The real queen of our home

Anybody with pets knows that they are part of the family. Anybody with a cat knows that the cat is the "ruler" of the roost. Just to prove my point, here is a picture of our cat, April. She "owns" this computer chair in my daughters room. Nobody else is allowed to sit on it but her. If she comes into the room and sees someone else on it, she will jump onto their lap and root around until they remove themselves. She will then curl up and look at you like she is saying, "Hey, don't you KNOW who I am?".

Independence Day

I know, I'm a day early on my 4th of July post, but I'm hoping that tomorrow I am way too busy relaxing to even turn my computer on. I will be working for part of the morning, but the rest of the day I have scheduled to take it easy.

Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July. I hope that everyone is able to take the time off to relax and enjoy the day with friends and family, watch the fireworks that evening and reflect on how lucky we are to live in the USA.

July already?

Wow, I can't believe that it is July already! This summer is flying by way too fast. I guess it is because 1) I'm getting older and 2) I've been so busy. I can't do anything about the getting older part, but maybe soon the busy part will calm down.

Over the weekend, I was able to get away with hubby for some rest and relaxtion. We went to the casino (unfortunately, we didn't win) and spent the night away. It was nice to have hubby all to myself even if it was just for 24 hours. The next night, my daughter had a friend over to spend the night so it wasn't quite as quiet, but we all still had fun. Hubby and I took the kids (daughter/friend/son) out for dinner then bowling. That was fun especially since nobody except hubby is very good at it:) It actually got to the point that my son and I were seeing who could knock down the LEAST amount of pins on their turn. Needless to say, hubby won every game, but that was fine. We had fun anyway.

This week looks to be busy again, but when isn't it busy here. No holiday off for us either. We'll be working on Wednesday, but hopefully we'll still have time to see the fireworks that night.

Other then that, it's really been pretty boring here. I'll post more later if anything exciting happens around here.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

What is your body worth?

Ok, this is kind of gross, but I found this website that actually calculates what your body would be worth to the science community if you passed away. I thought, what the heck, and gave it a try. This is what I came up with:

$5525.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

Mingle² - Online Dating

If you want to calculate your body's worth, just visit cadaver calculator to find out.

Math Tutor

I wish they'd had this when I was in school because I really had a hard time with math. Math Tutors through the Score Learning centers helps children ages 4 to 14 make significant academic progress in an innovative tutoring environment.

If your child needs a bit of help with math, why not check out the Math Tutors at the Score Learning Centers to see if they can help.

this is a sponsored post

Another Week

This week seems to be starting out fairly well. My weekend was even better then I thought it would be. The way things were going last week, I really didn't think things would ever get better, but they seem to be going in the right direction for a change. Maybe someone up there finally realized that my family had taken all the crap they could for awhile and decided to change things for us. Whatever it is, I'm just very glad. The tears, the yelling, the tense and stressful situations were just becoming too much to bear. I'm sure we'll have those things again, but hopefully not in such magnitude.

A Personal Post

Well, I had a really big long post typed up and then after reading it I realized that I really didn't want the entire world to see what I'm dealing with right now. Let's just say it's not been too awfuly fun around here lately, very stressful and lots of tears have been shed because of it. I'm hoping that things calm down soon, but I'm not going to hold my breath about it.

I need a vacation

I need a vacation badly! My favorite vacation is to go to a nice, hot beach and just lay on my beach towel and relax. Every so often, I'll get up and take a dip in the ocean to cool off then back to the beach towel. And, I also like to build sandcastles every once in awhile too especially with my kids. It just takes me back to my childhood and reminds me of all the fun I had when my brother and I would build sandcastles together. Unfortunately, I can't get away right now to take that vacation, but thankfully, I ran across a really cool website where I can build virtual Sandcastles and get that relaxing, beachy feeling without leaving the house. See what I made today....



Wanna know where I found this really neat interactive tool? Well, it's at www.virtualsandcastle.com and it is super easy and fun to use. And to top it off, it's very relaxing to do. That was my perk from finding it anyway. You get the fun of building a cool looking sandcastle, but don't have to deal with the drive to the beach or the sand in your underwear. If I can't take an actual vacation then I'll definitely be building sandcastles on this website a lot.

Sunburn

OMG! First sunburn of the summer and boy does it hurt! I totally screwed up today when I went out to the pool by not taking the suntan lotion out with me. Normally, I take it out with me and reapply after I've been in the pool for an hour or so, but for some reason today I didn't. I guess I just wasn't thinking. That'll teach me. My arms and shoulders and upper back are pretty red as are my cheeks and nose. I've put aloe on this evening and taken a couple of ibuprofen for the swelling/pain and hopefully I'll feel just fine tomorrow.

Deck Problems

The deck that should have been done by this past weekend still hasn't even been started. Why? you ask. Well, the guy who we'd asked to do it, the one who promised it would be done by the weekend, the one who went ahead and bought all the lumber, decided at the last minute that he didn't have time to do it after all. His day job was keeping him too busy. Can you say p***ed off?!?!?

I've scrambled since Friday, trying to find someone else who would be willing to do it for us. Finally, this morning I get a call back from a local contractor who said he was on his way out to our house to give me an estimate. When he got here, he said it would be no problem to fit us into his schedule, BUT.....yes, there was a but. But he said from the looks of the pile of wood we have in our yard, he didn't think that our drop-out contractor bought enough! Great. We've already spent $1600 for lumber, concrete, nails, etc. and now this new guy is telling me that we might have to buy even more? Good grief! He is supposed to get a labor estimate to me this afternoon or evening. If it's not a lot then I'll go ahead and tell him to schedule us, but if it's way more then I'm willing to pay then I guess it's back to the drawing board.

I swear, this pool is just not working out the way we thought it would. First it seemed to take forever to get installed and now the deck is to. Must just be my luck.

Reno 911-The Movie

Have you seen Reno 911! Miami The Movie yet? I have. We saw it the first week it was out at theaters. It was really good. Very funny. My favorite character in the show and movie is Jim Dangle. There is just something about him prancing around in his super short shorts that is hilarious! And, having Trudy chase after him is funny too. I mean, just look at him Trudy, can you not tell he is gay? I think my favorite part in the movie was when the other police departments finally took notice of how good a job the Reno sheriffs department did settling things at the end of the movie. They were finally recognized as doing a good job and that just made it all right in my eyes. They are always screwing things up on the show so it was nice to see them do something right for a change in the movie.

If you didn't get a chance to see Reno 911! Miami The Movie in theaters, then you will be happy to know that on June 19, 2007 it is coming out on DVD. You'll be able to enjoy watching Dangle, Jr, Trudy and all the others in the comfort of your own home. You can check out a clip of the movie here.

Swim Meet Cancelled

My daughters first home swim meet was cancelled for this evening. I guess not enough kids wanted to compete from the opposing team. Daughter is bummed, but I have to admit that I'm kind of relieved. Not that I don't like to watch my daughter swim, but it's 90+ degrees out there, the pool has no shade whatsoever, and I'm fighting a headache that I know would have only gotten worse if I'd gone. I will go to her next one though and several others after that, I'm sure, but I'm secretly happy that I don't have to do this one tonight. Whew!

Stop Your Addiction

There is a brand new 28 day drug treatment program located in Michigan called Stop Your Addiction. They treat addicts from all across the country. If you suffer from drug abuse or know someone else who does, visit their website today to check them out. They can be found at stopyouraddiction.com

this is a sponsored post

Tuesday

We've had our pool for a couple of weeks now and are really enjoying it. However, the skimpy little ladder that came with the pool just isn't working out. It's wobbly and every time someone gets in or out of the pool, we're afraid it is going to break. So, I called a friend of ours and he's coming out today to start building us a deck. He bought the lumber yesterday and said he'd start work this afternoon/evening. I'm glad. It will just make the pool that much nicer.

