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This post went buh bye too.
Gone, all fucking gone.
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I'm like super nervous and I so wish I could tell you what's up, cuz then maybe I'd feel tons better.
My stomach is a nervous wreck!
I need to take a shower, vac the rugs.
Oh my! Ack! *nervous laughter*
Any guesses? Hahahahah!
Later days!
I'm really busy today. I can't really talk about it right now, my hands are shaking.
I promise once I calm down and get some stuff done, I will tell you what's going on.
Later days.
After the Virginia tech shootings, student Allen Lee who was set to join the marines, was asked in his writing class, to write an essay with the following rules.
The essay was written during Lee's creative writing class on April 23, in which students were given a "free writing" assignment.*Teacher Nora Capron told students not to censor what they write
Blood sex and Booze. Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S...t...a...b..., poke. “So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone..., then had sex with the dead bodies. Will, not really, but it would be funny if I did.” Umm, yeah, what to wright about...... I’m leaving to join the Marines and I really don’t give a F*** about my academics, so why does the only class that’s complete Bull S***, happen to be the only required class...enough said. The model citizen would stay around to vote in new board member to change the 4 years of English policy, but no one really stays around to vote for that kind of local crap, so whoever gets there name on the Ballet with a pretty face gets to do what the F*** ever they want with local ordinance. A person is smart, but people are dumb selfish animals. We can’t make rules for ourselves so we vote others to do it for us, but we can’t even do that right, I meen seriously, Bush for President? And our other option was John Kerry who claimed to partake in Vietnam Special Forces missions that haven’t been declassified....F***ing Bull S***. So Power Flower Super Mario. Pudge, hook, rot, dismember “Fresh Meat.” Most new/young teachers are laid back, and cooperative with students as feedback and input into the curriculum and atmosphere. My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students like a 63 year old white male fortune 500 company CEO, and a illegal immigrant. If CG was a private catholic school I could understand, but wtf is her problem. And baking brownies and rice crispies does not make up for it, way to try and justify yourself as a good teacher while underhandidly looking for complements on your cooking. No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don’t be surprised on inspiring the first cg shooting.
The following "Author's Note" was passed out to students at his school in reference to his essay.
Author’s Note: This production of the writing is done in the most accurate manner I can depict of the original writing. Grammar and spelling mistakes are included at the best accuracy possible. The first phrase in questions is in fact a Green Day song. The second reference to drugs is in relation to the schools history of drug problems. I am personally clean of all controlled substances. The statement in quotes is done so as a non personal statement as I would have done in reference to a character for a story. The reference to the gun P90 is from a video game, combined with a reference to necrophilia as a comment regarding a seriously messed up situation. A situation such as the rape of villagers during a raid by U.S. troops in Vietnam. I really do not care too much about by continuing academia as in relation to grades. I do however believe on continuing my personal education, and I am actually still working for my classes. My views on the graduation requirements explain themselves. The reference to Mario and Pudge(a DOTA character) are completely random in this essay. The reference to a person being smart and people being dumb is based on a quite from “Men in Black.” I generally do believe the public opinion is best. The rest of the essay is rather self explanatory, the main statement in question I have already released a comment online about. I request that all information I have released is read together, and nothing is given separately or as an excerpt as the administration has seen fit to do.**On an additional note, I have completed the MEPS (Military Entry Processing Station) examinations, and yes a psychiatric evaluation is included in the process. If I’m qualified to defend the country, I believe I am qualified to attend school.
Do we really want the thought police? Are we that scared of ourselves that we need thought police? What will this mean to writers of fictional stories?
Are we going to start reading every single essay a student writes and scour it looking for kids who may pull the trigger, and turn them over to the police?
Students everywhere now need to hold back, stop writing, stop being creative.
It's all pink fuzzy bunnies and rainbows now folks.
Let's just stifle creativity because we are a scared nation.
Don't take my words as not caring about school shootings, because I do care, but censoring, being frightened, ruining good kids lives because teachers are afraid of what kids write after telling them to be creative, not to edit or censor themselves, and then the teachers freak out and turn the papers over to cops.
Is this really the path we want to take?
Do we really want thought police?
This was a good kid, an athlete, a non-drug user, a kid planning on serving his country.
Now what? Now what happens to Allen Lee?
The teens only have 15 actual days of school left.They asked if they could stay home, and clean the whole house, including moving all of our home furniture to clean under it.
Move the couches and end tables, vac, dust, sweep and polish everything.
While it sounds oh so tempting to have a pair of home cleaning slaves for an entire day, they only have 15 days of school left.
Nice try boys.
Nice try.
I played Sims for about an hour and then let Sebastian play until about 20 minutes ago, while I laid on the couch watching Mark play LOTR BFME, on the xbox until I passed out.
I took a nice nap, must have needed it.
Dinner is almost ready, then I have things to do.
I'll get back to y'all in a bit.
Later days.
Mark is gone out with George, Sebastian is playing video games, and I'm bored.
Tell me something interesting.
I laid on the couch from about 7pm till about 11:15pm.
That's too long for my back and now I hurt.
Yup. I'm totally whining.
I hate it when it hurts like this because nothing helps it, not the meds, not hot showers, not heating pads, nothing.
I just have to wait until it decides to chill the hell out.
Ugh.
Everyone is all a flutter. They can't stop talking about it.
Ok, it's like this, all 20 DC's (data centers) have to match.
Say you are a PR 0.
If you see the 20 DC's, and 4 of them say you are a 3, and the other 16 say you're a 0, then hope and pray, and beg and plead, that the other 16 somehow catch up.
Majority rules with this game, it's that simple.
One of the things that is driving me completely insane, is everyone looking at the PR predictor tools and getting all in a tizzy.
"Oh my gosh! It's says I'm gonna be a 4!"
Before you wet yourself, they are mainly for entertainment purposes.
While they may be close, they are rarely accurate.
Heck, I have 1 saying I'm going to be a 9. (Thanks rusty brick!) But I know not to trust them after years of watching them be wrong.
The up to two week dance, is the most nerve wracking time for webmasters.
Everyone waits for the magic Google numbers to stop dancing and make their site higher ranked.
I'm not going to make myself crazy. I'm not looking at the DC's. I did the day everyone started screaming that Google was moving, to verify that they were, and sure enough, they are.
I'm just going to wait. It does me no good to keep watching or play with predictor tools.*
I'll just make myself crazy like everyone else is.
*For the sake of this post, I did check iweb and rusty brick.
Iweb says I'm going to 6, and rusty has changed it's mind on me since the beginning of this post and now says I'm staying at 5.
yay.
I don't have to look anymore, I'm probably staying right where I am and that's totally ok with me.
Seriously, I love my Sims, and I love playing, but some people have taken it to a whole new level.
This is simply awesome! I fucking love this!
I spent like the last 3 hours watching Sim music videos.
People are so talented with this stuff.
Amazing!
Sam and Renata Hunter, who live in this huge farmhouse style home, with a swimming pool, and place for backyard parties.
Sam and Renata had found two stray dogs and decided to name them Sarah and Danny. They were found together, so they kept them together.
The dogs are beautiful, but untrained.
Renata promised Sam that she could train these dogs who had been eating out of garbage cans for who knows how long, so she set to work on some of the easier commands, like playing dead, first.
Sarah is a pleaser so she loves getting praised.
Awww, aren't they so cute together? They sleep together, play together, attack the mailman together. They are a great pair.
In the middle of the night, Sam could hear all this noise coming from the spare bedroom where Danny and Sarah have taken up sleeping.
He got up to see what all the noise was about, and this is what he found.
"5 dogs!" He yelled, "Renata! Puppies! We have puppies!"
He thinks they are really cute, but 5 dogs? How the hell are they going to care for 5 dogs? They both have jobs, they have social lives!
Renata says they can totally do this, Sam doesn't think so and has talked about calling the Humane Society to pick up the pups. He wants to keep the older dogs, he's grown quite fond of them, but they have to get spayed and neutered.
Oh wait, the can't get them fixed. EA Games doesn't include spaying and neutering as pet ownership options.
That's terribly irresponsible EA Games.
Just awful.
They went out biking and then to Taco Smell. They talked about all of their interests and hobbies. His Big is huge into physical activities and sports, I think I told you that.
Anyway, he's trying to get some steelers tickets for when he goes back up north to visit his family. He and his dad are Steelers fans even though they're from NYC.
There's a bunch of games scheduled for the fall already, so he's planning his trips now.
He said he'll be sure to let us know of the dates he's gone, when he'll be back etc.
He also promises to email all the time, he hates talking on the phone, he said.
Sebastian emailed him after he came back today to say thanks and that he had a great time, which he did.
The Big program isn't just about going out and doing stuff, it's about building friendships, so staying in touch is a huge part of that.
I really couldn't be happier for Sebastian right now.
Mark is still sleeping, Sebastian left with his Big about 2 hours ago to go bike riding on some trails.
I'm so glad this is working out!
It just makes me so happy for Sebastian to finally have a guy in his life who actually pays attention, and does stuff with him.
He got all excited as he was leaving, had this huge smile on his face. I love that he's happy.
As for me, I'm blogging, attempting to clean the house, and other boring stuff.
When you have a small house, it gets dirty faster I think.
I'm always cleaning stuff up. It seems to never end.
*sigh*
Off to keep cleaning and stuff.
Later days.
P.S. There was excitement on Sims of Our Lives last night!
I'll post about that later.
Drug rehab this week?
I'm a bit behind on my celeb gossip.
It's funny in a not funny but funny way. Every week some celeb is off at some rehab getting over whatever addiction they have.
Sometimes, I think it's all a publicity stunt ya know?
Like all press is good press even if it's bad?
It's just weird that every week a new one is suddenly in rehab after months of not being in the press at all.
I took a few hours to lay back on the couch and watch Casino, we love mobster movies here at Casa Cooper.
There's nothing more fun than the ending of that movie when everybody dies by gunshots to the head, car bombs, or baseball bats.
We're a sick bunch, but it keeps us entertained.
The boys are being awesome now. They are all cool with how things may go come June. I talked to sis, and she's going to take them for that weekend, and even drive to Orlando with the boys, to spend lunch or dinner, then take the boys to a park.
Gravy.
