I pretty much quit writing and lost a lot of readers. Anyway, I started writing again and last month got it back up to a PR3. But, I logged on this morning and it is now showing that it's dropped to a PR2. Argh! I've not done anything different so no idea why it dropped. I guess I'll just go with the flow. It would be nice if it would stay at a consistent number, but I don't know how to do that so will just go along for the ride. I just hope it doesn't drop any lower.

Alzheimer's Awareness Month

Did you know that November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month? I didn't. I also didn't know that November 13th is National Memory Screening Day. This day is to help promote early detection of Alzheimer's disease and other related illnesses. You will find participating sites offering free confidential memory screenings, as well as follow up resources and educational materials to people who are concerned about memory loss. Why not take a loved one to a screening? The earlier memory loss is detected, the earlier treatment can be started. What better holiday gift to give to a loved one? Check online to find the nearest participating site to you.

Did you know that there are several ways to help you age successfully too? Leading a healthy, sensible lifestyle helps slow down or prevent the loss of brain cells, maintain the brain's ability to make up for any loss, and let remaining brain cells function well. Some tips to help would be to make regular doctor visits, participate in brain stimulating activities (like reading, crosswords, playing cards, anything that challenges you mentally, etc.), manage stress, exercise at least 30 minutes daily, stay socially active, control high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, follow a healthy diet and limit your alcohol consumption. If you do all of these things this will help maintain your brain health and hopefully keep you from developing Alzheimer's disease yourself.

Seeking a cure for Alzheimer's is very important, but let's not forget that providing care to those that have already been diagnosed with this disease is just as important. A contribution to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America during the holidays or buying a product from their estore is a fantastic way to do so. Help make someone's life with Alzheimer's a little bit easier and stay healthy yourself so you can have the best possible future. Let's make Alzheimer's a distant memory, pun intended!

What Happened to Thanksgiving?

Today is Thursday and in blog world, it is also Thankful Thursday. I was trying to figure out what to write about today on that subject when it hit me. I'm sitting here, watching tv, and noticing that almost every commercial now is geared towards Christmas. Hello? Remember that other holiday between Halloween and Christmas? You know, THANKSGIVING!?!?!? What is it with everyone skipping right over this holiday? I know that it doesn't have the same glitz and glamour of Christmas, but it's still an important holiday to remember. This is the time that you get together with your loved ones, enjoy a special meal, and give thanks for all the wonderful things that you have in your life. I know that I truly enjoy Thanksgiving. It helps me to stop and realize how much I do have in my life to be thankful for. There are so many times throughout the year that I complain about things going wrong, when in reality I'm very lucky to be where I am and have what I have. I don't remember that a lot of the time, but Thanksgiving helps to remind me.

The Mist

I love Stephen King! Whenever I want to read a good, scary book, I go straight for a Stephen King novel. I think my favorite book of his has to be Pet Semetary. There was just something about that book that I really enjoyed. Maybe it was the fact that I had always wished there was some way to bring back my pets that had died. Granted, I wouldn't have wanted them to come back like the cat in Pet Semetary did! That was just too scary! I also really liked Carrie. I felt so bad for her even though she did have the telekenetic powers. She just wanted to fit in with her peers and no matter how hard she tried they still wouldn't accept her. She got her revenge in the end though. Even though it would have been a nicer ending if she'd finally been accepted, the way the book/movie did end was more fitting to Stephen King.

Stephen King has a new movie coming out on November 21st. It is called The Mist by Stephen King. I have seen the movie trailer and it looks just as scary as any of his other movies. I will definitely be there when it hits our local theater. If you like Stephen King and scary movies, I would definitely check out the movie trailer for yourself.

I Can't Breathe

Woke up this morning with the feeling of not being able to catch my breath. I didn't think much of it until after leaving the gym and I was constantly gasping. I think it's allergies. I've taken an allergy pill and am waiting on it to kick in. Hopefully it will work soon. I feel like I've run a marathon.

Printer Cartridges

How many times have you run out of ink in your printer, gotten to the store and not known which cartridge to get? It's happened to me several times and is so frustrating. Cartridge Finder is a new website that helps you find exactly which cartridge goes with your printer, copier or fax machine. This site also checks PriceGrabber.com to find you the cheapest price out there.

this is a sponsored post

Another Weekend Trip

In my previous post I told you that one of our trucks was again in the shop. Well, yesterday, I got more news about one of our other trucks. This is the one that we've taken 100 miles away for the past two weekends to have repair work done on it. This is the one that was SUPPOSED to be fixed and ready to get back out on the road. Apparantly this is not the case. Hubby told me yesterday that it is again leaking oil from the rear end soooo that means another trip down to the Sterling dealership to have it worked on this weekend. The only good news about this is the fact that we won't be paying a bill this trip, but we will still have the gas cost to get down there, a hotel room for the evening, and time taken away from other things that we could be doing here. I've told hubby that we really need to find places around here or that are at least a little bit closer to be doing some of these repairs, but unfortunately that's what happens when you live in a little po'dunk town in the middle of nowhere. There just isn't a market for those types of places around here so we have to go elsewhere. I just hope that the next weekend trip I have to take is actually one that is for fun and relaxation and not work related.

I Need An Aspirin!