We're having him build an L-shaped deck so that I can get around the pool to sweep it out. Having to stand along the side to do it is for the birds since, as DH so lovingly tells me, I have super short arms and legs. Yes, we have the telescopic pole to help out, but when you can't see where the dirt is it just makes it very hard to do. Last week, the pool was warm enough to get into while I swept and that was really easy, but Sunday when I swept it out again the water was only 78 degrees, too chilly for me, so I sat on the top step of the ladder and swept what I could reach that way. My son tried to help me out, but he's only a couple of inches taller then me and it was even too hard for him to reach some areas.

So, anyway, the deck should be done by this weekend according to Jay. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one. I'll take progress pictures along the way and then will post them here for everyone to see (or skip if they find them boring:)once it is finished.

PPP gets Funding!

The following is a press release explaining PayPerPost's new $7 million in funding capital.

The PayPerPost Revolution Accelerates, Sponsored
Blogging Marketplace Secures $7 Million Series B

Draper Fisher Jurvetson leads round and joins Board of Directors

ORLANDO, FL – (June 12, 2007) – PayPerPost, the leading marketplace for advertisers to reach bloggers and other consumer content creators, today announced it has completed a $7 million second round investment led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, an investor in the company's Series A and one of the world’s leading high-technology venture capital firms. The financing brings the total amount of capital raised by PayPerPost to over $10 million, giving the company considerable resources for further development as the industry’s leading Consumer Generated Advertising marketplace. Additional participants in the round include existing investors Inflexion Partners and Village Ventures as well as new investor DFJ Gotham. With this investment, DFJ Managing Director Josh Stein also joins PayPerPost’s Board of Directors.

“PayPerPost created this exciting new advertising space and has established itself as the industry leader,” said Ted Murphy, chief executive officer of PayPerPost. “Although we’ve only used a portion of our first round capital, this added support from investors unlocks significant growth potential. Our content creator and advertiser ROI metrics clearly demonstrate the upside for PayPerPost’s model. We intend to use this capital to build the infrastructure, visibility and professional expertise necessary to reach and retain a greater network of advertisers and content creators than ever before.”

Since its founding in June of 2006, PayPerPost has signed more than 6,500 advertisers to its groundbreaking service, which has enabled Consumer Content Creators to be compensated for their efforts discussing specific companies, products or services via blogs, videos or other media. The content creators are required to disclose relationships with advertisers on their blog, providing transparency for the end reader. Over 125,000 Internet postings, most in the form of blogs, have already earned money for their creators through PayPerPost’s innovative marketplace. PayPerPost recently released PayPerPost Direct, a disruptive new service that allows advertisers to contract and negotiate directly with individual bloggers they identify through a safe, managed system.

“PayPerPost has laid a strong foundation for the future,” noted Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “It continues to attract a critical mass of participants from both the advertising and blogging communities. Analogous to Overture’s sponsored search model, we believe PayPerPost’s business model holds disruptive potential and will enable the company to thrive in the evolving paid-content arena.”

To mark the $7 million dollar funding, PayPerPost has launched a new website detailing the company’s service offering at http://www.payperpost.com. Bloggers and advertisers can easily sign up at the site and begin leveraging the self service marketplace.

PayPerPost has made it so much easier for us to make money by letting companies advertise on blogs that we write. I think that PayPerPost should take some of their $7 million and spend it on a nice little gift, ok make that a nice BIG gift, for all of us bloggers who "work" for them. It's only fair, right? Keep the hired help happy and we'll continue to churn out excellent work for you and the advertisers. I suggest a plasma screen tv, maybe new computers for everyone, new cars, you know I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Spend some of that moolah on the hardworking souls who help make PayPerPost the success that it is.

Favorite Summertime Saying

The favorite thing that my
children like to say in the summertime is "Mom, I'm bored". Can you believe that they've only been out of school for less then a week and I'm already hearing those words? What has happened to kids nowadays? I remember when I was younger, my summer vacations were filled with playing outdoors, skipping rope, riding bikes, swimming and fishing. I didn't have video games to spend hours in front of and there were only 3 channels to choose from on television. My kids now have video games coming out of their ears, a computer, Ipods, 200+ channels on the satellite and still they say they're bored. What gives? Of course, anytime I suggest things for them to do, they roll their eyes and say that isn't what they want to do. Ok, so what AM I supposed to suggest? I'm sitting here at the computer working (for the most part:) and they are both plenty old enough to occupy themselves. It would be different if they were 2 or 3 years old and needing guidance, but they are 12 and 16! So, dear son comes sauntering into my home office and once again says he is bored. Ok, I say, how about helping me stuff some envelopes. You wouldn't believe how fast he found something else to do! Kids. You gotta love them, but sometimes they just make you shake your head and wonder why.

1408

When I was a little kid, my brother and I used to sit in our rooms at night, with the lights off, and tell each other scary stories. We'd have contests to see who could tell the scariest story and get the other to jump or scream. I was never very good at telling the stories, but my brother sure was. He used to tell me this one story about a hairy toe! Yes, a hairy toe! He had heard this story before from a teacher, I think, and he would retell it to me and I swear I'd jump or scream every time. It went like this:

An old woman is digging fresh roots and picking herbs one day in the forest when she spies something odd looking, sticking out of the ground. She goes to investigate and find that it is a big, hairy toe. It looks like it was chopped off of a giants foot. It has a lot of meat on it and she thinks that it would make a good dinner so she picks it up and takes it home.

When she gets home, she throws it into a big pot along with some vegetables, lets it cook for awhile then eats it up. She thinks that she has had a very good day and goes to bed that night with a full belly and thoughts that maybe she'll find another toe tomorrow.

About midnight, a cold wind starts to blow and a black cloud, shaped like a giant's head, covers the moon. All of a sudden, a voice rings out yelling "Hairy toe! Hairy toe! Where o' where is my big hairy toe!" The woman stirs uneasily in her bed and pulls the covers over her head. Then a stomp, stomp, stomp sounds outside and again you hear the yells of "Hairy toe! Hairy toe! Where o where is my hairy toe!"

The woman, thoroughly scared, jumps out of bed and starts dragging furniture over to barracade her door. After doing so, she climbs back into bed and trys to go back to sleep. But then she hears the stomping again and all of a sudden, the door is thrown open, her furniture flying in all directions and there in the doorway stood a massive giant. Outside, the wind suddenly died down and there wasn't a sound to be heard except for the giant asking "My hairy toe. Where is my hairy toe?" The woman, in the tiniest whisper, says "I ate your toe" and the giant replies...."I know"!

No one ever saw the old woman again and the authorities never knew was became of her. The only sign of something amiss was a giant footprint outside her front door. It was missing it's big toe.

They say on calm nights when the wind is quiet and the crickets are still that you can sometimes hear a voice saying "Now, I've got my hairy toe"

YIKES!!!!!!!!! Ok, now you're wondering why I'm recounting my scary story. Well, have you seen previews for the new 1408 Movie? It stars John Cusack. From the previews, it looks like it is going to be one super scary movie and if you love scary stories then you just have to love scary movies.

What do you think? Seem like something that will scare your pants off? I will be watching the 1408 Movie as soon as it is in my local theater. I'll be sure to wear two pair of pants so as I don't offend anyone when my first pair are scared off me:)

Holiday World

My kids have already hit me up to visit Holiday World this summer. They just got out of school yesterday and already can't wait to see what new attractions have been added.