I'm actually making serious consideration to going now where as before, I just didn't like how things were going with stuff.
I know, I change my mind a lot.
I'm a girl, I can do that.
I figure, I could potentially learn a lot from that weekend, things that would benefit me in the long run, so it would be kind of stupid for me not to go simply because I disagree with the rules of some silly awards.
It all hinges on one thing though, but I'm pretty sure that's totally in the bag. *nods to Christine*
Dinner is almost ready, and I'm about to dive in to the gazillion emails I have.
Sometimes I look at my inbox and go, 'ugh'. Sometimes there are a lot of them, but it's a good thing and not a bad, and I will reply soon to all.
Then I might just take the night off from the web and immerse myself in my Sims, and see if I can get my Sim Delia to turn to a werewolf.
It might be fun.
And speaking of Sims, Sebastian and I have decided our next expansion pack will be Seasons.
See, Florida doesn't have seasons unless you count from September through November it's warm, December through January it's warm, February is warm-ish with a cool breeze, and the rest of the year is hot, with June through late August being scalding.
It'll be nice to see winter without freezing to death again, spring's blooms, summer's sun, and falls pretty colors.
We'd love to get them all to be honest. *laughs*
We're Sims nerds and proud of it.
Ok, off to start the emails and eat.
I multi-task like nobodies business.
Later days.
Sebastian and I are having an argument.
See, his birthday is June 1st. I might be going out of town that weekend, but told him we would do the whole big party a few days early, he'd still get his party, his presents etc.
He says he doesn't want a party now. He just wants me to be here on the day.
I asked him why we couldn't just do it early, we did Mark's party a whole week early because his birthday falls on the first week of school and parents won't let their kids go to any parties the first weeks school starts.
He said nope, he doesn't want it a few days early, he doesn't want a party, he doesn't want me going any where.
It's not even a definite that I'll be going, I reminded him, just an idea. He said nope, too bad, I'm not allowed to go anywhere.
Mark said to him, "That he should just let me go, we would have the whole house to ourselves for the weekend, *wink wink* he'd still get his presents and cake, mom would be gone, she won't be here to tell us to go to bed, stop playing video games and all that stuff."
Sebastian thought about it for a minute, and said, "Fine, you can go, but I want souvenirs."
It's gonna be a busy week. I have the TOOL concert on the 29th, a birthday, and an entire weekend (possibly) in Orlando.
Handbags. I like them, they are cute, but so not practical.
I mean, just look at how cute this bag is.
It's cute, it's black suede with a leather front pocket, adorable!
But, it's too small.
It's only slightly larger than my hand. (Yes I do know I broke a nail.)
I simply cannot fit in here the amount of stuff I need to carry.
I have to have my wallet, and my pill case if I'm going to be out longer than 4 hours, and my cell. That's about all this thing holds.
Who the hell decided that small bags were all the rave in fashion?
I have this awesome larger bag that I loved carrying until I was told by more than 1 woman, that it was much too large and oh so not in style.
I want to know which fashion icon/maven/designer person I need to speak with to bring larger bags back in style.
I had two tests.
One, I drank more of that lovely barium crap. *shudder*
The other, was a dye I had to swallow, kinda like barium, but not as thick, more like kool-aid, but way nastier.
They specifically targeted my stomach and pancreas.
I have no idea what they are looking for, I was just told they were looking for areas of concern.
O-k.
They said they would call me as soon as they have the results.
I'm tired. I have no idea what it is about hospitals that make me tired, but I leave and I'm exhausted. But no rest for the wicked as they say.
Lots to do today.
It's at 8:30, so I probably won't be back till after 10am or so.
I have to go have some more tests done for my stomach issues, cuz they still don't know what's wrong.
The meds they gave me though are working on the symptoms, I haven't been sick since that 4 day stay and getting those new meds, but they still want to find out what it is.
I'm seeing a specialist so no eating after midnight, I have to fast for these tests so when they make me drink whatever kind of dye or yucky tasting stuff, nothing will interfere with it.
I am hoping these will be the last tests and they will have answers for me.
Branson is being called the new Nashville.
When Shell and I went on our trip all over the south, we made a stop in Nashville and had some fun. Saw some sites, drove around and found Elvis' house and the famous Lisa Marie plane.
It was a good time. We were told by the locals, that most of the tourist attractions were now in Branson after Nashville became too over populated.
I was perusing the site I posted earlier with the catholic gifts on it, and spent some time looking through the titles of their catholic books section.
This one in particular.
I've always been fascinated by the subject of the rapture.
I'm sure it's all a very real possibility to believers, but I've seen so many comical but well meaning movies on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, that make the entire thing just laughable.
There was one which had me rolling with tears.
All these people walking around saying things like where's my husband, my mommy's gone, my teacher just disappeared, crying, stunned people every where, and then all this other super freaky stuff starts happening like really bad cgi demons and stuff.
It was comical, so I'd like to read what the catholics think of it. Their opinions on things in the bible are interesting to say the least.
I've spoken before about what happened to my couch, kids, and I would love to just be able to replace it right now, but I don't have the money to. I need to find a great discount furniture store near me, that offers high quality leather sofas, for low, low prices.
I saw a few on there that I really liked, while not leather, I still really liked them.
Leather just lasts longer, (if not picked apart by children) but fabric is ok too. I could deal with it if I found the right one.
In the original Sims, there were zombies, I had some fun with that once.
In Sims 2 Nightlfe expansion pack, there are vampires, we have that pack too but haven't met one yet.
In Sims 2 Pets, you can have werewolves.
I had heard of this, but never seen the wolf before until last night after Greg went home from his date with Delia.
You have to befriend the werewolf for several nights in a row, pet it, feed it treats, rub it's belly, and eventually it will nibble on your Sim, and they will become one too.
Delia met the wolf named Ferdinand last night.
So now I'm wondering, should I let Delia turn?
Sims of our lives could get a whole lot more interesting if this happens.
I could spread lycanthropy like a disease. The whole city would be infected.
I wonder what Sim sex looks like between werewolves. Hrm...
I made double decker cheeseburgers for dinner tonight, with pickles, tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, fries etc.
Yup, home made burgers.
As Eddie Murphy would say,
I made mamas welfare burgers...LOL
Hahahah!
The boys loved them though, ate everything on their plates.
I have a wide variety of friends in a wide variety of religions, most of them Catholic. They are a funny lot, they love to give me Catholic gifts for my birthdays or just because.
I have several copies of Catholic bibles, crosses, rosaries, books.
I got a copy of Catholicism for dummies. That was awesome.
I have awesome friends, they don't mean any harm by doing it, it's usually a gag gift. But it's all cool with me.
Ok, maybe not, but boneless spare ribs are just so yummy.
That's all we ordered last night.
We each got a large order of just spareribs, ya know the appetizer? *laughs*
The lady on the phone was all, "Is that all you want?"
Yup, just the ribs please.
And ya know what's better than Chinese food?
Chinese food the next day.
Yummy spareribby goodness.
*slurp*
I went and got my mail from my ghetto-fied mail box, and low and behold, a child support check for $44.
It's been a whole month since the last whopping check of $22.10.
He's trying sooo hard to pay for all 6 of his kids. I gotta give him a little credit.
I mean, he's going balls to the wall these days to support himself and all 6 of his kids. Have I told you all how hard he's working?
I didn't?
Shame on me!
He's opened his own business! Isn't that just awesome?!
Check this out.
Click it for bigger.
I think I'm gonna make it my wallpaper.
That's his very own tattoo shop!
Incredible!
He's a business owner finally!
He's been working there for years now, it was only a matter of time before he bought the joint.
This means he's gonna be able to finally start paying more than $22.10 whenever he feels like it right?
I mean, it's his own business, he somehow managed to get a business loan with his bad credit, debt and arrears for child support for 6 kids, and he got a loan? And what about all the licenses and health requirements and all that jazz, to actually run a tat shop. He must be doing supertastic financially right?!
OMGDZ! This is just super exciting!
As soon as I heard the news, I put in a call to child support, to get our amount of cs modified.
He's a business owner now. He can finally afford to make proper payments to all 6 of his kids and pay off the arrears to Mark and Sebastian.
This is awesome, it's like Christmas!
If you can't tell this post is dripping with sarcasm, it is.
He has no intention of paying his arrears to his kids. Hell, he probably has no idea that I know about him owning this business, but I do, and I really did make that call.
I have friends who still live there, they see him every single day, they eat lunch across the street from this new business, they saw the signs, took pics, and emailed them to me as well as called me.
They are just as stunned as I am that he was able to start a business with him owing so much money to all of his kids.
I don't understand how he was able to get a business loan with the way his credit and debts are to his children.
I am 99.9% positive that the state of Maine passed a law years ago, stating that dead beat dads who owed more than $100,000 in arrears, would never be able to get a business loan.
But here he is, with his own business.
This is not hear say nor rumors, this is a fact. He owns that business.
So go ahead and try to sue me for slander and liable. I triple dog dare ya.
I have to be careful what I take. I have other health issues, so I need products that are all natural, won't interfere with the rest of my medications. I would really love to find an all natural metabolism booster, but I worry about side effects like being wired.
I don't need to be wired.
I am already wired. I barely sleep, so yeah, nothing that's gonna keep me zooming around like I took a bunch of speed.
Delia is growing up quite fast. This girl is a party animal!
She has taken her parents car and gone out to nightclubs till all hours of the morning, has brought a different boy home every single day after school and made various advances at them, but then she met Greg Shaw.
Her little slutty heart went a pitter patter, and she finally got her first kiss.
But Belle does not like this boy at all.
I mean just look at the way he was dancing with her inside her parents home! All grinding up on her. Mama Belle was none too pleased.
Greg and Delia took her parents car without permission again, and had a helluva time out at the nightclub P.U.R.E., partying, drinking, and trying to avoid her big brother Derek who was also there.
But she got busted when when her and Greg went to the bowling alley, and big bro followed.
She was totally busted, so she figured she might as well talk to him.
Belle and Darren found out of course, and grounded her.
But she figured she might as well make the best of it, and also try to make her folks forget about it, by doing their fave dance with them.
The Smustle.
And it continued into the night, so I'm going to go play with my Sims, and de-stress myself till 3 or 4am...LOL
Have a great night people.