AGAIN, our G** D*** truck is in the shop! Hubby called me this morning and said the turbo was going out on it. This is getting ridiculous! We've had transmission work, rearend work, turbo work etc. done on all three of our trucks in the last month and it's really starting to wear me out! I really thought that after getting our truck back this last time that it would be the LAST time, but I guess not. And to top it all off, I've had an ongoing migraine since last weekend. It comes and goes, but it's always there, lingering and just waiting to strike again when I get stressed.

The Garage Ate My Thanksgiving Decorations!

I went out in the garage this morning to pull out all of our fall decorations. I had planned on taking our Halloween ones down and putting the autumn harvest ones up, but I can't find them! Our garage is such a mess that everything is all jumbled into the corners and shoved on shelves and now I can't find what I'm looking for. I wish I had a bunch of garage cabinets to put all my stuff in. Then whenever I went to look for things I might actually know where to find them.

this is a sponsored post.

Busy as a Bee

I'm beginning to think that this really isn't Friday, but that it's Monday instead. The way the phone has been ringing and the way my to list has been growing, it just can't be Friday. Friday's are supposed to be quiet and calm, easy going, not too busy. Monday is supposed to be the hectic, everything going on at once, pulling your hair out day. Did I fall into some sort of time warp where my days are opposite? Maybe I'm still asleep and I'm dreaming about everything that is going on. Whatever is going on, I want my usual Friday back! Enough of this crap that's going on today.

I am going to suggest this

For the past few weeks, I've had one of our employees constantly asking for an advance on his paycheck. I don't have a problem with doing that every once in awhile, but this has been almost constant lately. I think when he asks me again, I'm going to suggest that he look into a Payday Loan Quotes instead. This will save me paperwork and maybe help him out a bit more then I can. With this particular payday loan, he could get anywhere from $100 to $1500. Maybe then he wouldn't have to ask me for an advance again any time soon.

this is a sponsored post

Halloween Fun

I know, I'm a day late, but I just found these quizzes on Blogthings and thought they were too cute to pass by. I don't know how much I agree with some of the results though. Like this first one, I can't say that I agree that human flesh is my greatest weakness. Yuck!

You Are A Vampire

You have a real thirst for bliss, and you consider yourself a true hedonist. And you're not afraid to walk alone in life, if it means getting what you truly crave. You truly enjoy entrancing people. Not to mention the ensuing pleasures of the flesh. Your tastes have been called decadent and bizarre. You usually give in to your temptations, no matter how primal Your greatest power: Your flawless ability to seduce and charm Your greatest weakness: Human flesh You play well with: Werewolves

What Kind of Monster Are You?

What Your Halloween Habits Say About You

The scariest thing on Halloween is you! You definitely don't want any kids in costumes crossing your path - and you're willing to scare away any who do. You definitely think of yourself as someone who has a dark side. And part of having that dark side means not showing it. Your inner child is open minded, playful, and adventurous. You truly fear the dark side of humanity. You are a true misanthrope. You're logical, rational, and not easily effected. Not a lot scares you... especially when it comes to the paranormal. You are a traditionalist with most aspects of your life. You like your Halloween costume to be basic, well made, and conventional enough to wear another year.

What's Your Halloween Personality?

You Could Be a Vampire... If You Had To

Like most people, the thought of being a vampire has crossed your mind. But you're not sure if you'd do it, even if you could. Living forever doesn't sound half bad, if you could live forever with the people you love the most. But do vampires even love? And would the vampire version of you even be you? It's all too much to contemplate. Luckily, the chances of you ever becoming a vampire are astronomically low. What you would like best about being a vampire: Living forever What you would like least about being a vampire: Blood stained teeth

Could You Be a Vampire?

Hope you enjoyed these quizzes. Did you take them to see what your results were?

Flooring Warranty

If you are looking to purchase any type of flooring online, you might want to check out the following press release from iFloor.com. They are offering a limited warranty to their customers to help protect them from manufacturer policies that exclude warranty's on online purchases. This is in response to a growing number of warranty claims being denied. In return, iFLOOR is also reserving the right to seek legal justice on behalf of their customers.

iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."

Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."

About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

Whatever Happened to my Transylvania Twist?

Let's do The Mash....The Monster Mash! I used to sing this song a LOT before Halloween when I was little. My mom would get so tired of hearing me sing it, but hey, it was a fun little song and I knew all the words. What do you expect from an eight year old? LOL

Tactical Gear

Looking for products to enhance the safety of local law enforcement, fire fighters, etc? Look no further then 5.11 Tactical. They have one of the largest inventories of tactical pants, boots, shirts and other gear in the nation! They also carry popular brands of holsters and flashlights. They ship most orders within 24 hours. And if you email a question, they usually answer within just a couple of hours. How's that for customer service?

this is a sponsored post.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

This is going to come to a shock to several of my friends and family when they read this post, but guess what I did!?!!?! I actually started my Christmas shopping! I have four things crossed off my list already and they are now hidden in my closet. Usually I am out there on Christmas Eve, desparately searching for that one last present, but not this year. I vow that I will be finished by December 1 so that I can sit back and relax and actually enjoy the holiday season. Anybody else want to join me and take it easy this holiday season?

Need Money?

I've been thinking about consolidating all of our loans into one so that I only have to deal with one payment each month. I've been searching online to see what options there are out there to do this. I've seen everything from Home Equity Loans to personal, secured loans.