I decided to visit their website to see what was new and, lo and behold, found two new things that I think the kids will enjoy. The first is a new water slide in Splashin' Safair called the Bakuli. The Bakuli is over seven stories tall and is an enclosed water slide. It seats four at a time on their clover leaf inner tubes so more people can ride at one time. You'll go through the enclosed water slide, navigating twists and turns and then suddenly the bottom will drop out and you'll land in a bowl where you'll spiral to the end.

The second ride is located in the Holiday World park and is called Turkey Whirl. It's a themed tilt-a-whirl ride. The park is also gaining a new restaurant in the Thanksgiving themed park called the Plymouth Rock Cafe. They will serve cafeteria style turkey day dinners. Yummy!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Fair Warning! Stay off the Sidewalks!

My daughter is now officially licensed to drive! My hubby took her to the license branch on Saturday morning and she passed with flying colors. She was very nervous, but did just fine. I'm still trying to cope with it though. My baby girl is now a driver and, well, that means a lot more freedom. I don't know how I feel about that part. Not that I don't trust HER, I do. She's never given me any reason not to do so. It's everybody else in the world that I don't trust.

She has already taken a half a dozen solo trips since Saturday and done fine. Granted, none have been farther then 15 minutes away or longer then an hour at a time. She drove to school today to pick up her report card and picked her brother up and brought him home from school and did a good job. My son even said she did "ok", which in preteen speak means "She did good enough not to kill me so I'll ride with her when it benefits me to do it". I guess I'm just in "mommy mode" right now and will worry about her every time she leaves my sight.

So Sad

The saying that deaths always happen in three's is a very scary saying to me, but you know it seems to always come true. Every time I hear of a death, not more then a few days later, there have been two more. This time is no exception. Last Friday night, our neighbor was killed in a single vehicle car accident on her way home from work. The next night, a boy was killed in an ATV accident while going home from a party. And, this past Monday (Memorial Day) a family friend passed away from a short battle with cancer.

I know this is just coincindence, but does anyone else think it's odd that this is one piece of folklore which seems to come true 99.9% of the time?

Did you see this?

OMG! I can't even imagine encountering one of these things! To read the entire story, Click Here.

PPP Direct

It's been pretty hectic around here what with the end of school activities, work and the installation of our pool. I've not been posting many PayPerPost items because I truthfully just haven't had the time to sit at my computer and write them. However, when I saw this opportunity posted, I just had to take it. Why? Because PayPerPost has just launched a new and exciting way to make money writing advertisements for big name companies.

It is called ppp direct and the concept is really super simple. You place a button on your web site that says that you are "for hire" to write on a company's behalf. In other words, these companies will come directly to YOU to hire you to write posts for them. And, unlike all the other big named word of mouth marketers out there, ppp direct only takes 10 percent of whatever earnings you receive. For instance, a typical word of mouth marketing company will, and CAN, take anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of your total earnings! Yes, you read that right, anywhere from 50 to 100 percent!!!. What is the point of even writing for those other companies if they are just going to take all of your hard earned money? PPP Direct looks to be very promising to the average “postie” also and not just those who have very high traffic sites. For more information on this subject be sure to check out the ppp blog as well as the video debut.

Ahh, Summertime

I just love summertime. I love that the days are longer. You can get more done in the evenings when there is nothing on TV. I love that the days are warm and you can be outside more instead of being cooped up indoors like you are in the winter. I love that school is out and I can sleep in. Makes it much easier to get up the next day when there isn't an alarm clock involved, especially if I've stayed up a bit later the night before watching a really good movie. My kids love it because of that point too. lol

The only thing I do NOT like about summer is the snakes! If I never saw another snake in my lifetime, I would be happy. Last Friday, we had a 6 foot long blacksnake on our front porch! Yep, if I'd opened the door I would have easily stepped on the stupid thing. Ugh! Thankfully, my mom saw it first though and shooed him off. Of course, that wasn't until AFTER he'd scared the bejeebies out of her. Poor mom. She had just wanted to give me some fresh onions and radishes from her garden. She had no idea that when she walked up to my front door, that Mr. Black Snake would be laying there, waiting to greet her. I do wish I'd had a camera though because she jumped pretty high into the air when she saw him:)

Ok, back to what I do like about summer....fresh veggies from the garden, lazy days spent in the pool, cold and juicy watermelon, crickets chirping at night...wow, I could probably fill an entire blog of my favorite things about this season, but think I'll stop for now.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Pool pictures

Ok, here are a few pictures of the pool. If you are interested, take a peek, if not, skip this post:)

This is the preparation of the pool location. Thankfully they didn't have to do too much digging to make it level.

This is the pool after it is put together, but there's not any water in it yet.

This is the design on the outside of the pool. It's tan and matches the house nicely.

This is the liner. I couldn't get close enough to get a nice shot so will update this one after we're able to actually get in the pool. It is light blue bottom with gray blocks and brown crosses along the top rim.

Alright, this is the last one I took. The pool is almost full of water. There was one more load after this pic was taken. It looks so cool and refreshing, but it's definitely NOT warm enough to get into yet. Maybe by Memorial Day.

Classified Ads

How many times have you searched free classifieds online only to find that they don't pertain to your local area? I have several times and it is downright frustrating especially when you find something that you would like to buy or a service you would like to use.

Well now you can find local free classifieds in your area. Just visit ItsMyMarket.com, a free classified ads site providing free classified ads in your local area. This site also provides a dating service to find that special someone close by, blogs to write your own personal thoughts and feelings, local weather reports so you know whether or not to take that umbrella with you and even local movie theater listings. Visit their website today.

The pool is here!

WooHoo! The pool is here and now full of water. The guys still have to install the pump then show me how to do the chemicals and other technical things and then we'll be good to go. Well, we'll have to have a deck built around it but that's not a necessity. The kids are going to be so excited when they get home and see it. I'll post pictures later.

Father's Day

Wow, it's hard to believe that in less then a month it will be Father's Day! I've only just begun to shop for a gift for my dad and hubby. Both are extremely hard to shop for. When asked if there is anything special they would like to have, both will say nothing. BUT, if I don't have something really cool to give them on Father's Day then they are both really disappointed. Must be the kid inside them both.

This year, I'm looking online for my Father's Day Gifts. I've searched through several websites, but I think I'm going to be buying my gifts from DelightfulDeliveries.com. They have some of the coolest gifts that I've ever seen! They have the monthly clubs like Beer of the Month Club, Wine of the Month, and Cigar of the Month. They also have goodies like cookies, brownies, chocolates, and cheesecakes. They also have gourmet baskets and gourmet popcorn. They even have fine meats and seafood! My hubby would LOVE something like that

I think my dad will really enjoy the basket of hot sauce, bbq and salsa. He does a lot of grilling and those would work out exceptionally well for him. If you're still wondering what to get for your dad, hubby, brother, etc for Father's Day, then I highly recommend checking out the wonderful Father's Day Gifts at Delightful Deliveries. You'll be glad that you did.

this is a sponsored post.

Rambling Thoughts

Another week gone. I can't believe how fast this month is going by. My kids only have a couple of weeks of school left already! It seems like I was just shopping for school clothes not that long ago.

Another week finished at the gym. It is getting easier, but I still feel like I'm getting a good workout. I'm not losing any weight though, which is frustrating although I do think that I'm losing inches. Hubby even told me last night that I'm looking trimmer. That is always nice to hear.