Later days.
Washington small business marketing is a blog about getting your small business out there, getting it in SEO and recognized.
It was started in January of 2005 by Toby Barnett and Chris Wille when they were starting their own small business and discovered that getting small business out there, was a challenge.
This is their blog where they share the challenges they faced, the resources and tips they learned, and they want to pass this experience on to others who may be looking for ways to market their own small business.
I went and ate dinner, laid on the couch and watched a movie. It wasn't scary, just bloody. I can deal with bloody, but it would have been so much cooler if it had been scarier.
I need to take a step back from a few places which are the source of my stress I think.
I have a lot on my own plate, and cannot be responsible for how much help other people require.
No, I'm not talking about my sponsored bloggers, they rock.
It just seems that lots of people want the answers to really simple questions, handed to them on a platter.
Do the freaking legwork.
The rest of us did it, you can do it.
We're not here to hold your hand every step of the way and do your work for you.
Really, how many times can people tell you how to find the answers, before you actually go find the answers?
I'm not saying I won't still help some fellow bloggers who ask it of me, but y'all seriously overwhelm me sometimes with stuff you can do on your own.
And what the hell happened to common freaking sense? Is it a full moon or something? Have y'all lost your minds?
Yes, let's totally cheat the system because it's not working for us the way we want it to. /sarcasm
Gimme a break.
I'm gonna get back to work now. I rested, I bitched, I feel better.
Yup, lots of it right now.
I am slightly overwhelmed with projects I have to do, as well as being a mommy.
I am so stressed, the idea of cooking dinner brought me near tears.
So I did what any stressed out mommy does, I ordered Chinese food.
Dinner taken care of. Check.
Then one of the cats gacked on Sebastian's blanket, so I had to wash that.
Then I stepped in gack that probably the same cat, deposited for me to find in this exact way, on my way back out of the laundry room.
Thank you dear kitty cat. I needed the reminder that my day was not going as planned from the get go, and I should probably slow down before I have a coronary.
How do you de-stress when you have a million things to do, and not nearly enough time, hands, ears and eyes to get it all done?
They hate me right now.
Why?
Cuz I am making them do the yard work.
Mark is mowing, Sebastian has the job of cleaning the carport out. Sweeping it, straighten it all up, make it not look so icky.
Sebastian has to clean our side up. I hate it when it looks dirty out there.
Look at these thrilled faces? Don't they look so happy? *laughs*
There are many Snohomish County properties for sale, and all you have to do is search for them.
This site can make it easy for you. There are no sign up fees, just high quality service right here for you to use.
Snohomish County is the county to live in, and home of the Seattle Seahawks.
There are many great towns to search for homes in, some near Boeing and Everett Navy Base.
They also handle Smokey Point, Granite Falls and Arlington.
I have several friends who live in Washington state, they love it there. It really is a beautiful area from what I've seen and been told. So if you are looking to move to that area, give the above a site a look through, the homes they have for sale were stunning.
I mean, just look at this one, look at how beautiful that is.
What an amazing view, and the landscaping is just gorgeous.
This weeks topic is:
"What’s your dream job? (Other than Motherhood)".
My dream job growing up was to be a radio dj. Seriously. *laughs* But radio is mostly automated now, and the parts that aren't are mostly talk shows or morning shows. Plus they have bought play lists now. Ick.
I actually hate todays radio stations because of the play lists.
They play what music execs pay for, play our group or band, we'll pay you well.
I want a radio station that plays what they want, takes real requests, not just if it's on the bought and paid for list, real requests from listeners.
Ok, so that's what my dream job would be.
I'm unmotivated today.
I know I have things to do, but I'd really rather just lay on the couch and be lazy.
I have a cool horror movie coming in todays mail, ok, I don't know if it's cool, but I hope it is.
I watched two movies last week and didn't review them yet, I need to. They were both very good.
I have some blogging stuff to take care of as well. I need to get that stuff done.
All I've managed to do today was rearrange my sidebar, all the archive links are now way down at the bottom.
I had to move them because they are getting too long, but one of the companies I write for, has asked that all archive links stay on the main page and not in a drop down box or anything. So that huge list is just gonna grow. I don't mind it, but it had to be moved down.
I sent out some Blogad invites to a few bloggers. I hope they take it seriously. They asked for the invites and it effects my blogad account, so I need them to take it serious and abide by TOS etc. It's one of the reasons I never offered before. I am their sponsor, so if they do well, I do well, they screw up on the TOS, it will effect me.
Blogads monitors any blogs we sponsor, so if they mess up, I will get notified right along with them and I will be asked to help them correct it etc.
As their sponsor, it's my job to make sure they abide by TOS, set up their ad strips correctly, help them pick their advertising hives and stuff like that.
I'm here to help them every step of the way, all they need to do is ask me and I'll be right there to help.
Ok, I have a lot of work to take care of, I need to eat first and then get cracking.
later days.
I'll be back to being a posting fool as soon as I'm fully awake and can form coherent thoughts in my head.
That's tonights cake, already cut into.
The boys couldn't wait of course.
Sebastian had to have the bowl when I was done pouring the pans, Mark had to help lay all the little candies on it.
Once a month from now on, I'm making cake.
I got huge hugs and kisses, and I love you's, right before I cut into it.
Not that they don't love me already, but if cake makes teenage boys hug their mom and not be embarrassed, then I'm making cake at least once a month.
When I was leaving the hospital from my surgery, one of the nurses gave Sebastian this huge bag of medical supplies.
Rubber gloves, face masks, stethoscopes, bandages, tape, lotions, bath washing stuff, a couple of basins for bed baths.
See, every time he came to see me, and every time we go to a docs, he has to play with the rubber gloves, look through all the bins of cotton balls and stuff.
The nurse thought he was so cute, she gave him that bag of supplies.
He played doctor every single day till he ran out of supplies.
It was cute, but the poor kitties were his patients. *laughs*
They had broken legs, broken arms, bad hearts.
Kali and Shahiro are quick, but poor fatty Nova, not fast enough to escape, so she would just lay there and have her heart listened to, get wrapped in bandages and stuff.
I wish I had felt good enough to take pics. It was too cute.
If y'all had a chat room to chat in, what nights or times would you want to go hang out?
I have access to a really nice flash chat room, been there sveral times now, works great, would you all come and hang out?
We could talk blogging stuff, life stuff, family stuff, whatever anyone wanted to chat about.
All of us poor bloggers who can't sleep, might as well spend time chatting instead of mindlessly surfing right?
I'm thinking any time after midnight EST, just pick a day, or, we can just send emails to fellow chatters when we're awake, invite them in, and just chat with who ever shows up.
Lately, I've been keeping myself occupied when I can't sleep by playing with my Sims, but if we had a scheduled night and time, I'd be totally down with chatting.
What do y'all say? You in?
I think I'm allergic to Irish Spring.
The soap.
The last 4 daily showers I ave taken, I used Irish Spring, and within a few hours, I start itching and it doesn't go away.
I know it's that because I don't use any lotions on my skin, I'm sensitive to stuff with a lot of fragrances.
I didn't think Irish Spring would cause this. I know I can't use Ivory, which is ya know, 99 and 1/4% pure or something, but that stuff not only makes me itch, but it interacts badly with my skin, and ends up smelling bad by the end of the day. Like dirt, like mud. That wet dirt smell after it rains? Yeah, like that.
anyway, I took some Claritan, bit it's not helping me at all. I'm still itchy!
Argghh!
But I did get some extra energy, (beats scratching myself to death) and baked a cake, did some dishes, folded laundry, swept the floors etc.
Maybe all this busy work will help me sleep tonight.
Keep your fingers crossed!
Then this site, vacation rentals is for you.
You can rent, buy, or sell, your vacation home all in one place
If you're looking to rent a place, they have a ton of great vacation spots already listed, just go and find your dream spot, and make contact, and you're off to a great destination vacation.
It looks like sellers have a great list of options to sell their property as well.
Check it out!
Every Tuesday night from 7pm- 8pmEST, Marcus holds a chat with a special guest.
Tonight we had author L. Diane Wolfe, of the "Circle of Friend series"
Diane has a blog, you can find it here, where sometimes the characters of her books make special appearances.
It was another great chat, being able to talk with successful individuals about what they do, how they do it, and they even offer helpful advice.
I would love to see the chats more structured though.
These guests have taken an hour of their time to come chat with us, so I'd personally like to see the excessive chatter toned down.
All the "hi's" and "bye's", the off topic conversations about what's on tv tonight, etc, more on topic to the guest we have.
But it was a very wonderful chat, and I can't wait to see who next weeks special guest is.
Thank you again Marcus for getting us another great guest, and Diane, it was truly a pleasure chatting with you this evening, and I look forward to receiving a copy of your book.
Mark still wants his hair cut, just not today. I told him I was holding him to his word, that it's getting cut this week. He said he is still going to get it done, but he'd like to finish out the school week like this.
**
He said if he gets it cut today, he will have 3 more days of school to deal with people staring at his new cut.
He wants to get it cut Friday after school, and have the weekend to get used to it, figure out the best way to style it or whatever.
I said ok, but we are doing it.
He said, "Yes mom, I am getting it cut. promise. I just want a few last days with my long hair."
**To the left of Mark, is Sebastian's thumb. He said I couldn't crop it out.
Weirdo.
I have a couple friends who live in the Carolina's, and they are always telling me how beautiful it is there, peaceful. They often speak of the Outer Banks, and what a nice place it is.
I have a dear friend who lives in Nag's head, I've known her on line for about 8 years now. I would love to be able to go visit her some day, and see this place she calls home.
I was just chatting through email with her last night, it's been about 6 months since I last spoke with her. Her kids are so grown up now! She sent me some updated pics, so cute.
It's so nice being able to catch up with friends this way. The internet amazes me every day for all the things it allows us to do. Staying in touch was one of the main reasons I started blogging 10 years ago.
I got up on time this morning, took all outgoing mail out, didn't lock myself out this time. *wink*
I have the laundry started, and beef stew started in the crock pot.
I actually prepped the stew last night, cut up all the veggies, carrots celery, potatoes, onions, cut up all the stew beef, set all my ingredients and tools I would need on the counter so I wouldn't forget my plan of action first thing this morning, and then got to work tossing it all in the pot except for the taters.