I think the best way for us to go would be with a homeowner loan, but I think I'm going to check into some more websites to see. I came across one website, called Magic Loans, that looks to provide several different types of loans for people to consolidate their bills. They are located in the UK though so I don't know if I could go through them, but I do like how they answer a lot of questions on their site and they offer repayment times of anywhere from 3 to 30 years. They even have a loan calculator on their website so you can see what type of payments you would be looking at each month and also to see what exactly you could afford to borrow. If you live in the UK, why not check them out for your Home Equity Loans?

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nip/tuck

I just realized that the new season of Nip/Tuck starts tomorrow night on FX! I'm so ready for it! I've waited patiently all summer to see how McNamara-Troy does business in Beverly Hills compared to Miami. I'm sure they'll have just as many adventures and I'm sure there will be several stars making appearances on the show.

A New Me???

How many times have you looked in the mirror and thought "Hmm, I wish those wrinkles weren't so prominent around my eyes" or "Boy, having my kids sure did make my stomach pouchy. I wish I could get rid of it". I've been thinking those thoughts here lately too. I don't know if I'd ever be brave enough to have Plastic Surgery, but if I ever would seriously think about it I would do a ton of research first. The main thing I've heard to look for is a surgeon who is certified in plastic surgery and to check and see how many times he's actually done the procedure you're wanting done yourself. I would also get more then one opinion. Just because one doctor says you need something done doesn't mean that you really do. And finally, if I'd decide to actually be brave and have plastic surgery, I'd want to be put in touch with some of the surgeons other patients to see how they liked the doctor and to make sure they were satisfied with their work. I guess the first thing I need to do though is actually work up the nerve to do it.

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It's Just Another Manic Monday

And I'm going to go insane if the phone doesn't stop ringing. Since I started work at 8am, I think I've easily answered over 100 calls. Most of them are wanting construction dumpsters either removed or delivered. Any other time this would be fine, but today, for some reason, everybody and their mothers are calling in and wanting it done right now. Sorry, but we can only pick up one dumpster at a time. I've also had to make two trips into town (1st to take my son to school, 2nd to take his gym clothes to school) and then another trip to pick one of our trucks up from the shop. That was the best hour of my day:) It was nice and quiet with just the sun streaming through the car window. I could have easily just kept on driving instead of returning to the office. But, no, I was a good girl and came back to my desk with the annoying, nonstop ringing phone.

Dripping Faucet is Driving Me Insane

I am so tired of our bathroom faucet. Every time I turn around, the silly thing is dripping. We have fixed the washer in the silly thing three different times now in the past three months alone, but it just keeps on dripping. When we built our house, we told the contractor that we wanted name brand faucets, something like a Moen faucet would be great, but we got no name, cheap junk faucets instead. So, now we are constantly fixing drips in both bathrooms. I think we will eventually get new faucets for both bathrooms and I am pushing a Moen faucet to replace the junk that we have now.

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My head is going to EXPLODE

Reasons for an exploding head:

1. Went to the bank, lines were out the door. By the time I got to the cashier, she closed her window so she could take a break!

2. Went to the new Super Walmart to get groceries. Couldn't find anything. Spent $50 more then if I'd just driven to the other grocery store in the next town!

3. Came home to a cat who coughed up a hairball and strung it all along the living room carpet. Cat has avoided me since...no comment on why!

4. Have to make a 2 hour trip tonight to drop off our truck at the shop for repairs...again! Why can't anyone within a 20 mile radius work on our trucks?

5. It's been raining all day and we now have a leak in our garage!

Yep, just one more thing and I'm going to look like a balloon that is about ready to burst. Not a good look for me, I might add.

I'm Just Chillin'

Literally! When I wondered earlier when the autumn weather was going to arrive (read here)I didn't think when it did finally get here that it would be enough to make me drag out the extra blankets.

Ladies and Gentlemen, October has finally arrived. After several weeks of above average temperatures, we're now experiencing cold, wind and rain. Granted, temps are average for this time of year, according to the all knowing weather forecasters, but when you go from 80 degrees one day to 50 degrees the next, I'm telling you, IT...IS....COLD!!!

I even had to turn our furnace on last night! NOOOOO!!!! I was so not ready for that to come on. I must admit though that it did feel good to wake up this morning to a toasty warm bedroom instead of the icebox I awoke to Wednesday morning.

I guess this will teach me to "complain" about the weather.

Bedlam in Bed Land

When we bought our last mattress, we upgraded from a queen size bed to a king size bed. We only bought the frame of the bed. We kept thinking that we'd buy a head/foot board eventually, but it's been several years now and our bed still looks like it belongs in a dorm room. I'm working on my hubby to get him in the mood to go shopping for a new bed frame and I'm hoping he'll give in soon. For now though I'm having to satisfy my shopping urge by checking out different styles online.

There are so many different types out there. From Oak Beds, cherry, mahogany, pine. There are so many different types of wood that you can choose from. I personally like the Oak Beds. Most of the wood in our house is oak and a new oak bed frame would fit in nicely. I'm going to keep working on that dear hubby of mine. Maybe we'll actually buy a bed frame BEFORE we have to buy another new mattress.

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Future Photographer?

My daughter has been going around the house lately, snapping pictures left and right. Here are a few that she's uploaded to the computer that I wanted to share with you. I think she is really showing some talent and could possibly go farther with this new hobby of hers if she wanted. What do you think?