I'm still waiting patiently on the pool guys to come out and put up our new pool. They tell me it should be some time next week. We'll see. When I bought the pool, they told me that I was third on the list, but I am wondering how closely they follow that list. They say it'll be here before Memorial Day though so I'm hoping that is right.

My daughter got her swim meet schedule at last night's practice. It looks like we won't be seeing much of her all summer. Between daily practices, 3 meets a week in July and her summer job (if she finds one) we'll be lucky to see her once a week! I hate that part about her growing up.

Scary news last night...a body (skeleton) was found not far from our house in a field. The police say it has been there possibly 1-3 months! It is strange to hear about something that close to home. Usually we'll hear about things like this that have happened in a town close by but never practically in our backyard.

My previous rant regarding my brother inlaw has ended better then I thought it would also. After hubby told him that we just didn't have the money to spare, he said that was fine and he'd find someone else to help him out. Ok, I'm glad that he didn't get mad about it, but still frustrating that he's just looking for another sucker to bail him out of trouble.

I think I'm done rambling now. Hope everyone out there has a nice weekend. I'll be back later.

My rant for today

I'm so sick of people who think they don't need to work and that everyone else should take care of them. My brother inlaw is the topic today. He doesn't have a job, lives in a trailer where rent is provided free of charge by his mom, and blows what little money he does earn from fixing cars on drugs. Today he had the nerve to call my husband and ask if he would buy a car trailer from him so that his electricity wasn't shut off! First of all, we don't need a car trailer. Second, we don't have the extra money to spare to buy the car trailer. Third, it is not OUR problem that my brother inlaw is about to lose his electricity.

This isn't the first time an inlaw has asked for help like this. I'm tired of it. I know that it is harsh, but if everyone continues to take care of brother inlaws bills then he will never worry about them himself. I say, if he can't pay for it then let them shut it off. He'll find some way to come up with the money to get it turned back on eventually. So, he won't have power to have the radio on while he plays around in the garage, working on derby cars. Who cares? Not me! I have my own bills to worry about paying without having to factor in someone elses! I'm not against helping someone out in a pinch, but this is getting ridiculous!

Am I wrong in feeling this way? Like I said, it would be different if C. had never asked for help before and was just down on his luck this time because of a job layoff or something, but this is an ongoing event. Every month, he's bumming money off one sibling or another. He takes major advantage of his mom by not even offering to pay her rent. He doesn't even offer a trade of services or something similar to make up for it. He just uses her kindness to his advantage.

And it's not just C either. I think all of hubby's siblings have been mooches at one time or another. His sister, J, owes his mom several thousand dollars for back car payments that his mom paid for so her car wasn't repossessed. M, a brother, uses his mom as his own personal banker to help fund his business. He's even had her take out loans so that he can pay his employee payroll! What the hell? Another brother, D, has also bummed money from us or his mom. It's a neverending cycle. Hmm, I'm seeing a pattern here. Mom inlaw has been involved in all of these matters. Maybe SHE should stop giving so much and let her children learn from their mistakes instead of always being there to bail them out.

Well, I know this time, even though hubby is wanting to help his brother out, it's not going to happen. I'm not taking money to C like hubby wants. He is just going to have to find some other sucker to get it from....and I'm sure he will.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Seduce a celeb

How would you like to date a celebrity? Here's your chance. There is currently a contest called Seduce a Celeb going on over at GoFish.com where you can submit a video stating why YOU should be the one to have a date with a celebrity.

Who is this celebrity, you might ask? Currently, it is Mirelly Taylor who has appeared in the movies Kiss Me Again and Serving Sara along with appearances on the television shows, Las Vegas, Punk'd, and Numb3rs. Emmy Award winning producer, Scott Sternberg and Andrew Firestone, from The Bachelor, are also featured in the show. This contest will be running for the next 14 weeks.

This is the first of it’s kind online contest as the online audience actually becomes part of the program through the submission of user videos. Go check out the music videos at GoFish too! My personal favorites are My Chemical Romance. That's my favorite band and I love their music AND their videos. Check out the Free videos at GoFish.com yourself. You'll find several that will be of great interest to you.

So, how do you go about winning this contest? Well, for this contest, you can enter as many videos as you want to, but of course they must be original and different. All you do is go to the site and watch Mirelly Taylor videos on what she is looking for in a hot guy, and then make your video on why you are the guy for her. You could end up being her perfect match. Then you'd date, get engaged, and then get married. Ok, maybe not, but you could win a date with her and who knows what will happen after that. Go check it out!

My little girl is growing up

OMG! My daughter told me last night that she is ready to go get her driver's license! Yes, her birthday was two weeks ago and yes, I knew she was going to get to this point eventually, but I really was hoping it would be a lot longer! I'm just not ready to have a child driving and out of my control, no not control, care. That's a better word. I know she is a good driver and I know she will be very careful, but still, I'm going to be worried every time she leaves our driveway. She's already putting in job applications for summer too. Another scary thought. When did she get so mature? In my mind, she is still five years old and afraid of the dark. I realize that I have to let her grow up though and will begrudgingly take her to the license branch to get her driver's license. I might go kicking and screaming the entire way, but I will take her. Maybe:)

American Greetings

How many people love the idea of free ecards and printable greeting cards? If you're like me, it is just so much easier nowadays to do the ecards or print out your own greeting cards at home rather then go to the store to spend an hour searching through all the cards just to find the right one. Of course, there are several ecard websites out there and that can be pretty overwhelming too.

Well, how about trying American Greetings? Right now they are having a special 3-day "free view" promotion to celebrate the websites redesign. Everything... ecards, printable greeting cards, screen savers, etc... is absolutely free from now until May 17th! American Greetings offers thousands of birthday, anniversary, and "just because" cards. They also offer a line of licensed characters including Elvis, Looney Tunes, Disney, The Muppets, Twisted Whiskers, and more!

Since redesigning their website, American Greetings now features improved navigation, including a "Find it Quick" module to help find specific cards, a ratings system so you can comment on the cards, and better customization tools on ecards and printables.

Remember, the "free view" only lasts until May 17th. Check the website out today to take advantage.

this is a sponsored post.

It's just another MeMe Monday

It's MeMe Monday again over at the Link and Blog challenge website. I guess I didn't scare anybody off with my last one so here I go again with some new "things you didn't know about me".

1. I only dated my hubby for 3 months before we got married. Yep, only 3 months. People said it would never last, but here we are, almost 17 years later, still happily married and going strong.

2. I don't eat the crust of my pizza. I'll eat everything else, but will always leave the crusts behind.

3. I don't know how to drive a stick-shift automobile. I tried to learn but just couldn't manage the clutch, gas pedal and brake all at once. I'm not that good at multi-tasking either.

4. Still along the lines of driving, I can't parallel park. I will drive around the block a dozen times until I find a spot that I can just pull into. I learned how to do it for my driving test, but haven't done it since.

Ok, my brain hurts now from trying to think of things that people don't know about me already so I'm going to stop at four items. I'll have more for you next week. TTFN!

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all the mom's out there are having a wonderful day today. Here is a lovely poem that I found dedicated to mom's everywhere.

"Happy Mother's Day" Means More

"Happy Mother's Day" means more
Than have a happy day.
Within those words lie lots of things
We never get to say.


It means I love you first of all,
Then thanks for all you do.
It means you mean a lot to me,
And that I honor you.

But most of all, I guess it means
That I am thinking of
Your happiness on this, your day,
With pleasure and with love.
Nicholas Gordon

Sorry I've been MIA this week

I know, some of you are wondering what the heck happened to me this past week. I'm sorry. It's just been so busy around here with billing, the city wide cleanup, we lost an employee on Monday that left us shorthanded and the end of year school functions that have started already. It's just been a lot of stuff and unfortunately my blog suffers the consequences of it all.