They go in during the last 35 minutes.
Cooked but not mushy.
I've picked up around the house, have a few dishes to do, and after the washer is done, I'll take my shower.
Then when Mark gets home, we're going to head on up to the barber shop and say good-bye to the long hair.
Maybe I'll take a pic first so you can see how out of control it was.
Down past his shoulders, way down past his chin. He kept it in a side part, so it was like one of those really shaggy 70's do's.
I think he finally realized what a hassle it is to take care of long hair, plus it's hot.
Now I'm off to answer emails and get busy on the rest of the house.
Later days!
Maybe I'm a bit behind on technology, but I don't think I've ever seen a digital photo frame before.
That is so cool!
You upload your digital pictures to the memory card, and the frame displays them. They come with a remote so you can decide how fast, the way they are viewed in an order, and some even have sound.
I love this idea!
Having the pictures constantly rotate around so that every time you look at it, it's a new pic.
I could see this totally being a conversation piece when people come over too.
Imagine someone's surprise, as they look at a picture of your kids or family, and then it changes right before their eyes into a completely different picture.
I think this would be a great gift for grandparents to have.
I know both my parents, and the boys great gram, would really love this.
I could upload pics to the memory card, and then send them the frames with instructions how to turn them on, and they would have pictures of the kids all the time.
If I took more pictures, I could then just get new memory cards, load them up and send them out to them.
They would always have fresh pics of the kids.
Very cool idea.
That's me!
I am this week's Crazy Hip Blog Mama of the week.
CJ sent me a few short interview questions to answer for the site, so if interested, head on over and check them out.
She also gave me the cool button above.
The CHBM weekly carnival is one of my fave weekly ones to do since I first found it over at Belle's quite a few months ago.
Every week, it's a new question to keep you on your toes. Some of the questions are submitted by moms in the carnival, or that CJ or Kel made up, but they are always interesting.
They post a new question every Wednesday, and you have till the end of the day to write up your post, and submit your url and name in the linky form.
Not only do you get to read about how all kinds of other moms live, but it's not bad for traffic either. I've picked up several new readers from doing it, and added several new reads to my own feed reader through it.
So head on over and check them out, they have recipes, contests, and the carnival!
crazyhipblogmamas.com
and sleep now.
Ugh.
Mark asked to get his hair cut.
Aamazing.
For the last 9 months or so, he's let it grow, refusing to get it cut.
You coulda knocked me over with a feather when I got the request an hour ago.
So tomorrow after school, it's hair cutting time.
I allow them to do what they want even though the hair in their eyes makes me cringe, but it's his hair, his choice.
It's occupied with my jewelry business supplies and tools, beads, design books, orders, tax stuff etc. So when we eat, it's usually at the coffee table.
I've been thinking about looking at folding tables so we can actually eat dinner at a table. Together.
I can't clear off where I work all the time, so a folding table would help.
I could either get the table and set up my jewelry stuff on it, or just whip out the table every night when we have dinner.
If you saw the amount of supplies I have, you'd opt for the latter.
Are you a work at home mom? Want to join a new weekly question meme that is just for work at home moms?
Then check out WAHM, and join up!
This weeks QOTW is:
What do you do about working at home if something unexpected happens? Do you bag it for the day or try to make it up later?
If something happens and I get interrupted, if I can, I will save it and definitely finish it later that day or night. I like to complete all projects as soon as I have them.
I'm wiped out and it's only 6pm.
I had a wicked start to my day, then it just went by too fast and I had all kinds of household stuff to do, dishes, laundry, vac, then dinner.
I cheated on dinner.
I let the boys go buy subs for dinner and mine is sitting in the fridge because I still have more stuff to do.
I'm helping a friend out, teaching her how to use a computer, how to blog etc. It's something she wants to do, she has a lot to write and her life is so complicated, she needs to write it all down cuz it's frustrating.
But anyway, she has the dreaded Comcast for phone/net/cable, and she had a problem with her net service, so the guy came over to fix her modem and stuff. But while he was doing that, he un-installed a bunch of her programs that I put on there and taught her how to use over a period of weeks, to help her be able to use her pc better.
This is a brand new pc/internet user, she basically knows nothing, older woman.
He took all that stuff away, and added programs he likes!
The rotten fuck cable tech, deleted a customers programs, and installed his own. Can you believe that crap?!
Well, the ones he installed started creating problems on her pc, I had taught her how to use stuff, he took it away, so when problems happened, she had no idea what to do and became very frustrated very quickly.
I spent about an hour this afternoon, undoing the damage he did to her computer.
Not only did he take away her programs, but he changed her home page, deleted her bookmarks, and added some sort of virus scanner that blocked Firefox completely.
She had no idea how to get back on the net or fix any of this stuff. I installed FF for her because IE is the devil, so she didn't want to use that to check her emails. When I was trying to fix it, I found that his stuff, actually bocked IE too.
Grrr.
Now, my tin foil hat is securely in place and I'm sure most of you will think I'm crazy, but hear me out.
Comcast charges customers a fee if they have to come into your home to repair your cable or modem.
They have been in her house 4 times now, and each time after they leave, some part of her pc no longer works correctly and new programs are installed.
This fee is $150.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
They know this woman has no clue about computers, and this fee gets added to their bill, they charge that fee + a per hour fee for however long the tech is in your home.
He's never been shorter "fixing" it, than 2 hours.
I am honestly starting to think they keep fucking with her pc so they have to come back and "fix" it again.
This last time he was here last Tuesday, the fee + the techs per hour rates added in, was over $300.
Yeah. I really think they are doing this on purpose.
Next time I see that Comcast truck in her driveway, I'm going over and watching what he does and then I'm gonna tell him to fix the modem only. If I catch him removing her programs and adding his own, I'm gonna call Comcast and bitch them out.
I just get one pc all spiffed up, and now I have a new problem.
I'm pretty sure the power supply on the boys pc, is shot.
I'm going to have to either learn how to do power supply repair, or pay to have it done.
Maybe what I was doing today, when I had my dual monitor stuff going on this morning, affected it somehow when I plugged their monitor back in.
I was haphazard and frustrated, so I wasn't paying attention to stuff.
It's making this god awful whirring noise now.
Ugh.
Off to do housework and chores.
Boring!
But the kids are on their way home, there's dishes to be done, dinner to figure out, etc.
Y'all have a good one.
Later days.
I absolutely would adore having a grandfather clock.
My sister had this friend, whose mom had this huge grandfather clock in the entranceway of the house when you walked in. It was right directly in front of you.
I remember how tall it was, how polished, and silent.
The giant gold pendulum swinging side to side, the face of the clock with a moon and sun, very antique looking.
I loved that clock. I would stare at every time I went with my sis to her friends house.
I want to have in my dream house, a huge antique grandfather clock, right in the entrance way like that.
I accidentally clicked something, and ended up with dual monitor settings. I had to go unplug the boys monitor, plug it into mine, to be able to set it back to one monitor.
Eeek!
I almost locked myself out of my house going to put outgoing mail in the ghetto-fied mailbox.
I was too late, they had already come.
I burnt my breakfast.
Knocked down a curtain.
Stepped on Shahiro.
Slipped on the wet floor in the bathroom from the boys showers.
Overslept. I heard this weird noise, realized it was my alarm clock, sprang out of bed in a panic, and found the boys had already left for school.
Three hours previous.
Yeah. It's such a Monday.
Ok, not completely grown up, but she is now a teen and a very pretty combo of her mom Belle, and her dad Darren.
They had a small birthday party, just the 3 of them, and she blew out the candles on her cake.
And then like magic, a teenager started to appear.
And ta-da! The finished teenager!
And here is a family portrait, you can definitely see she shares her parents genes.
Who says just because you're old and gonna die soon, means you have to stop having sex?
Yup, Belle and Darren are still going at it.
All. The. Time.
But at their age, a few minutes woo hoo-ing, makes them have to pee and exhausted. They are always tired and peeing. It's weird.
But Belle was so bored hanging around the house with not much to do, she decided to potty trained Kali the cat.
It now uses the toilet, no more stinky litter boxes!
Now, if she could only train the cat how to flush..
This is our Sim kitty, I named her Kali.
She's still a kitten, so when she grows up, she's going to go with Delia cuz Belle and Darren will be dead soon.
I'm not tired tonight so I'll probably load up the game.
The web is quiet tonight.
Weekend are just so quiet, I feel like a freak blogging all weekend. *laughs*
I got a lot accomplished around the house today which is a surprise, because I had 3 boys here all weekend eating, making messes, being loud, and I still blogged a lot.
Hope y'all had a good weekend.
Later days.
Last week I talked about getting some matching logo pens to go with my business cards I bought.
I think it's a really great idea, and have had some fellow bloggers tell me they have done this, and that it works great as a promotional tool.
I have the design and wording all picked out, just need to save up and invest some money into it.
Her dead hubby is in the basement freezer chest.
Hahahaha!
Too funny. *laugh*
Leigh reviewed my blog today, and something that she found odd, is actually not odd at all.
When I had my site designed, my parents were using webtv. They had their own tv monitor, but one of the things about web tv we learned, is there is no horizontal scrolling for people who use it.
They couldn't see half my site!
So we made sure that no matter what screen resolution this blog was being viewed at, the sidebar would slide inward, and the posts would compress, so that the site could be viewed.
Please don't ask me how Jenni (my designer) did it, I have no idea and she is longer online.
This is how you test whether or not your site is viewable at lower resolutions, or if it's getting cut off.
So if you go there and plug in my url, you will see that it fits at most screen resolutions by compressing the posts section, and bringing in the sidebar.
The only one it does not compress enough at, is 544x384.
That's the size my folks were originally looking at my site with, it was too tiny, so they bought a smaller tv to hook up to the web tv, and the screen resolution was still tiny at 600x480, but if you go and test my url and press the test button for that size, my whole blog appears with no overlap, and only a small sliver of the header, cut off.
I'm so terrible about this. It seems like I always need my pay the day I get it. Unexpected bills, school stuff, food, new shoes for the boys, etc etc.
So today I am starting a pay myself first account. It's time I do this.
I don't have traditional bank accounts, I refuse to hand over so much personally identifying information to banks.
I just can't do it.