SUNSET


BIRD FEEDER IN FALL FOLIAGE

STORM CLOUDS BREAKING

FALL FOLIAGE CATCHES SUNLIGHT

Future photographer? I think so.

Hotel Blackpool

A couple of posts back, I talked about a theme park in Blackpool. Well, if you get the chance to go to the UK to visit that theme park, you're probably going to need a place to stay. How about staying at the new Big Blue Hotel. It is the only new hotel to be built in Blackpool within the last 25 years.

Hotel Blackpool was recently voted Hotel of the Year at the Blackpool Tourism Awards. This hotel consists of oversize rooms with a contemporary feel. The Big Blue Hotel has been featured on national TV and is considered cool and chic.

Some of the amenities of the Big Blue Hotel include an onsight gym, plasma tv's, a restaurant and access to Pleasure Beach, Britain's top tourist attraction.

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Finally Feeling Better

I am so glad to have finally woke up to a morning free of back pain! WooHoo! I was beginning to wonder there if I'd ever be able to walk upright again. I am no longer taking my pain killers or muscle relaxants, but do still have several refills on both in case I get back in that same predicament again. Let's keep the fingers crossed that it isn't any time soon.

Worked out at Curves this morning and was able to do all the machines, no pain at all. Another yippee! Maybe I can get back into the normal groove of things again now.

Blackpool Theme Park

My kids love a good Theme Park so we are always on the lookout for new ones. We are constantly researching places on the web to see who has the best roller coasters and the scariest rides. Last night I ran across a theme park in the UK. I don't know if we'll ever make it there to check it out in person, but online it looks pretty cool.

Blackpool is one of the UK's oldest and most popular theme parks. Some of the rides they are famous for are the Pepsi Max Big One, Big Dipper and Infusion. These rides are world famous and attract over six million visitors each year.

I hope to check it out in person in the future, but for now I'll just have to enjoy looking at their website.

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Now Say You're Sorry.....

That's what you tell your kids when they are little and have a fight with a friend, sibling, classmate. You tell them to apologize and then shake hands or give a hug to whomever it is they've hurt. Seems so easy when they are 2, 3, 4 years old, but what do you do when they aren't kids anymore?

Two of our employees do NOT get along. They bicker and argue every day, they both suck up to the boss (DH) to make themselves look better then the other, they are both constantly putting the other one down or trying to get them into trouble. You would think they are 5 year old boys rather then 30 year old men! But, what do you do? They've both been told to try to get along. If they can't get along then to just ignore the other, but that isn't working. They've been reprimanded several times for arguing.

Do we fire one? Do we fire both? They are already doing separate jobs. Neither one really has to even see the other during work hours except for maybe passing each other in the parking lot. Which is what they did this evening and apparantly words were exchanged and yelling erupted. I didn't hear what was said, but you could tell that both guys were peeved. No punches were thrown, thankfully, because that would have been grounds for firing both their behinds. Any suggestions as to how to get these two to just get along? I know neither wants to find themselves out doing the whole job hunt thing any time soon, but that is what it is really leaning towards at the moment. Help!

What Season is this anyway?

You would think this was May instead of October the way the weather has been lately. Last night, there were several storms that went through my area. We had rain and wind and even a tornado warning! Not what you usually see around here in October. Today it is 80 degrees! Where the heck is Autumn?!?! Sure, the leaves are changing color, but where is the cool weather? The crispness in the morning air? I'm ready for it to be cool enough that if I want to wear a sweat shirt, I can. I want to be able to throw open my windows and enjoy the fresh air rather then having the AC on and everything closed. Today they are saying we're going to get more severe storms this afternoon and then tomorrow it is FINALLY supposed to be cool...around 70 degrees....and I'll get my lovely autumn weather. Don't get me wrong, I love summer and the sunny, warm weather that comes with it. I'm just ready to put that time of year behind me and enjoy my favorite season for awhile.

Let's Visit Spain

I have always thought it would be fun to visit Spain. I don't know what it is about that country that is so fasinating to me, but it just blows me away every time I see something on tv about it. I don't know which city I'd rather go to visit. There is always Madrid! There are just so many things to do and see in Madrid. I'd love to see the Plaza Mayor. It used to be used as a marketplace during the week and then there would be bullfights on the weekends. Now, you'll find an assortment of shops in that area.


There is also Barcelona! Barcelona is where the Magic Fountain is located. That would be my first stop if I were to visit there. There is just something about water and fountains that intrigue me to no end.

I think if I ever get the chance to go to Spain then I will look into www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk to find my accomodations. They offer last minute and year round accomodations at prices much cheaper then other websites I have found.

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First day back at Curves

Today was my first day back to Curves since hurting my back. I was hoping that since I woke up this morning to no pain that working out would be easy and normal. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Even though I took it slow and easy, I was still only able to complete one circuit of the machines and had to skip two of them because it hurt my back. I ended up stopping and just watching my mom finish up. Maybe by next week, I'll be back to normal.

Me on Muscle Relaxants and Vicodin

Hubby and I are in the car, carrying on a decent conversation...or so I thought.

Me: Did I tell you Paul called me yesterday?

DH: No, what did he want?

Me: He said that when he took the groceries to Louise that she was giving him the third degree as to why I wasn't there.

DH: Oh yeah?

Me: Yep, Paul said that he was putting her groceries in the freezer, the one out in her garage, and she came up behind him and just about scared him to death.

DH: Isn't Louise blind? How did she even know he was there?