Anyway, an update on the diet front. I didn't even weigh myself this morning. I think I'm going to ignore the scale for awhile and just go by how I feel for a change. I'm going to the gym faithfully and I do feel a difference in my stamina and energy so I know it is helping. Who cares what the number on the scale reads as long as I'm feeling healthier each day?

I'm also cancelling my nutrisystem order. I don't even know why I ordered it again. I was sick of the food when I went off of it last time so I don't know why the food would be any better this time around. I think I just wanted something to show that I really was trying to do better. Oh well, it'll save me $300 a month by just eating my own food. I've looked over the NS message boards and there are several people who do use their own foods but still follow the NS program. I'm going to try to be one of those people for awhile.

Curves is still going well. I can tell it is working as I can get through the entire circuit now before I'm wiped out. I am also noticing a change in my day to day energy. And I can tell when I've not gone to the gym for a couple of days. I'm more tired and listless. At least I know this is one investment where my money is actually doing some good.

So, what else has been going on here? Like I said earlier, this is the week that I have to do the billing for all of our customers. I really wish I had a program that would create these bills for me each month, but the one I use now doesn't. Well, it would if there weren't any changes between customers, if they all got billed the same each month, but they don't so I have to manually enter them. Each and every one of them and that takes A LOT of time. We also lost an employee on Monday. He wasn't working out and we knew that he probably was going to quit eventually, but we were hoping that he'd wait until after our busiest week of the month to do so. No such luck, but I can't blame him for getting out beforehand. This has just been a really busy week. And my son and daughter have started in with their end of year school activities. I've only had one of those to deal with this week, but it was enough to put a kink in my schedule for the day. Oh well, at least it is now Friday and hopefully I can rest and relax this weekend.

Afraid of bugs? Maybe you should be!

We have been going to a lot of movies lately. Yesterday my son said that he wanted to go see that new bug movie that comes out at the end of this month. I did not have any idea what movie he was talking about so I did some research online. BUG stars Ashley Judd and is directed by the same person who directed The Exorcist and is described as one of the most disturbing horror movies in ages. Hmm, does not sound like my son, who is only twelve, will be watching this one any time soon, but I, on the other hand, will probably be checking it out.

I love horror movies. I am one of these who will watch it through my fingers, but I still enjoy a good heart pounding horror show. Bug really looks like it is going to be one of those movies. Unfortunately, I only have dial up internet so I can't watch the movie trailer. It would take all day to load and even then it probably wouldn't play right, but that's another story altogether. Anyway, from the looks of these movie posters, I think this movie is going to be a winner. I love the tagline too..."First they send in their drone, then they find their queen" Ooh, gives me goosebumps just thinking about what that might mean. I can't wait for May 25th now, which is when the movie hits theaters.

this is a sponsored post.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

This week is so stressful!

This time of year always gets to me. It is Spring Cleanup time for our hometown and with our business providing dumpsters for this annual event, it gets pretty frantic around here. So far this morning, I've already had 36 phone calls! And it's only been two hours since I started! We've had dumpsters removed and taken to the landfill, dumpsters replaced, dumpsters set at the wrong location and to top it all, I just got a call that a dumpster had been set on fire! ARGH!!!! And the bad thing is that this week is only going to get worse.

I appreciate that the City takes pride in their appearance and wants to give everyone the chance to "clean up" their property, but it is enough to drive me insane at times. I've had people call to see what they will and won't take and have to refer them back to City Hall because they are the ones, not us, who set those rules. I've had people call and complain to me because the city employees didn't pick up building materials or something else that was on their list of things they wouldn't take and, again, had to refer them back to City Hall. I also have people call and threaten to bring anything that is left behind out HERE, to my HOME, and say they will dump it off and then we'll have to take it! Yikes! Not fun, not fun, not fun. So, that explains the little "frazzled" picture in the righthand corner of my blog. I'll be so glad when this week is over.

MeMe Monday

It's all about me today. I hate that. I don't like to talk about myself, but that's what they request you do for the MeMe Monday challenge over at the Link and Blog Challenge website so I guess I'll try to come up with a few things that you might not know about me.

1. My nickname is Weed. And NO, it doesn't have anything to do with marijuana!! It was given to me by my cousin when he was about 4 years old because he couldn't say his L's or S's right. So, Lisa became Weda which became shortened over time to Weed.

2. I am deathly afraid of snakes and will even lift my feet off the floor of the car if we run over one while driving! How bad is that?:) I have also been known to do the same thing if I see one while riding the lawn mower.

3. I am also afraid of heights and can't climb a ladder any higher then the second rung.

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure everyone will think I'm odd after reading them, but oh well. That's all part of knowing ME:)

In Pain

My son's school called at lunchtime today to see if I could come and pick him up. Apparantly, some kids and him were jostling each other around at lunchtime, you know how boys are, pushing and shoving each other. Anyway, somehow in the process of having fun, he got hurt. He says it feels like he pinched a nerve in either his neck or shoulder. He can't tell because it radiates into both areas. So, he is home now and has the heating pad on to see if that helps. He's taken a couple of ibuprofen and appears to be doing better.

I swear, between him and my daughter, I've had one child home at least once each week for the past month! I think a lot of it is end of school fever. They just don't want to be at school anymore. my son, though, is really hurting today. You can tell just by the way he is holding himself and, on the ride home, every bump I hit with my car (i really was trying to miss them!) he would wince. Maybe today isn't the dreaded end of the year fever, but I'd bet money that some of the other days have been!

Was there ever an Atlantis?

I've always thought this was an interesting story. Was there ever a city of Atlantis? If there was, what happened to it? Did it sink into the ocean like so many of the stories say?

After 20 years of research, there is now a website stating that the city of Atlantis was indeed real. It was divided into ten kingdoms and one of those kingdoms was called Atlantis! In other words, The Americas were once Atlantis!
According to this research, Atlantis was located in what is now called Tampa, Florida. There is also a small island in Tampa Bay that is called Atlantis, which helps support the fact that Atlantis was an island.

Apparantly, Atlantis did "sink", but not in the way you would think. This website states that "there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea. For which reason the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is a shoal of mud in the way; and this was caused by the subsidence of the island". So, Atlantis didn't just sink into the ocean one day, it was actually hit by a tsunami.

If you want to read more about Atlantis, check out www.atlantiskingdom.com. It really is interesting.

this is a sponsored post

Diets are so hard to stick to!

Ok, I fell off the wagon....AGAIN...and I hit the ground so hard I think I'm going to have a major bruise. WHY can't I stick with this? I know I will feel better, have more energy and be happier if I lose this weight, but for some reason I keep going off program and eating junk, junk and more junk. Argh! I am still going to the gym faithfully, but that is only because my mom goes with me. If I were doing it alone, I KNOW I would have skipped that too. What is it going to take to get it through my thick head that I have to do this or I'm never going to be healthy? Is it going to take a major illness (heart attack, stroke, etc) and a trip to the hospital to do it? Is it going to take someone's mean or rude comment to do it? I just don't know. I've had the mean and rude comments, the hurt feelings, the clothes no longer fitting, the lack of energy, but none of those things have kept me motivated for long. I can ignore the comments and can buy bigger clothes. Oh, I just want to scream! And cry...because I know if I don't do something soon that the trip to the hospital might be something that I have to deal with in the near future.