Why do they need my SS#, 2 credit cards, and actual bills from 3 utility companies, to open a savings account?
Ridiculous.
So I have on line accounts with Amscot, Paypal, and Netspend.
Netspend has been around for a long time, they are like the pioneers of pre-paid debit/credit cards.
They offer a savings account that has 3% interest, so after applying for my card last week, I got it in the mail yesterday, and sent money to it today.
I've decided that because I work for a variety of paid content sites, that one of them is going to be strictly my savings money.
So when I get paid from them, that money will be transferred from Paypal, directly to my Netspend savings account. I'm going to tuck my Netspend card away in my safety box so I can't have access to it when I'm out at the store, or just out, so I won't even be able to be tempted to spend it.
This is the only way I won't touch it.
How do you pay yourself first and not touch it?
Back before my surgery, I had seen approximately 20 different doctors, all who had varying opinions on what was wrong with me, and each gave me different medications.
One of those medications was generic ultram. While it didn't work on the multitude of pain problems I had, nerve damage, severed nerves, synovial cysts, herniated and collapsed discs, it does work for a friend of mine who has milder pain.
She says it's the only medication she has taken in years that helps her with her sciatica.
I don't like all the meds I have to take, but they are working.
Mark is gone out with George, Sebastian is playing video games, the kid next door is here playing video games.
I think.
He's so quiet.
I just woke up about an hour ago, good nights sleep.
Yay!
Have laundry and dishes to tackle after I do some stuff.
Have a good one.
Later days.
So I shall share two pics
This is Shahiro, our kitten, in my cupboards.
I wet out there to find a snack, and when I opened the door, there she was, napping.
I disturbed her highness' beauty rest.
Bad cat mom.
Sebastian moved his bed and things into the room today. The boys now each ave their own room.
It's a bit blurry cuz he was bouncing up and down on his bed.
Now I'm off to be lazy, watch a movie, then make dinner, play with my Sims later maybe.
It's so quiet all around today.
I had plans for this evening, and they seem to have fallen through. Not really a big deal.
I was going because someone else wanted to go, and the boys were basically trying to throw me out of the house.
I get to stay in my jammies now.
Much better plan.
__________
Not a whole heck of a lot has been happening around here today, just switching subscriptions for the boys Runescape account, blog surfing, boredom, etc.
_________
I did read a couple of interesting posts over at Mr. Fab's place today.
Read his, then read the one he has linked. I'll link it too.
It's very interesting indeed.
Seriously, you have to watch this, you're gonna die laughing.
But I am going to give you a warning.
This video contains the word penis approximately 100 times. It may even be more than that.
Penis power.
I know a guy who's a jerk and mean
He's so slick, he think he can't be beat
He's got a url that he promotes
Sets my spam catcher on full automote
I hate spammers, I hate spammers.*
Last night, I got 164 comment spams. All caught of course.
But 164?
Dude, wow, that's dedication.
I freaking hate spammers, but at least they are super easy to dispose of.
*Bonus points if you know the song I stole the "tune" from.
Both boys went and just came home.
It seems the weekend of camping fun that was promised to these kids, was a ruse.
They spent 2 hours listening to a sermon, followed by some rap band rapping about Christ for 2 hours, followed by a wrestling match between all the kids who went.
It was mandatory.
Not only was it mandatory that the kids all wrestle, but the weekend counselors were cheering on the actual fist fights that broke out.
Blood was shed. Real, actual, child blood from noses and lips.
Interesting.
The boy next door walks into my living room upon their return and says to me, "Kat, I was in hell. They wanted me to wrestle a boy twice my size. He had just finished beating the hell outta this other kid. I wasn't gonna wrestle him! No freaking way! The after school program is fun, but that whole sermon stuff, is for the birds. I was in hell. I told them I was in hell, and they told me I wasn't allowed to say that word. I'm so glad to be home. Can I sleep over your house?"
I laughed, said yes, and they are now ordering some hot wings from Papa Johns, gonna watch a movie, and play video games.
So much for my nice quiet weekend and no arguing over games, but glad to hear they made a choice on their own to get the hell outta dodge.
Mark and I just got back from the store, I know, I went this morning, but once again, I forgot trash bags...LOL
We picked up a bunch of munchies and easy stuff to get us through the weekend.
We decided if it's not all of us here all weekend, let's just make it easy on ourselves, and have nuke'em foods all weekend.
Works for me!
________
I promise I will get to emails and stuff in a little bit.
I am having a pink problem.
It started this afternoon, certain links on the web are showing up in like this pink bubble cloud.
I'm not sure if it's something I did, or if it's just a random weird thing.
Time to eat and get situated here before I reply to everyone.
Later days.
He went off with the boy next door to some type of weekend camp for that kids church.
Sebastian is respectful, he fakes his way through prayers and songs etc, he knows not to rock the boat so to speak.
I let him go because it gives him something to do, and means my boys won't be fighting over the video game console all weekend.
They had only been home 20 minutes this afternoon, when the arguing started.
Oy.
So Mark is happy, the game is his all weekend, Sebastian is happy because he gets to go camp out and play games with a ton of other kids all weekend, and I'm happy because it will be quiet all weekend.
I did have plans to go out tomorrow night, but as of right now, those plans are up in the air.
It's ok if it falls through, I'm kinda tired.
Mark said, when he came home, that the whole school was surrounded by cops, sheriffs, and state troopers. They came with drug sniffing dogs too.
They locked down the school at 8:30am.
How nice of them to let parents know at 2:30pm. *eye roll*
They went from class to class, investigating every single students back pack with the drug sniffing dogs, they had students dump out the contents of their back packs, no students were even allowed to leave their classrooms to use the bathroom from 8:30am until they left at the end of the day.
That is crazy.
No wonder he ran in the door and went straight to the bathroom.
Mark said he is not sure if any student was taken away by the cops, or if any weapons were actually found.
He also said that the school has decided that for the last remaining weeks of school, that all class room doors will be closed and locked. Students will be allowed to go to the bathroom at the teacher's discretion. For four and a half more weeks.
I understand that the school had the situation under control, the cops were present and in control all day.
What I do not understand, is why parents were not notified until school let out at 2:30pm.
What if an actual shooting had occurred?
Would they still have waited till the end of the school day to notify us of a problem?
I also understand that today is the anniversary of Columbine, 8 years ago today, and that they took extra precautions because of that, and because of Virgina Tech.
But is it ok to deliver this kind of news to parents at the end of the school day regardless of how under control it was, and then tell us to have a nice weekend with no actual details of what happened?
I just got an automated phone call from Mark's high school.
It was the principal with the following message;
"Dear **** parents,
In light of the recent Virgina Tech shootings, we want to assure all of our students and parents, that extra precautions are being taken to insure the safety of all of our students.
Today, several rumors of weapons on school grounds were reported and investigated thoroughly.
We want to assure you that no one was hurt or injured, and the situation at **** high school is under control.
Thank you and have a nice weekend."
Um, wait, what?!
Ok, so no one was hurt or injured, but what the hell happened?!
When I first moved here in 1997, I was overweight and out of shape.
I got a job at Pier 1 Imports as a shipping/receiving manager, but I was coming home every night completely exhausted. My sister, who is a health nut, suggested I try protein powder, and make shakes every morning before work.
Not only did they give me enough energy to get through my long days of unloading trucks full of furniture and goods, but I lost weight.
A lot of it.
I weighed 215 pounds when I moved here and started that job.
Within 6 months of drinking a protien shake every morning, working hard at my job, and eating better over all, (sis taught me many new habits) I dropped down to 130 pounds and kept it off for 7 years.
I lost 85 pounds in 6 months and kept it off.
It has only been in the last couple of years, that I have put any of that weight back on, and it is because of my mobility issues.
I have not tried ProEnergy brand, but looking at it's list of ingredients, and that they use whey proteins, I am very interested in trying it. There are many success stories posted there, many like mine, losing weight, keeping it off, having more energy to get through the day.
Hahahaha!
Oh man, I love it when the day starts off like that.
Weeeeeeee!
My run to the store is done, I have to get to work now.
Lots of things to take care of at home and here.
I have to run to the store, I need stuff.
It's one of those days.
You know those days?
When all the idiots got something to say first thing in the morning, and you're only too happy to hand them the noose they tied all by themselves?
Yeah.
It's one of those days. hahahahahaha
The one I'm going to have made up.
Wanna see it?
Of course you do!
Click for bigger.
For the sake of this post, I painted out my phone number. I don't need a million wackos calling me. *laughs*
What do ya think?
The second I saw it on page 48 of the designs they offered, (yes I went through that many pages) I said that's the one.
There is a space to have a custom message printed, but I have no idea what it should say.
I may just leave it the way it is. I haven't ordered it yet because I want to make sure I don't want a custom message.
I kinda want to add the Frank Zappa quote that is in my email sig,
"Remember, there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over", but I'm not sure.
Do you have any ideas what I should put there?
I also did not put the url for my jewelry biz on there because I'm still not cleared, and I don't want people to think I can make stuff right now. The purchase is for only 100 cards, and it's only $3.95 + shipping, so when I do get the all clear, I can just buy new ones cuz I will not have spent a ton of money on these ones.
123print.com, has great deal on business card printing. The site is super easy to get around, I found the card I wanted, selected the fonts, layout, and had it in my shopping cart in just a few minutes. A few minutes after finding the one I really liked.
I really liked how easy it was to do every thing I wanted to do. I could select preview every step of the way, to make sure I had it exactly how I wanted it.
The prices are really good too.
Now you're thinking, ok, so what Kat?
Well I'll tell you what.
I meant to remove the hard drive from it but completely forgot.
I did not wipe it clean.
See where I'm headed yet?
Lots of things were on that pc, some stuff I could care less if someone finds, but I had pictures on there.
No, not full nudes, get your minds out of the gutter!
But I did have pics of myself from past boobiethons.
*sigh*
Now this all wouldn't be so terribly bad if the garbage/recycle people had gotten to it. It would be destroyed.
But it never made it to their truck.
We put our trash out Monday night, Tuesday morning it gets taken by waste management.
Tuesday the garbage and recycle people never came till mid-afternoon, but I noticed when I got home from my appointment, various bits of my garbage were missing.