Me: She's only blind enough that she can't see!

Yes, I said that. I MEANT she is considered legally blind and can't DRIVE, but the pills made it come out completely wrong. Oops!

Spondylolisthesis

This is what the doctor thinks is wrong with my back. I'm still researching it online so don't have much information, but from what I've read it is basically that the vertebrae has shifted and is no longer aligned with the ones above and below it. Here's a link to one of the webpages that I've been reading.... www.spineuniverse.com . It's pretty informative.

I don't know if I agree that this is what I have, but I won't know for sure for about a week. When I went to the doctor yesterday, they took several xrays, none of which were comfortable for me to do, and they are sending them off to a neurologist who specializes in spondylolisthesis to see for sure. I'll let you know when I get the results. On a good note, the doctor DID prescribe me some vicodin and relafen so I'm good to go. I took a dose of each last night before bed and finally, FINALLY, slept comfortably.

It got the best of me

I broke down and called the doctor today. My sciatica got the best of me last night. I was feeling a little better yesterday afternoon, but when I went to bed it flaired up again. I was in enough pain that I laid there and just cried until almost 2am. Every time I'd move, there would be searing pain rip through my lower back and down my right leg. I couldn't find a comfortable position no matter how hard I tried. And then, when I did finally fall asleep, I dreamed that I was falling. I must have been almost to the point of hitting the ground because hubby said I jerked really hard and let out a horrible scream. He thought I was being murdered in my sleep! All I knew was that I was in terrible pain and wide awake....again.

After that episode, I gave up trying to get anymore sleep and just got up and went out to the living room. I took several ibuprofen in the hopes that they would at least take the edge off and let me be a bit comfortable, but no such luck. I ended up cancelling going to the gym this morning and will probably cancel tomorrow too unless the doc gives me some super good muscle relaxers or pain killers.

Anyway, I waited around this morning until the doctor's office opened and then called, hoping that they might just call in a RX, but no, they wanted me to come in for an exam. Usually I would protest because I hate going to a doctor just to pay to have them tell me what I already know is wrong, but I'm in enough pain this time to say "Oh well, here's the money, now give me some pills".

I'll let you know later what happens and all. Who knows, if I get the right kind of medicine that might just make for some really fun and goofy posts for you all to read. Did I tell you that pain killers and muscle relaxants make me loopy? lol

If it's not one thing, it's another

Last Friday, we had to take one of our business trucks to the shop. It started out with a leak in the rear seal and ended $4500 later with a new rear end. It was out of commission from Friday until this morning. Now, our other truck has decided to be a pain and break down too so it is also in the shop. Unfortunately, we can't go without this truck and are having to rent one to the tune of $1500 per week! It seems like every time something breaks around here, it's never something small. It's always something big and expensive. Argh!

To top it all off, my back is still bugging me (read about that here ) I was really hoping that by now, my back would be back up to par, but I guess it is going to be temperamental just to give me something else to deal with. Lucky me.

Paintball

My son has recently gotten into paintball. He goes with several of his friends each weekend. He is just starting out though (they call him a Newb) and since most of his friends are vets at the game, my son is usually told to "camp" (sit in one hidden spot the entire game)so he doesn't have as much of a chance of getting hit.

Anyway, last night he gave me a list of things he would like to have for Christmas. On his list were paintball guns. But not just ANY paintball guns. He wanted spyder paintball guns. He said all of his friends have spyder's and that's what he wanted to. I guess I'll be shopping online at Ultimate Paintball to get the best prices around. They also offer free shipping!


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I think I'm falling apart

I was hoping that my back would be feeling better today, but no such luck. When I got up this morning, I was just barely able to stand up straight. I went into town to go to the bank and when I walked back out to my car, I must have stepped wrong because I had a pain shoot down my leg and up to my shoulder blades (at the same time). It hurt bad enough that I actually had to stop and catch my breath.

I've been dealing with this back pain for so long now that I feel it is a part of my life. I'd love to have it "fixed" but I have limited options on what to do about it. I have scoliosis and have two metal rods in my back so going to see a chiropractor is out of the question. I've asked the local ones if they'd do anything for me and both said they wouldn't touch my back with a ten foot pole (too much liability). Our regular doctor also hasn't given me many options. He says the majority of my back pain comes from the scoliosis and figures that some of it is also nerve related (sciatic). He also thinks that when I had my back surgery, the doctors somehow caught a nerve when they were sewing me back up and that's why there is a certain area of my lower back that I can't even stand to have someone touch. That is also where the majority of my back pain hits...lower back.

For the most part, I've just dealt with the pain. Usually I'll be down about once a month or so for a couple of days, but here lately it seems to be bothering me more and more often. I'm to the point of calling the doctor and getting some major muscle relaxants or something just to take the edge off so that I can function. I hate to go that route because it's not fixing the problem, it's just helping me cope. Any opinions on what I should do?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

As I'm sure you can tell, I changed the looks of my blog....again. I was getting tired of the other one. I don't know why. It was perfectly acceptable. I guess I just felt like something different for awhile. I do that with a lot of things. I am constantly moving my furniture around. I'll rearrange kitchen drawers and change things around in our closets. My hubby gets so frustrated with me at times because I'll rearrange his dresser drawers and then, of course, he can't find anything. That's just me though. I don't think it hurts anything. It gives things a new perspective.