Drug Rehab

Unfortunately, in today's world, drug use is prevalent. However, if you know of someone who wants to stop using then drug rehab is a great step in the right direction.

1800nodrugs.com is a drug rehabilitation referral service that is of no cost to you to use. And they don't just deal with drug rehab, they are also designed to help alcoholics. They will help you and your family find effective drug rehab at no cost to you whatsoever.

There are so many organizations in the country at this moment and it can be so hard trying to find the right one. This is where 1800nodrugs.com comes into play. They do all the hard work for you so that all you need to focus on is getting yourself or your friend or family member healthy.

this is a sponsored post.

Master Seek

Masterseek is the newest business search engine addition to the internet world. Masterseek will provide business profiles and contact information for almost any company out there. Masterseek is fairly new, but looks to be really promising as they continue to build on a great and promising concept. One of the best ideas of masterseek is that you can find businesses all around the world as well as in your own little corner of it.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Technorati Tuesday

It is Technorati Tuesday today. I've never participated in this before, but the people at the Links and Blog Challenge have issued it as a new challenge so I thought I'd give it a try.

The blog that I linked to is called That's Just Plain Crazy. It is written by Wendy and is about any type of craziness you can imagine. My favorite post has got to be the one about Mickey Mouse at Mardi Gras though. I knew Mardi Gras was crazy, but this post just tells me exactly HOW crazy it is.

Bloggerwave

Here is another fantastic way to earn money through your blog. Bloggerwave is the newest website out there, allowing you, the blogger, to earn money for something that you already do....blog!

I belong to several of these types of websites, but so far, Bloggerwave, seems to be the best one yet. Their website is really easy to understand, the opps are fabulous and the payout is awesome. I recommend that you all sign up for Bloggerwave if you'd like to make some extra cash doing something that you love.

this is a sponsored post.

Mediterranean Escape

I have always wanted to go to the Mediterranean. From what I have seen on tv and in movies, the countryside there just looks so beautiful and peaceful. I've read though that the southern area of Cyprus has become overdeveloped so if I ever make it over there I'll be going to northern Cyprus instead. I want to go somewhere peaceful and quaint, somewhere where the old world charm shines through.

North Cyprus Property is also very affordable. Apartments go for £30,000 and detached villas with a pool can be purchased for less then £100,000! It would be awesome to be able to live in a beautiful setting like Cyprus. I can only imagine how much less stress would be in my every day life if it were possible for me.

this is a sponsored post.

Curves First Weigh and Measure

Well, today was the day. I finally got weighed and measured to see how my first month of working out at Curves has been going. I was pleasantly surprised. I only lost two pounds, but I really didn't think I'd be down much weight-wise anyway since I've not really stuck with NS too well this past month. I was happy with my measurements though. I'm down at leas 1 inch in all areas, down 3 in my hips! I never lose in my hip area so that was a real nice surprise. Mom also got her updated stats today too and has also lost two pounds and lost at least an inch in all but a couple of areas. Not bad, not bad. We are both psyched now to do even better this next month. Hopefully the scale will go down a bit more too. I know if I follow NS faithfully that it will, it is just sticking with it.

Person.com

Are you looking for a place to meet new people, for dating, friendship, chat, etc? Then, I suggest visiting Person.com. Person.com is a new website that allows you to do just that. What makes them different from all the other websites out there is that they offer several different means of meeting these people.

You can make your own live webshow to put on their website or you can browse others that are already on there to find someone you might be interested in meeting. If you don't have a webcam, no worries. They also have forums, chat, personals, blogs and games. Why not go check them out and see what you think? I bet you have lots of fun doing so and, who knows, maybe you'll meet that special someone or at least make several new friends while looking.

this is a sponsored post.

Barry Williams

OMG! I'm so psyched this morning! Last night, hubby and I went to Casino Aztar. The Lounge there was having the Original Idols Live concert going on. I knew Barry Williams was going to be there, but had no idea I'd actually see him up close and personal! After hubby and I finished at the casino, we came back through the lounge area. At the same time, Barry was exiting the stage. I didn't know it at the time though and was just trying to get through the mass of women surrounding it. As I pushed my way through though, I immediately bumped into this guy. As I looked up and saw who it was I almost died of embarrassment. It was Greg Brady himself, Mr. Barry Williams!!!! Talk about a red face! I apologized and he did too, he smiled and said hi and went off to the little backstage area they had set up. I was in shock. Hubby didn't see it happen, but it did and I'll remember it forever:)

I am a bit disappointed in myself though for not sticking around and seeing the entire show because LEIF GARRETT, my personal favorite from my younger years, was also there. I'm upset that I missed him, but still psyched about bumping into Barry:) If you don't know who some of these teen idols are, watch this video clip:



So, did you see any of your favorite singers from yesteryear in the video? I strongly recommend checking out this concert, if you did, so that you can catch them in concert yourself. I know if they come back to my area that I will be sticking around to see the entire show:)

Dang it!

Here I was, all fired up to have my weight and measurements taken at Curves today only to get there and have a new staff member there who didn't know how to do it. Dang it! I was ready. I had worked myself up all week to be excited about it, only to have it postponed until I go back next Tuesday. Oh well, that gives me all weekend to lose a few more pounds and work my butt off.

My favorite craft

Had lunch with my mom, aunt and cousin today. That is always fun. We get to catch up on each others lives and, of course, gossip:) Today my cousin brought me a new craft project. She was cleaning out her closet, she told me, and ran across it. Knowing that she'd never do it, she passed it along to me. It's a counted cross-stitch picture of a hummingbird with baby birds in a nest that, once finished, can either be made into a wall hanging or a pillow. I'll probably do it up as the wall hanging.

Now, anybody who knows me, knows that I love cross stitching. I've loved it ever since I was a little girl and my grandma, who will be 99 years young this year, taught me how to embroider. I never quite caught onto all of the embroidery stitches except the cross stitch and it really just stuck with me. I have done several projects that, if I wanted to do so, would easily fill an entire blog with pictures. If I'd taken pictures of everything, that is:)

I think the reason that I love to do this craft project above all others is the simple fact that my grandma taught me how to do it. I love my grandma with all my heart and anytime I am working on a cross-stitch project I just feel closer to her. It is something that I will always have, a memory that I'll keep with me even after she is gone.

I really wish I had a maid

I despise cleaning! I wish I was one of those women who enjoyed it, actually got some sort of pleasure and sense of accomplishment out of it, but I'm not. My daughter is having friends over this weekend to celebrate her birthday and I've been on a mad cleaning spree since yesterday, but don't seem to be getting much done.

My house isn't a pig sty, but it is lived in. It's not one of those homes you'd see featured in magazines, but rather a home that when you walk inside you can tell immediately that a family lives in it. There are shoes by the front door (no matter how many times kids have been told to put them in their room), clutter on the kitchen table, backpacks and sports equipment tossed on the couch, and dirty dishes in the sink. Those things I have no problem with. Those chores are easily doable and really don't take a lot of time to finish up. My least favorite chore, however, is dusting. I will avoid that at all costs, if possible. I think because we have so many little nooks and crannies that it just is too time consuming. We don't have a lot of knick knacks, but there are several pictures and, of course, the whole entertainment system to deal with. Not fun.

I think for Mother's Day I'm going to put an "idea" out there and see if i can get some help around the house as a much needed and wanted gift. Or better yet, one of those maid people that I hear all this talk about:)

Weigh and Measure

This Friday will be my first weigh and measure day at Curves. This first month has gone by really quick. I don't feel like I've lost anything although I know you can easily lose inches without showing a loss on the scale. I think that lifting weights is a great way to get in shape. When I was going to Club Fit a few years ago, the first month I lost 19 lbs(!!!) and was down several inches. I can't remember exactly how many but it was quite substantial. I hope my measurements show some loss Friday. I feel like I am getting a great workout at Curves. Every day I work up a sweat and can really feel my heart pumping afterwards so I know I'm doing something right. Now I just need some good numbers to prove it to myself.