Two old broken fans, an old chair, a broken lamp.
The computer was gone as well.
It never even clicked with me that it was missing from the pile of trash until last night.
I was sitting here going through my stats, and I came across a hit from this years boobiethon.
I sat bolt upright.
"My hard drive!" I screamed.
"Huh? What mom? Is the new computer broken?!" my sons said.
I slunk back down into my seat, said no no, it's fine, don't worry about it.
I sat here panicking to myself. My hard drive! My pics! Oh dear freaking god! I am a fucking moron!
Someone had picked my trash and taken my old boobie pics.
I can only hope that the drive which was dying a painful death and was the reason for my new pc, somehow died even further sitting in my room since December.
Maybe it rained a bit on Monday night and helped kill it a bit more.
Maybe they will plug the thing in and it just won't fire up, or if it does, that they have no idea how to retrieve files.
Maybe monkeys will fly outta my butt too.
Off to eat dinner, BBQ chicken legs, alfredo broccoli pasta, sliced carrots, and watch a movie.
I'll be back later to answer emails and post about how the movie was.
Later days!
Ok, you know how you can have your browser remember your name and stuff like that?
Well, when I comment on blogs, the auto form filler has all my info, but, here's the problem, every time I get a comment on my blog, (at least I think that's how this is happening) the auto form filler is saving those peoples information as well.
How do it stop it from doing that?
We all hate spam right? We hate it in our email box, we hate it on our comments, why would any blogger think it's ok to spam their fellow bloggers?
Recently, this has happened to me about 7 times in the last week.
A couple of bloggers are trying to promote their blogs, or some part of their blogs they want out there.
I'm all for promoting yourself, I love a little promotion myself.
But do not, under any circumstance, do it in your fellow bloggers comments.
It's tacky.
One instance was someone promoting a feature of their blog, it was either a daily or weekly thing.
They hit every blog on their blogroll with exactly the same comment about their feature.
It was highly impersonal, had nothing at all to do with the post any of the bloggers had written. We were in essence, spammed.
The very first thing that popped in my head, was to delete their comment.
I did.
Then, I thought about removing them from my blogroll.
I didn't.
I did however, send them an email alerting them of the tackiness of what they had done, and to never do that again on my blog, or they'd find themselves removed from my blogroll and their ip banned from leaving comments.
Just because you are a fellow blogger, does not mean you can spam your fellow bloggers.
If you want to promote your blog or feature, or an article, send a personable email, not a BCC to 100 bloggers, and explain that you are trying to drum up some traffic for your blog or feature, give us the option of looking at it.
Another option is to set up an email subscription service and allow people to opt in.
You can find a great list of suggestions for programs in the comments of Problogger on this post.
Post your opt in on your blog, let people choose to get emails from you about your site, your posts, features and articles you want people to come see.
I am opted in on only one blog, Faster Than The World, because I enjoy the emails, I love finding out about their upcoming polls, articles etc. They don't spam the heck outta me either, it's probably once every two weeks I get a newsletter from them.
So in closing, when leaving a comment, be on topic to the post they have written, relate your own story, be personable.
We like it.
We don't like spam.
Ok, not really, but that's what the local citibank branch manager said in his letter I got just now.
That all I have to do is come in and present him this letter, and I qualify for a loan. $5,000 big ones.
This is of course, one of those typical form letters that get sent out from companies to try and drum up new business.
They obviously don't realize that I have credit issues, and they'd be turning me down for this loan.
But, the letter does say that I qualify for it, and I just have to hand them the letter.
Maybe I should just go on down there and give it to them, and ask for the cash now please.
You think it will go well? hahahahahah
I went to bed last night around 1am, which is oh so early for me, was asleep by 2am. Not too bad considering the entire last week I was awake till the boys woke for school.
Feeling kinda sluggish this morning so it may take me awhile to get back to everyone.
*yawnstretch*
__________
The boys went off to school giving me puppy dog eyes. Nope, only 4 and a half more weeks, no days off. Deal with it.
It's so hard at the end of the year because there are a gazillion final exams they have to take on subjects they never covered because of FCATs, and the teachers can't understand why the students are failing those exams.
It's simple, you didn't teach them that subject because the school pushes the passing of a single test.
________
I have to get to the store at some point today. When I went shopping, I forgot trash bags. I knew the whole time I was going up and down the aisles, I was totally forgetting one important thing, but could not freaking remember.
Now I remember. *laughs*
I always have a list too, I forgot to write it down. It drove me crazy from Sunday, to this morning, not being able to recall what I forgot.
I went to take out the trash this morning, and when I reached under the sink for a new bag, yup, no bags.
I hate that.
I also don't feel like going anywhere.
But now I have to or trash will be over flowing onto the kitchen floor.
Later days.
Right in time to start psyching me up for TOOL on May 29th.
Shane, better known as Zorn of Don't fear the truth, made me a couple of variations of this header.
I gave him the size specs and what kind of mom I am.
I think it totally fits.
Thank you so much Shane, I love it!
Agnostic Mom has asked that her readers help spread the word on the new book, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
Several parenting magazines are declining to review the book for fear of offending religious subscribers, and a few retailers are declining to stock the book, claiming there is no market for it. It is essential that we demonstrate otherwise, so please put all promotional oars in the water as soon as possible.
"Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title."
Please, if you are an atheist who wants to help spread the word about this parenting book, please post it on your blog.
As a parent who has raised my sons without religion in this religion filled world, a book sure would have come in handy.
Help spread the word so other secular parents can learn about this book, and have it a bit easier than I did trying to raise them without indoctrination in an indoctrinated society.
From Amazon;
It’s hard enough to live a secular life in a religious world. And bringing up children without religious influence can be even more daunting. Despite the difficulties, a large and growing number of parents are choosing to raise their kids without religion.In Parenting Beyond Belief, Dale McGowan celebrates the freedom that comes with raising kids without formal indoctrination and advises parents on the most effective way to raise freethinking children. With advice from educators, doctors, psychologists, and philosophers as well as wisdom from everyday parents, the book offers tips and insights on a variety of topics, from "mixed marriages" to coping with death and loss, and from morality and ethics to dealing with holidays. Sensitive and timely, Parenting Beyond Belief features reflections from such freethinkers as Mark Twain, Richard Dawkins, Bertrand Russell, and wellness guru Dr. Don Ardell that will empower every parent to raise both caring and independent children without constraints.
There are so many ways to monetize your blog these days, it's good to not put all your eggs in one basket, so when I find a new pay to blog company, I sign up and give it a try.
Smorty is the latest and they help you get paid for blogging by connecting advertisers with bloggers to promote sites and/or services for compensation.
Their site is a bit different from some of the others out there, they don't have strict segmentation rules for Google PR and Alexa. They have their own way of ranking sites.
There is no trying to get an opp, you simply log in, see what opps are available, and how many slots they need filled. Something I so wish other sites would utilize. It would cut down on the frustration of clicking trying to get an opp, only to be told there are no more slots available. It's right there on the assignment page, how many they have to fill.
One of the other great things about Smorty is that they pay weekly. No more waiting 30 days for payouts and still have the possible rejection of your post. You'll know by payday, if your post has been approved or rejected.
So what are you doing just sitting there with one basket?
Get paid to blog.
I'm not sure if this is tacky to discuss or not, but I'm sure there are many other bloggers who do get some freebies from time to time, promotional materials I guess you would call them.
Over the last several years of blogging, I have received seventeen different books, all free, to read and post my thoughts on.
I love to read and I love to share great books with people who love to read.
I have received free t-shirts, free pens and notebooks, free mouse pads and small stuff like that.
I have received some free health related items like hand lotions, make-up, antibacterial ointments, free hair color, all full size products, simply for agreeing to discuss my genuine, honest opinions of the products when I am done with them.
I have also gotten some fun items like board games, DVD's, CD's, movie tickets, and even a video game for the teens to play.
I have no idea how these companies found me or why they picked me to send things to, but I enjoy the products and the ability to promote an item and get something for it.
Blogging is a full time job, I treat it as a real job. I put far more than eight hours a day into it though.
I'm always working on my blog in one way or another, from replying to comments, leaving comments for others, networking, link exchanging, being an active member of forums for bloggers, and reading and learning from other bloggers.
So dedicate yourself to your blog if you want to be taken seriously. Work at it as though you're making millions from it.
Someday, you just might.
That was our very important to do first thing in the morning. His name is Jimi, he's 26, and a volunteer fireman for now, while he waits to be accepted as a regular fireman.
The Big program has new bigs and littles set up goals, things they would like to do together while they slowly become friends.
Jimi is a very active guy, loves basketball and weight lifting, he says he works out 6 days a week, and will weight train Sebastian. This is an awesome idea as Sebastian will be starting high school in the fall, and doesn't want to be the itty bitty freshman getting picked on.
They have set goals for that, for basketball, swimming, and other outdoor sports like golfing.
Jimi just moved here from NYC 5 months ago, and loves to play. He bought himself some new golf clubs and wants to hit the green and take Sebastian with him. He wants to teach him to do more outdoor, health related activities.
I think that's awesome because like I've said before, the boys play video games a lot because a) it's better than hanging with a bunch of thugs, and b) there really isn't much to do around our neighborhood.
They, Jimi and Sebastian, hit it off, and this looks like it's going to be a good match.
He's a super nice guy, and I really hope this goes well for Sebastian.
I played with my Sims for a few hours, trying to get them back to where I was before the crash, and had some success.
They are currently happy Sims.
Yay!
_________
The teens wanted taco's for dinner, so I made those and ate 2, and now my stomach is beating me up.
Love taco's, my body hates them.
*sigh*
________
I'm going to get to all my emails and stuff in a few minutes, so if you're waiting on a reply, it's on it's way.
Oh, and I wanted to talk about another cool blogging thing a bit later. Remind me please. I get a little spacey and forget stuff just as fast as I think it up.
One of the major problems of having insomnia is that you never seem to be awake or asleep.
You're always in this hazy fog place, where you really need to go to sleep, but you just can't.
I'm wondering if taking some kind of energy supplement first thing in the morning, would make me more active all day long, so when night hit, I'd be burnt out and ready to just crawl into bed and pass out.
What do you think?