Garage Lights

Every time I go out into our garage, I end up tripping over something because there isn't enough light to see. I've been after my hubby to put up more garage lighting ever since we moved into this house, but still no luck. I'm just waiting for the day that HE goes out there, trips and scratches up his car because of it. I bet there will be new garage lighting put up then.

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@@?!?%!?

Back pain sucks! Somehow, yet again, I've messed mine up. I think it was something that I did at the gym on Tuesday because it seemed to start up not long afterwards. Yesterday morning, when I got out of bed, it twinged a few times, but I made it through the day. Today it's a whole different story. I did make it out of bed and I even made it to the gym, but I only did a halfhearted workout because every step I took sent shooting pain through my lower back and down my leg. Once I got back home, I immediately got out my trusty ol' heating pad and have been cooking ever since. I am still mobile, but every time I get up and walk around it hurts. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be better. I hope it is anyway because the kids are off of school for the day and I have things that I really need/want to get done. Granted, if I'm not back up to par, there are always the kids that I can recruit to do those things for me. Hmm, maybe it would be better if I'm still hurting. LOL

Halloween Sighting

Wordless Wednesday

Britney Spears loses custody

It's hard to believe that things have gone downhill so fast for Britney Spears. Now, she has been ordered to turn her kids over to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, and he will have full custody from now on. For the full story, read here.

Rock of Love Winner

If you watch the show, Rock of Love, then you already know that Jes won on last night's finale. She won the heart of Poison front man, Bret Michaels.

I must admit that I'm happy she won. I liked Heather, but just didn't like the way she was acting there towards the end. Was Jes the one you hoped to win or did you have another favorite who left the show earlier then you'd hoped? Let me know by leaving a comment.

TGIF

I am so ready for the weekend. This has just been a long week. The days have just seemed to drag by.

Dad is doing much better. The dr. took him off his blood pressure medicine for awhile to see if he needs it anymore. He said the dosage was probably playing a big part in dad's heart rate being so low too. Tuesday his heart was only beating about 45 bpm, but yesterday it was up to around 80 bpm. Dad thought it was too high, but the dr. assured him that was fine (I guess you should aim to have it between 60-90 bpm?).

I have had several people stop me throughout the week to ask how he is doing. That's what happens when you're pretty well known in a small town:) I've heard all sorts of rumors of what happened. I even had one guy tell me he was so sorry to hear that dad had passed away!!!! NOT FUNNY! Imagine this guys surprise when he saw dad in the shop two days later. I'm sure he felt terrible, but geez. Get your facts straight before approaching someone.

Had lunch today with my mom and aunt. That was fun. We could have sat there for hours chatting, but unfortunately I had to cut it short to get back here and work. My boss (hubby) sure is a slave driver some days:)

I have absolutely nothing planned for this weekend. I'm hoping to just lounge around and enjoy the beautiful weather. It's supposed to be wonderful all weekend so I will probably be outdoors a lot.

Halloween...it's just around the corner

Your Halloween Costume Should Be

Candy Corn

What Should You Be For Halloween?

Senior Dating

I saw a story on tv the other day that was so sweet. It was about a couple who were 90 years old and had just gotten married. They had been former classmates, but had never dated each other. They started dating each other after meeting again at their 70th high school reunion.

Now, I know there are seniors out there that are thinking that they would like to get out into the dating scene and not have to wait to find someone at their high school reunion, but don't know how to go about it. Well, there is a new website out there for senior singles called Datingforseniors.com.

Some senior dating sites offer too little and charge you too much, but Datingforseniors.com is different. They feature only REAL seniors who are looking to find that special someone to spend their life with. Visit their website today. Sign up is FREE.

Slower Day Today

Thankfully today has been much less exciting then yesterday. Talked to mom earlier and dad is doing much better today although he did take today off work to continue to rest up. I think that's probably for the best. The doctor said he will be fine and there wasn't any damage from his seizure, but dad needs to take some time to relax anyway. He works way too hard. He's always been that way though so nothing new there.

Grab Your Skiis!

Have you ever wanted to go on a luxury ski trip, maybe to Europe? Wouldn't skiing down the Swiss Alps be the coolest getaway you could ever imagine? Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a company out there who could help you plan the most fabulous vacation imaginable? Well, then grab your skiis. Supertravel is a UK based company with more then 40 years in travel experience. They have specific departments dedicated to ski and golf vacations. SuperTravel Ski has luxury ski chalets in St Anton, Austria and also in Courchevel and Meribel, France. If you are looking to take a luxury ski vacation, visit their website to find out more about what they have to offer.

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What happens when you take too much blood pressure medicine?

You pass out and have a seizure, which is exactly what my dad did this morning! The story goes like this: Mom and I had just finished up at the gym and when we walked outside to go to my car, we saw an ambulance parked in the same block as my dad's shop. Of course, immediately we both think that something has happened to dad. I asked mom if she wanted to walk down there and see, but she said to just call his cell phone so I did. Dad answered, but it sounded like he was really far away. I kept asking if he could hear me, but he didn't answer. When I hung up, I told mom and she said that dad had been having problems with his cell phone and that's probably what was going on. I asked her again if she wanted to stop in to see him, but she said no, since he answered the phone she knew he was ok. So, we get in the car and head home.