Bid4Prizes

I love auction websites. I like the thrill and excitement of seeing whether or not I can get a fabulous deal on a product. Normally, auction websites have the highest bidder win the item, but now there is a new concept out there.

At Bid4Prizes.com, the LOWEST bidder wins the prize! Now how is that for a switcheroo? You're probably asking exactly how does this work? Well, at Bid4Prizes.com you find a prize you like (for example, a camcorder which would normally sell for several hundred dollars new). Instead of bidding and paying several hundred dollars for it, you bid .50 cents. Once you bid, they tell you whether your bid is high, low, unique, or duplicate and the game begins. Bid4Prizes then gives you game tips to help you decide the lowest unique bid that will win you the prize. And the best of all, if you win the prize you actually pay NOTHING! (except shipping costs and any applicable taxes the IRS might charge you)

To join in on the fun, visit Bid4Prizes.com and register. Once you are a member, you could be the next low bidder and win some fabulous prizes.

this is a sponsored post.

I don't like them. Nope. Not one bit.

We have salamanders around our house. I do not like them. Whenever the weather turns warm, they slither across our front deck, up the side of the house and across our window screens. They like to hide underneath the porch and will run out when you are least expecting it.

Today, while I was mowing, I had to move a few things out of my way, one being a small statue. Whenever I picked it up, one of those little critters decided to run right out from under it right at me. The shock made me jump and when I landed, it just happened to be right on his tail. Yuck, yuck and double yuck! Did I mention that I do NOT like salamanders?

This makes the second run in that I've had with these creatures. The first was right after we moved in and one ran across my barefoot while I was sitting outside! Now this? I think it is time for me to give them their eviction notice. No more living underneath my porch. I do not care if they live farther away, say maybe in the storage shed waaaayyyyy on the other side of the property. I wonder if they'd move? I'm sure if they knew of the possibility of them losing a tail one day that might be a good incentive. does anybody speak salamander so we can get that message to them?

Weigh In today

FINALLY! The scale showed a 1.4 lb loss for this week. I'll take it:) Hopefully this is a new wave of losses for me and these next few weeks will move me right down the number scale. I've been on NS for a month and a half and am now down 10.2 lbs. or something like that. I can't remember the exact tenth of a pound. In two months time, I was really hoping to be down 20 lbs. The last time I was on NS, I lost the weight so much faster. This time I'm going down, but it has been super slow going. I still have a couple weeks left in this second month and I'm hoping to be down at least 12 lbs. in that time. We'll see. With working out at Curves, maybe it is doable. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

National Library Week

During the week of April 15th to April 21st, otherwise known as National Library Week, AccessMyLibrary is allowing users to access their online resources for FREE!!

If you provide a library card, you can expand these resources to include over 27 million full text articles from many renowned magazines such as Newsweek, Consumer Reports and The New Yorker.

AccessMyLibrary has databases that include 19th Century US Newspapers, Biography Resource Center, History Resource Center, InfoTrac OneFile, Book Review Index, Kids InfoBits, Small Business Resource Center and many others.

If you would like to use these resources, sign in at www.accessmylibrary.com/libraryweek during National Library Week.

this is a sponsored post.

Working from Home

When I used to work in the "outside world", I always thought it would be the best to work from home instead. But, now that I'm working from home, there are days that I really wish I still worked elsewhere.

When we first started out business, we really weren't big enough to utilize an office in town so I just did what I needed to here. It worked well and plus I could be here when my kids got home from school and I was also able to do other things while I was here during the day, like cleaning, the dishes, laundry, etc. Over time, however, our business has grown enough so that now our little corner of the bedroom is being overun by business items. There's no room to put any more storage in there and you actually have to navigate very carefully when you get up to use the bathroom at night so you don't trip over a box of copy paper or a pile of files.

My kids are definitely old enough for me to work in an office again and if I were in an office then the minute I walked out that door, I would be able to switch from work mode to mom/wife mode. As it is now, work mode never seems to leave. No matter how hard I try, work still ends up popping into any conversation that I'm having. Even when I'm trying to relax in a bubble bath at night, work keeps intruding. I always thought having little kids was the worst thing to bother me while trying to take a bath. Boy, was I wrong!:)

So, now I'm weighing the pros and cons on moving to an actual office in town. There are several good things about it, but there are also several cons. One being that we'd have to pay rent. At least having the office here is rent free. I'll just have to think about it and see if working from home is really what I want to continue to do or if moving back into the "outside world" is the better choice.

Warning Labels

Today has been a very boring day so I've been doing a lot of television watching. While flipping channels, I happened to notice this warning on my RCA television remote...Do not put in dishwasher. Now who in the world would put their remote in the dishwasher? Apparantly someone was silly enough to do that though otherwise why the warning? Anyway, it made me wonder what other types of silly warning labels there are out there. I did some searching online and came across a website full of them. Thanks to Dumb.com for these hilariously funny labels.

On a container of salt: warning, high in sodium
On Woolite Carpet Cleaner: safe to use on carpets
Box of household nails: Do NOT swallow nails! May cause irritation!
Bottle of bathtub cleaner: For best results, start with a clean tub.
toilet brush: do not use for personal hygiene
T.V. manual: do not pour liquids into your television set
can of black pepper: usage unknown(?)
electronic thermometer: do not use orally after using rectally (yuck!)
rat poison: Caution! Has been found to cause cancer in laborator mice.
microwave oven: Do not use for drying pets
disposable razor: Do not use this product during an earthquake.

My favorite warning label though is on the boxes of Schwan's frozen food packages

Serving suggestion: Defrost

My favorite because my husband used to work for Schwans and he was ALWAYS telling me that people would ask him if the food had to be defrosted before eating! HA!

Blogging, Blogging, Blogging

I've had several of my friends ask me why I like blogging. Well, I like blogging because it gives me an outlet. When I'm blogging, I can let my fingers type whatever my mind tells them too without worrying about someone yelling at me because I've said something that I really shouldn't have to them. Blogging allows me to keep in touch with friends and family who live out of state. Blogging also lets me receive support on my weight loss journey from the many others out in the blogging world who are also on the same path.

When I first started blogging, I really didn't think anyone would ever visit my blog. It was more of an online diary for myself and myself alone. But the longer I was in the blogging world, the more I wanted others to read my stuff. So, I signed up for several websites that have me blogging for moolah. Of course, now I need even more people reading my website so that my page rank goes up and I can make even more money from these websites.

This is the main reason I joined the blogging group, Link and Blog Challenge. I'll be taking blogging challenges on this website, which will in turn give me a link from the next person in line to take the challenge. Sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to get backlinks to my blog. In case you're wondering what my first challenge was, it was to use the word blogging as many times as possible in this post. I think I did a good job.

Las Vegas trip

One of my friends, Josh, just got back from a trip to Vegas and from what he's told me they (Josh and his wife) had a blast! I have never been there, but think I'll be checking into it after hearing about all the fun he had this past week.

Josh said they saw all sorts of fun things, like the Azure Mermaid Show, which I guess is an underwater show featuring, you guessed it, mermaids! He tried to explain, but said I'd have to see it to totally understand. He also said they went to the Flamingo Hilton Wildlife Habitat, the Hard Rock Cafe, Harley Davidson Cafe, House of Blues, and the Nascar Cafe. But he said his favorite place of all was Planet Hollywood. He is a BIG movie buff and couldn't stop talking about this place and all the cool movie memoribilia.