Yup, in my mail today, a summons for jury duty. It's already filled out for exemption and stamped, and sitting to go back in my ghetto-fied mailbox.
They want me to appear at the courthouse May 9th at 8am.
First of all, I can't do it that day, I have a medical appointment which if I miss, I'll have to wait about a month to get another one.
Second, I have no car.
If I had to be downtown to the courthouse for 8am, I would have to be up at 5am, be on the first bus at 6am, and then catch another bus over to the courthouse at 7:30am.
It's simply not something I can pull off and there is no way I'm missing my doctors appointment.
This weeks topic is:
”Favorite Beauty Secret/Product”.
I really don't have any. I'm not a super girly girl, even though I own a ton of product, I still learn something new all the time from other women.
For years I just used liquid foundation and applied it with my fingers. Then I learned from other women about a foundation brush.
I was like what the hell are they talking about?!
But I went out and bought one and it made a huge difference in the way the foundation applied and looked, and best yet, stayed on.
Amazed.
But one thing I am always on top of is hair care products.
I have naturally curly, super long hair. When it's not put up in a really high pony to help me stay cool in the Florida heat, it comes down to my ass.
But being so curly, it tends to get dried out, and when it's humid, I am the frizz monster.
I have tried every shampoo and conditioner, and frizz control on the market.
I am the queen of trying new hair care product.
So here are the best ones, not all the same brand either, but work perfectly with each other.
Loreal Vive pro-smooth intense shampoo.
Pantene hydrating curls conditioner.
And a combo of Infusium leave in (original) applied first, then Frizz-Eaze serum to end it.
Absolutely no blow drying either. That dries out hair so bad.
You know all those z-lists that go around? I did one just a few days ago for the dofollow list.
There are many, many lists like this.
But, you need to be careful how many of these you do.
Technorati, which counts your incoming links, is very keen to this kind of stuff, and they do penalize you from either removing incoming links they think were built fraudulently, to removing your blog listing all together. You go to look at your blog listing, and get the dreaded huh? page.
Yeah, not good. All those links you legitimately built over the years, gone, poof, buh-freaking bye.
Limit your lists of links.
Want to gain some exposure for a post of yours?
There are many ways to do it like Digg, leaving a link to it in someone else comments, but how do you get a big ranked blogger to link you back, which will increase your traffic?
Read them, follow them, if they have a post similar to yours, or your post can be added to theirs, post a comment letting them know that you wrote about this same kind of thing or have something to add.
They are usually more than happy to link you back by either adding you to their post, or linking to your blog on their roll.
Do you run Blogads on your site?
I do, and have often given free ad listings to other bloggers.
Blogads allows us to create free listings if we have an account to sell ads, so every now and then if I think a blogger would benefit from it, I send them an email explaining my offer, asking them to create a small graphic and a short paragraph explaining what their site is about.
No one has ever turned this down.
It's great exposure for them, free back links for you.
And once any of my adverts, free or not, gets space from me, I write up a post about them which gives them more exposure.
Creates more back links for me.
Just yesterday, I noticed a new kind of link and tag, I always try to reciprocate with links, so this one's for you Jules.
Linking is about give and take. Give and you'll get some back. You may have to work it, but it's worth the payout in the end.
One of the machines at PT, was a treadmill. It was a nice one, had all kinds of gadgets and stuff, different incline levels.
They had an Infiniti Treadmills and it was just so nice. I would love to have it in my house. I could watch the news and walk. I had to walk as part of spine surgery recovery, I love walking anyway, so that was no big deal, but now with it getting hotter, a treadmill of my own in the house would be awesome.
I could set it up in the living room, right near the AC, watch the news and soaps, and just walk and walk. It helps makes your lower back muscles stronger, that's why they have me doing it.
I still get out and walk everyday, just not nearly as long as I was before the weather started getting too hot for me.
On cool days, I'll just go walking for twice as long.
Belle and Darren are now elders, and like clockwork, they got old and sick.
They started complaining about everything, peeing every 5 minutes, bad posture, and stopped taking care of the house. So they had a roach infestation that made them all sick.
Little Delia too.
Lots of bed rest and juice, and they were back on track in no time.
Well except for the bad posture, peeing every 5 minutes, and complaining.
Only 55 more days until they die.
I was having so much fun playing, that I completely lost track of time, and then my virus updater, which I forgot to shut off, started and crashed my game.
Yup, I lost everything I had done over the course of 2 hours.
Damn.
My Sims, Belle and Darren, will be turning into elders in 2 Sim days.
Sim days are much faster than real life time, they go from being a baby to a toddler to child, in about 6 hours of game play.
So I need to get my child, Delia, into a teenager and start teaching her how to cook and stuff, because she will be fending for herself soon. *laughs*
Belle is a great mom though, Delia loves to play with her dolls and dollhouse, and Belle gets right down their and plays with her.
Derek had a really cute girlfriend named Lilith when he was a teenager, they got along so great,
but when he grew up and moved into his own digs, she went from being in love, to wanting to just be friends.
It could be because of the town tramp, Nina Caliente, who is hooked up with Don Lothario, but flirts relentlessly with every other man in town.
Here she is skinny dipping in Dereks new pool, right in front of every body. All you can see of her is her head at pool level. She realized there was a camera there.
Too late tramp! You already showed your girly bits to everyone at the party!
I have a serious fetish for pens. It's probably more like an OCD thing.
I would love to get some customized pens of my own when I do my order for business cards, hand out a pen and a card. People lose cards, but pens somehow just get kept forever or until they run out of ink.
I'd like my site name and tag line on them with my url.
It'd be pretty cool I think.
I've gotten business cards from other bloggers before, I think more bloggers should do promotion this way.
When I'm out an about and chatting with people, sometimes I get asked what I do. I always tell them I'm a single mom and professional blogger paying the bills.
I tell them my site name which is the easiest way to find me without having to write down my url, you can go to Google and type that in, and bam! there I am.
But business cards and pens would be a great way to allow more people to find me easier and it's a fabulous way to self promote.
Are you a work at home mom? Want to join a new weekly question meme that is just for work at home moms?
Then check out WAHM, and join up!
This weeks QOTW is:
Do you have a weekly meal plan? How do you plan for your family dinners?
I try to have a weekly meal plan. I have a list of fave meals that the boys love to eat, so there's no reason for them to be picky, and I mix it up every single week. I have approximately 60 different fave meals they will chow down on, and so it's pretty easy to mix it up on a weekly basis.
I plan my meals and shopping list at the same time, using a weekly meal and grocery planner template I found at the thehomeschoolmom.com
You can find the template here and then click on the left hand template. It opens in PDF format.
When I went in for my spine fusion surgery, I had to sign and get notarized, my DNR, my will, and my child custody papers, should anything have happened to me.
I was well prepared in that aspect, I had taken care of who would get the teens, my wishes to not be resuscitated, but not death insurance.
It's not something I could afford, but it was on my mind. Who would pay for my funeral and cremation, if I did actually die during surgery?
Luckily, that didn't happen, but it was still on my mind quite a bit.
I have gotten death insurance since then, that experience made it a priority.
I just spent the last hour in a very informative chat with Anne Saita of Blogger and Podcaster.
The chat was hosted by Marcus of Williford blog.com.
Thank you very much for hosting it Marcus, and thanks so much Anne for attending and answering all of our questions and giving us advice.
It was a pleasure chatting with you all this evening.
Cass tagged me for this one.
I had actually written a bunch of stuff the other night about ways I keep my readers coming back and interaction.
I thought of another one.
I spell check people's comments.
I don't edit what they say, I just fix the spelling.
I have the Firefox extension for spelling, so on my comment approval page, if a word is misspelled, I fix them.
I know my readers are literate and can spell, but sometimes simple mistakes get made.
People type fast, don't realize they typed 'teh' or something, I simply fix it.
I don't like my readers possibly being looked at like they don't know how to spell, so it's just a thing I do.
But please check out what I wrote the other night, and if you feel like posting your tips for blogging success on your blog, please do and then let me know, I'll stop by and learn a thing or two from you!
I am soooo damn tired.
I just got back a few minutes ago and ate some lunch, have one more important thing to take care of, and then I'm passing out.
I need sleep in such a bad way, I can hardly see straight.
I will get to those emails and stuff after a serious nap.
Later days.
P.S.
I just took the most awesomest poop ever.
I swear, I feel like I lost 30 lbs on that one.
Just felt like sharing. Hahaha *twisted laugh*
Holy freaking crapola!
I am the walking dead!
This is gonna suck so bad hahahaha *laughs*
When I get back and pass out for an hour or two, I'll respond to emails and questions.
Ugh.
Man this so blows.
Later days.
I have a very important thing to do with Sebastian in the morning, I have to leave here at 8:15am.
Mark has to be up at 5:45 for school.
I'm wide awake, but I know come let's say, 5am, I'll be exhausted and want to just pass out.
This is crazy and it's only getting worse.
For the blog interview meme, I had to have a cut off of persons, otherwise I'd just be thinking of, and sending questions to tons of people.
I'm sorry that upset some of you.
I will do the last two people who requested it, but no more after that, I do have other things to do. *laugh*
Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with Sebastian way downtown. When I get back, and after I rest a bit, I will reply to comments and emails, send out interview questions etc.
But for future reference, please don't send me emails saying WTF, why did you close comments/stop taking interviewees, and stuff like that.
#1, It's a meme, I didn't have to do it.
#2, It's my blog, I'll close comments/stop taking interviewees whenever I choose.
#3, That's really kind of rude.
Cass, if it would be ok, may I just link to the post I already wrote? I think it's a rather good one if I do say so myself. heh.
And one more bloggy thing.
I'm not doing the Technorati blogroll or list thingy that's going around.
I have way too many in-post link things as it is. I'd rather not have Technorati or Alexa, or Google, penalize me for too many of those. Please don't be upset if you send it, and I don't do it.
Part of being a successful blog and getting and giving back links, is to know when you are at the line of getting in trouble. *wink*
Ok, off to bed. Once again I've stayed up far too late and I know I have important things to do in the morning, but my Sims had life changing experiences I had to tend to.
Delia is a kid now, Derek is a full grown man living on his own and having girl problems, and there are stray animals all over the damn place barking and meowing, and attempting to get in houses and destroy furniture when I'm not looking.