About five minutes out of town, I get a call from my hubby. He says that I need to get mom back into town because he just got a call from a friend of ours, saying that they thought dad either had a heart attack or a stroke. So, I calmly slow down and turn into a driveway to turn around and head back into town. Of course, mom goes nuts because she knew what was going on. She started telling me that I needed to drive faster (I was going 90 when she said this!) and then that I needed to call my brother. Ok, I'm going 90 mph and trying to dial a cell phone, probably not the best idea, but I got it done. I told him to meet us at dad's shop. I continue speeding through town (thank goodness there were no cops around) and made it to dad's shop. I pull into a parking spot and mom jumps out of the car before I even come to a complete stop and runs inside. I hop out of the car and see my brother come running down the block so I wait on him. When we walk into dad's shop, we see the EMT's all sitting around dad, who is sitting in a chair with an oxygen mask on his face. He's laughing and joking around and mom, me and my brother are just dumbfounded as to why anybody would have called 911 for this man because he's acting completely normal.

The EMT's filled us in on what happened. Apparantly, dad was cutting a customer's hair when he started to feel hot and nauseous. He stopped for a second then started to feel dizzy so he started to walk over to a chair to sit down when he passed out and had a seizure! One of the customers immediately called 911 and several others ran outside to see if anybody could come in to help dad. Luckily, the sheriff just happened to be walking by so he went in and immediately started helping dad. When the EMT's got there, they hooked dad up to the heart monitor and some oxygen. They said his heart rate was very low (blood pressure meds will do that to you) and that he needed to go to the ER. However, my dad is extremely stubborn and refused to go. Mom said he would go to our family doctor instead and they would go immediately so that's what they did.

That's where we found out that dad had taken too much bp medicine. He takes two different kinds (a beta blocker and a statin) and he refilled the beta blocker a few days ago. When he got home, I guess he put the pills into the old bottle that he already had. It was the wrong bottle though. He put his beta blockers in his statin bottle. This morning when he got his pills out to take, he thought he was getting a statin and a beta blocker, but ended up taking two of the beta blockers instead. Not good.

According to the Atenolol website, "Symptoms of an atenolol overdose may include uneven heartbeats, shortness of breath, bluish-colored fingernails, dizziness, weakness, fainting, or seizure (convulsions)>" Yep, dad had those.

Thankfully, dad is doing fine now. He has given everyone in his immediate family a few more gray hairs today, but at least he is ok.

New Do

Decided last week that my hair needed a major update. It was long and scraggly and I was just wearing it up in a ponytail all the time. Why have long hair if I can't wear it down and have it look decent? So, today I had it fixed. It's shorter then I've had it in awhile. The stylist cut 5+ inches off it! She also fixed the color (it's actually brown now instead of red) and added subtle highlights.



It actually still comes to my shoulders, but you can't really tell that from the picture since my hair blends in with my shirt.

Finally......

The pool guys came out today and my pool is covered and ready to hibernate for the winter. It was a pleasant surprise to see them out here this morning when I got back from town. I guess my calling their office yesterday must have helped a little. I didn't yell. I was very nice and cordial when I called although I really wanted to let them know exactly how I felt.

The only problem I had with the pool guys coming out this morning was that I wasn't here to watch how they closed the pool. That was one thing that I was hoping to see them do so that next year I could do it myself. Oh well. I'll deal with that next year when the time comes. My mom said that my dad could easily show me how to do it so I'll probably be giving him a call.

Bad Credit?

There are so many people in the world today that have gotten themselves into trouble creditwise. In order to get their credit back in good standing, they are now dealing with tons of Bad Credit Offers in the mail every day.

Rather then jumping at the first offer that comes to them in the mail, they need to visit a website that allows them to compare dozens of offers at once and pick the one that will best fit their needs. That website is Badcreditoffers.com. This website will allow the consumer to look at several offers at once and pick the one that will suit their needs to most. Plus, if they make their payments on time, they they could possibly rebuild their credit and future finances. Check it out today to see what they have to offer you.

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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good: I am finally starting to feel better. This cold has really knocked me for a loop. It's been the worst one that I've had in ages (knock on wood). The weekend was pretty much spent feeling awful. Stuffy head, nose, ears, dizziness, diarrhea, coughing, aches, etc. NOT FUN! But, like I said, the good thing is that I am now feeling a lot better. The stuffiness is pretty much gone. The dizziness is also gone as well as the diarrhea (thankfully!). The coughing is still here, but getting better each day although my sides are really sore from using those muscles. I still believe it is just a cold, not the flu, as I've not had any fever with it.

The Bad: I had a big long post typed up and my computer crashed! So, had to write it up all over again. DANG IT!

The Ugly: The pool guy STILL hasn't shown up to close our pool for the winter! They called me two weeks ago and said that I needed to get our water sample up to their office ASAP in order to see what type of chemicals they were going to need to bring to add to the pool. Well, I did that last Monday. I took time out of my BUSY day to run twenty minutes over to the next town to take this water sample to them. I spent ten minutes driving around because they'd changed their office hours and neglected to tell me that when they called. I then spent another thirty minutes waiting on them to run the water sample and figure out what I needed to buy to put in the pool. All of this when I'm feeling like crap anyway (that was the day I first started getting sick). They told me, as I walked out their front door, that they would be sending the guys out one day that week (last week) to get the pool covered and closed. The only thing I had to do before they came was add the chlorine that I purchased that day. That was it. They'd be out that week and I wouldn't have to worry about buying any more chemicals or running the pool pump, using electricity that really wasn't necessary anymore. But, do they show up? NO!!!! So, now I'm into another week and having to add more chemicals and use more electricity to circulate water in a pool that we haven't used in the past THREE WEEKS! The temperature of the water is down to 66 degrees so even if it warms up this week, like the forecast is saying, I doubt it warms up the water enough to swim. If I don't get a call today from the pool guy, saying that he'll be out here tomorrow, I'm going to give them a call AND a piece of my mind. Ok, maybe I won't give them a piece of my mind. I really can't afford to be giving that away, but you know what I mean:)