Josh told me that if he ever wins the lottery and can move anywhere in the world, he would pick Vegas. He's already started looking at the MLS listings to see what type of homes are available there.

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Back on Track....again

I had a bad weigh-in Friday. I actually gained weight this past week. I am sticking with the reason being because I started going to the gym and my muscles are retaining water. I don't know if that is the real reason, but it's the one I'm going with.

Anyway, I looked back over my NS food diary and although I was following their plan I think I might have been eating bigger portions on some things then I should have been so today I'm back to measuring my add-in foods. I got lazy about doing it after the first few weeks and I am wondering if that might have been part of the gain last week too. We'll see this Friday if it helps. I would love to see a big whoosh of a weight loss, but will be happy just to be down something.

Alarm System

Owning our own business has led my husband and I to look into an alarm system for our storage building.

Most of the systems we have checked into though have been super expensive or you needed a professional to install them. Not so with the Lasershield alarm system. It is super simple to install, is portable and is available at stores such as Kmart and Sears.

I also like the fact that this system is expandable. You can connect it to multiple systems. It also provides 24/7 monitoring and is a pretty high-tech infrared system. It is perfect for small businesses, apartments or home security.

I think this is the system that we are going to go with. I'll let you know how it works out once we get it installed.

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disturbia

We just got back from seeing the movie, Disturbia and let me tell you it was awesome! I was hoping from the previews that it would be. It did start out a little slow, but it gave a good background story as to why the main character was troubled and causing problems leading to his house arrest.

Once the action started though it was pretty much non-stop. There were plenty of parts that had me jumping in my seat. The ending was exactly what I hoped for also, but I won't go into detail there. I don't want to give it away in case you plan on seeing it yourself.

All in all, I'd give this movie a thumbs up. definitely one to see in a theater too. I think it would lose some of it's mystery if you wait to watch it at home.

Maternity Insurance

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Sunday

It's a nice relaxing day here today. And the sun is out...finally! Yesterday, get this, it SNOWED! In April, it was actually snowing! It was the weirdest thing. I really hope that it is finished and that spring gets here and stays. Today is the perfect day to just relax and enjoy the sunshine. It could be a bit warmer. I'm ready for the days when I can open the windows and let the fresh air in, but I'll take sunshine whenever I can get it over snow any day.

I took my daughter out for drive time yesterday. She's pretty close to having all of her hours in (50 minimum) so we're hoping she has them all in time for her birthday at the end of this month. Granted, her bday is on a Sunday, the license branch is closed here on Monday so it'll be at least Tuesday, but more likely that following weekend before she gets her license, but I think she can wait. She's doing really well. Still has a bit of a fear of bigger vehicles following too close behind her. She thinks they aren't going to slow down enough and will hit her when she's getting ready to turn. I think she'll get better though. That is just something that will have to be gotten used to the more that she drives.

Time to think about fixing lunch then it's back to my lazy day. Gotta go!

Weigh-In

Well, I am a bit frustrated today. I weighed in to a one pound gain for the week. I was hoping to show a loss, but no such luck. I've followed NS to a tee and have been working out so I'm wondering if it is just water retention from the added workouts that my muscles are getting. I'm going to go with that answer anyway:) Sounds good to me.

My second week of workouts went well. I was very glad to be finished today though. I was pretty sore. My legs, mostly, but my arms a bit too. I found out today that I'll have been at the gym for two months before I get weighed and measured. I thought they did that once each month, but they do it after you've worked out for 30 days instead. Since I'm only going 3 days a week that will mean I'll have been going for a little over 2 months before I find out if I'm making any progress.

My mom was telling me today that she can already see definition in her arms, but I think that is just wishful thinking. No way that just six workouts would show a change. Or maybe I'm just jealous that I don't see any change in myself.

Next week will hopefully show a weight loss on the scale. If not, I don't know how I'll feel.

Almost two weeks done

Tomorrow will be the end of my second week of going to Curves. I don't know if it is getting any easier or not. Today I was asked by one of the other ladies in there if I was having an easier time of it yet. I told her that I was, but honestly I'm still having a hard time of it. My pulse is still WAY too high after one circuit and I don't even feel like I'm putting that much effort into it! I'm barely walking in place between machines and although I am working hard on each station I know I'm not doing as hard as I could be. I don't know. Maybe I'm just that much out of shape that it is going to take me longer to feel the results? I know I'm ready to get past the sweat dripping off my face stage of it. I feel like such a slob afterwards that I can't, no wait WON'T, run any errands. My mom was telling me today that if I ever want to go shopping afterwards or have anything else that I need to do that it is fine with her, but I personally don't feel comfortable doing it. I mean, I've got sweat dripping off my face, my hair is wet from it, I'm sure I have a slight aroma wafting from my body afterwards, no way would I want to be walking through a store or anything subjecting others to that. Maybe one day I'll be like some of the others that I've seen in there and be able to jog between machines and still walk out after my workout with only a small glean of moisture on my brow. Maybe someday.

Window Blinds

I've been looking to redo the blinds on my windows. At the moment, we have mini blinds on the majority of them. I do not like them. I haven't since the day my hubby brought them home and installed them. They are nice to keep people from seeing inside during the day, but still letting in natural light, but I don't like the fact that they gather dust so easily.

I've been thinking of switching to Roller Blinds. Roller Blinds used to be pretty plain and only worked well for your kitchen or maybe a bathroom, but now they have so many varieties and styles available that you could use them in almost any room in the house.

I would love to get some black-out Roller Blinds for my bedroom. It faces east and every sunny morning, the sun shining on my face wakes me up too early. I'd also love to get some fabric covered ones for my living room. I'm sure I could find some to coordinate with the other fabrics already in there. And the ones that you can clean with a sponge would work fabulously in our mudroom. No more muddy little finger prints. I'm going to check out TerrysFabrics to see what I can find.

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Today in History

I meant to post this yesterday, but never got around to it. So will post it today. Enjoy!

April 10
1849-Walter Hunt of New York City patented the safety pin.

1916-The Professional Golfers Associations (PGA) held its first championship tournament.

1953-Eddie Fisher was discharged from the Army and arrived home to a nice paycheck of $330,000 in record royalties. He sold 7 million records for RCA Victor while on furloughs.

1958-Dick Clark devoted an hour of his American Bandstand show to the memory of Chuck Willis who had died earlier in the day from peritonitis.

1970-Paul McCartney officially resigned from the Beatles, disbanding the most influential rock group in history at a public news conference.

1985-Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop made it to the top ten on the list of top-grossing motion pictures.

Marketing Secrets

I've been trying to get more traffic to my blog forever, but just can't seem to figure out how to do it. Today I came across a Reformed Adult Webmaster Reveals Cutting-Edge Marketing Secrets.

Woodymaxim.com has a lot of different ideas of how to get more traffic to your website along with several other marketing strategies. Visit his website today to learn more!


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DNA results in for Anna Nicole's daughter

The courts finally got the results of the dna test today done on Anna Nicole Smith's daughter and found that Larry Birkhead, NOT Howard K. Stern, is the baby's father. It's about time. I kind of had a feeling that Birkhead would end up being the father simply because Stern was so adamant against taking the dna test in the first place. In my opinion, if he was so positive that the baby was his why didn't he jump at the chance to prove it? Hopefully now Dannielyn will be able to get to know her father and lead a normal life.