No Motivation Today

I have absolutely NO MOTIVATION today. I think a lot of it has to do with the beginnings of a cold that I am so fortunate to be coming down with. My head is stuffy, my ears are popping, my throat is sore and all I want to do is crawl back under the covers and sleep. I definitely don't want to WORK!!! But, alas, that is one of the perils of working at home. There isn't anybody else here to push your work off on. So, I guess I need to get my behind in gear and get going. That is, AFTER I fix my lunch. See?!?! Absolutely no motivation at all today:)

Let's Go Green

I've been trying my best to reduce my carbon footprint in the world. I've found that the easiest thing I've done to go green around my house is to replace all of my regular light bulbs with the new 5W LED E27 Edison Light Bulb. This new LED replacement bulb saves energy and are long lasting. The 5W LED E27 Edison Light Bulb lasts for up to 50,000 hours which is 50 times LONGER then a regular light bulb. They are also more durable (ie. no fragile broken glass) and don't contain toxic mercury like a CFL (compact flourescent) bulb does.

If you want to reduce the size of your carbon footprint and save money too, why not buy some of the new 5W LED E27 Edison Light Bulbs today.

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How Many Days?

I was sitting here today, not doing much of anything, when this annoying little question popped into my head. How many days are left until Christmas? I know, most people don't want to hear this. Most of you are just getting used to the idea of summer coming to an end and the school year starting. I'm usually one of those who waits until at least November before I even start thinking about Christmas, but for some reason the thought decided to strike me today.

I thought about counting on the calendar exactly how many days are left, but then thought "You know, there's got to be something on the internet that gives you the exact days, hours, minutes, seconds, and such" so I decided to search. Boy, was I surprised at how many links came up.

There was a link to Countdown to Christmas, a neat little website that is right to the point. I also came across Santa's Official Countdown to Christmas. On this website you can see how many days are left and you can also write a letter to Santa or even check to see if you're on the Naughty or Nice list. But, I think my favorite website was Christmas Countdown which not only lets you count down the days until Christmas, but also to any other special event you might be looking forward to. Unfortunately, you do have to pay for this one, but it isn't too bad and would be something fun to have on your computer.

So, now that I've made everyone else have that annoying little question run through their heads, I'll be signing off. Merry Christmas.....in 108 days:):):)

Oh, My Aching Back

It's not my back this time, but my son's. He came home from school yesterday almost unable to walk, sit, lay down, stand up, etc. He still has no idea what started the back spasms, but he said he'd had them all day long and every little movement was pure torture. We got out the trusty old heating pad and he popped a couple of ibuprofen and just lounged on the couch the rest of the evening. He was feeling a bit better when he went to bed, but had him take a couple more ibuprofen just be on the safe side.

Well, he got up this morning in just as much pain as before so he stayed home from school. Yes, this is the second day he's missed in just as many weeks, but I know if I'd forced him to go that I would have gotten a phone call a few hours later, if that, to come and pick him up. Might as well just let him stay home in the first place and save me a trip into town.

I did call the chiropractor though and he said to bring him in so loaded my poor boy into the car and drove to the chiropractor's office. There, the Dr. went through some questions like Did you fall recently? Did you twist suddenly? etc. No to all questions, but then again this is my son, who likes to play basketball and skateboard, so he could have done any of those things and just didn't want to say so for fear of his mom getting upset. The Dr. then had him lay on the funny looking table and went to work on him. By the time the Dr. was finished, my son said he was so relaxed that he could have easily took a nice little nap right there, but he didn't. Dr. said that my son definitely had a lot of inflammation and to take it easy the rest of today. He can go to school tomorrow, but no gym class and then tomorrow afternoon I have to take my son back to the chiropractor for more adjusting. At least my son is able to move now, even if it is slowly. Just hope he is still feeling good enough tomorrow to go to school and that he doesn't get jostled around or any thing to make his back feel worse.

Back to Boring?

I think I'm getting back into the normal swing of things around here. The past few weeks were really stressful and intense and, of course, sad. But, now that the funeral is over and things have calmed down a little bit, I'm hoping that I get back into the groove of things and that my life will just be boring for awhile.

Mom and I made it back into Curves this morning and actually made it through the circuit without collapsing. Although, I have to admit, I was huffing and puffing during the last few machines. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow, but that's ok. After the way I've been eating these past few weeks, I need to be working out and I need to be sore. I tried to restart my healthy eating plan today too, but that went by the wayside come dinnertime. My hubby brought home Chinese! I was a bit upset, but I couldn't be mad at him because he thought he was doing something nice by bringing food home so that I didn't have to cook. I'll give him this one, but did let him know that if he wants to be nice again that maybe he should bring home Subway or something else that is just a bit healthier.

Normal posts....they might be boring, but I am hoping that I have several more of them to write....at least for awhile.