Where the hell is animal control?
While I'm just now getting around to talking about this, I have been following it all day.
The very tragic loss of life at VA Tech.
These shootings are just horrible and I can't even imagine what it was like being there, having friends there, still not knowing if those friends are ok.
The families of students flooding phone lines to find out where their child is, only to find out they can't get through.
A student at VA tech named Bryce, has been posting to his live journal all day while it was happening.
People are being mostly supportive, offering condolences and words of support.
But then there are the media vultures posting comments asking for interviews, people posting comments about how it's like Iraq, that soldiers die every day for our freedoms, that Bryce is just dramatizing his role.
He's simply posting what happened, how it's affecting him. 33 people have died on his campus today, it's affecting him, death effects people.
My heart goes out to all of the students at VA tech and to the families of the deceased.
I thanked my dear friend Christine earlier for a gift she sent me.
I had the book Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
I cannot wait to delve deep into it's pages.
Especially after reading this today.
Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title.
What would a world without God look like? Well, for one, morality becomes, if not impossible, exceedingly difficult. "Thou shalt not kill" loses much of its force when reduced from commandment to a suggestion.
Ever since seeing that movie, I've wanted to stay in, and go see some Tuscany Villas.
The scenes in the movie, pictures I have seen, are just so beautiful and calming. Peaceful.
The weather looks perfect, the grass is so green, the skies so blue.
I love the rolling hillsides, just all the beautiful scenery.
It's old world charm, stylish yet rustic.
More afternoon dreaming of places I'd love to be.
Lisa asked me these questions, so here are my answers and a call out for anyone who may want to be interviewed by me.
1. What are your top three things that annoy you and why?
Things out of place. I have OCD pretty bad sometimes, so if my things have been moved, I get extremely annoyed.
Liars. I hate liars.
The guy next door who is a verbally abusive fuck to his family. He's so lucky I don't own a gun.
2. Why should we vote for you to be the Freakiest Blogger?
Cuz I am! *laugh* I have tats and piercings, some in places we can't talk about. I love heavy metal and horror movies, the bloodier the more I like it. I let my kids cuss at home, I have not worn a color other than black in years. I love to play horror video games and do stupid stuff in them. I find joy in watching my Sims die. I even torture them until they do. heh.
There are so many reasons I'm a freak. So just vote for me!! *laughs*
3. What is your favorite cuss word and why? (and don't you lie and say you don't swear LOL)
Fuck! I love that word. It expresses so many things. Joy, sorrow, pain, hate. It's just a fucking damn good word.
4. When are you getting a new mailbox? (Please post your photo of what your mailbox now looks like)
My poor mailbox has not been replaced yet. I have no idea when I'm getting a new one. If I wait on my landlord, I may be waiting awhile. hahahahah
Here's my mailbox. Ghetto-fied.
Clicky for supasize! hah!
5. Do you have any regrets?
None. To regret is to say you'd change how it was. I wouldn't change a single thing that has happened in my life. All of it has made me the person I am today.
And if you want to keep it going....
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your weblog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
My sis and my nieces are in Maine after a very rough landing of the plane. A huge north easter has hit the state and things are pretty bad and getting worse.
My sis is not at my parents house yet.
She has a rental car and is driving in that storm to get to their house.
Please keep good thoughts they make it there safe.
It's really bad up there right now, my parents have no power at their house. My sis and nieces may have to go stay with Shell over night in order to be warm.
I can't even call sis because her cell battery died.
Ugh.
This is nerve wracking waiting to hear.
*UPDATE*
Sis made it to their house but the situation there is not good.
The Saco river is over flowing onto I-75, it's several feet above what it's supposed to be.
They are having 75mph winds which is basically in terms of what we deal with here, a category 3 hurricane strength winds.
Holy hell.
____________
Thank you Christine, that was really sweet of you. :)
I can't wait to read it.
I was once again awake until nearly 5am. I got up with the boys, told them of my misery, they hugged me and went about their morning showers and school prep.
I went back to bed.
I woke up at 12:29, just about a half hour ago.
I must have really needed the sleep because, several phone calls didn't even wake me up.
Usually the phone springs me out of a dead sleep. Not today.
Let's hope that this catching up of sleep, will be the end of the sleep problems for a few days at least.
Last night when I finally went to bed, Nova, Mark's cat, was in her usual spot at the head of my bed.
I always get in bed and roll towards her, and pet her for a few minutes before going to sleep.
So I pet her, and she doesn't move.
Usually, she starts purring or moves a little to acknowledge the petting.
So I scratched her ears and neck.
Nothing, no movement, no purring.
I scratched her chin, grabbed her front paw and tickled the pad, she likes that, no movement.
I'm panicking now, thinking I'm going to have to tell Mark in the morning that his cat passed away in her sleep.
I lift her whole head with my hand and let go.
It drops to the bed.
No movement!
I am seriously freaking out now.
Then I just grab her by her belly and start rubbing it furiously, shaking her hard.
She finally lets out this grumble and stretches from her deep slumber, looking at me like I'm an asshole.
I told her that shit wasn't funny at all. She grumbled a bit more and went back to sleep.
Scared me half to death.
Damn cat.
And then today, we get back from shopping, and the huge package of Scott toilet paper is sitting in the dining room waiting for me to put it away.
I unpack and put away all the groceries and go to take that to the bathroom, and that's when I noticed the white shredded mess.
Shahiro had decided to attack the package, and because I was occupied putting the rest of the stuff away, she had managed to rip into the package and completely destroy a whole roll of 1,000 sheet Scott toilet paper.
All over the dining room rug.
Damn cat.
I was talking with one of my neighbors yesterday afternoon when I went out to get the mail. They are moving away to be closer to her husband's relatives and for a job offer he got.
They got a really good deal on a nice chunk of Raleigh North Carolina real estate, she was telling me.
She doesn't want to move, her kids don't want to move, but she said the money her husband was offered is too good to pass up.
Her kids are almost done with high school, and they're not moving until after graduation, but she said it's still going to be hard to just up and move. They've lived here all their lives.
They are a nice family, quiet, mind their own business. Always polite and friendly though, waving hello, smiling.
The perfect kind of neighbors. You know they're there, but they stay to themselves.
In this world of paid blogging, getting people to visit you and leave comments and other stuff, is the key to being able to make more money.
I'm going to share with you some of the things I do to keep my readers coming back.
1) When anyone comments, I always try to reply to that comment through email. There have been days I couldn't reply to everyone due to illness or something, but it's very important to interact with your readers. They took the time to read your post and leave you a comment, you can take the time to reply to them. It lets them know you actually read it, that this isn't just about getting hits and comments to appear on your blog. It's important that they feel acknowledged.
2) I also take those replies I sent them, and paste them back into my own posts. It keeps the conversation flowing.
Nobody likes not getting any comments, so when you do, take the time to reply and keep the flow going on your own site.
3) If I leave a comment on someone else' site, and they take the time to reply to me, I reply again, and also go back to their site to see if the conversation has continued and if I can leave another comment.
4) Links. Not just blogrolls and sidebar links, but actual links inside posts, and at the end of posts.
You should link to at least one other blogger per day, more if you can find a way to get them in there.
Tonight, I got a few comments from a new reader named Billy.
He left me 3 comments, but we had so much fun replying to each other, we sent 24 emails back and forth over the course of the evening.
It was an absolute pleasure talking with him tonight, so I'm linking to him.
5) Back links. You have to give links to get links. The more incoming links you have, the more traffic you get, the more traffic you get, the higher your page rank can go.
How do you know how many back links you're getting? You can check that out here.
That site is awesome!
It tells you how many back links you have, where they came from, the page rank of the blog the link was on, and whether or not they have do follow in their comments.
I was quite surprised to see some really big blogs, (high page rank) with no follow in their comments. *coughFTTWcough* You might want to fix that Michele. Do follow is good, no follow is bad.
6) Do follow allows search engines to spider your comments which helps out your readers with their page rank and search results.
The more search results you have, the better your traffic gets.
Thank you Colleen for helping people learn about Do follow.
7) Social bookmarking.
If I read a blog and they have a Digg button or other social bookmarking button, and they ask their readers to Digg their posts, I do.
I never saw the value in doing this before until I started digging some people's posts because they asked on a forum, and then someone Dugg one of mine because they liked it.
My traffic spiked for a whole week after that.
Now, I Digg whatever people ask and I have asked for people to Digg some of mine.
I gained new readers this week thanks to Digg and Babblz, which is just like Digg, but for parenting bloggers.
More readers, more traffic.
There's a lot more things I do to keep my readers coming back, and ways to improve my blogging. I learn something new every day from reading great sites like Problogger. If you're not reading Problogger, you should be.
As I recall more things I do, or learn something new, I'll post it.
Thanks for reading me.
Later days.
I was going through my stats, and I always check the google searches to see how people found me.
I saw this one, how are single moms doing without men.
I thought wow, what a cool topic to blog about.
I can't answer for all single moms, only myself.
But I'm doing just fine.
I used to be one of those women who felt incomplete without a man to validate that I was worth something.
You know the type, they go from one relationship, and jump immediately into the next with no time to even deal with why the last relationship failed.
That was me.
Then I got to this point that I realized I liked being alone.
I like not having to do any more extra laundry, dishes, making extra food, sharing my bed.
I'm a total bed hog. The cats are lucky I let them sleep with me.
If they could talk though, they'd tell you that I often accidentally, kick them in the night because I move around so much.
I like being able to watch what I want without having to fight with someone cuz the game is on.
It doesn't matter what game, there's always a game on.
I like the freedom to come and go as I please, do what I want.
I hate being tied down, told what to do, what to wear etc.
Yes, I have had those types of men in my life.
The ones who think women are subservient creatures who must bow down and cater to their mans every whim and need.
I had a boyfriend once who insisted on me wearing dresses or skirts all the time.
I would always say no, it wasn't comfortable.
He was a pain in the ass about it.
So one Friday when he came home from work, I was waiting for him in a nice black skirt, dressy black blouse, hair and makeup done, high heels etc.
I asked if this pleased him. He said yes.
I asked him if he was going to take me out somewhere now that I had gone to all this trouble to make him happy.
He said no.
So I said excuse me, and left the room.
When I came back, I was back in my t-shirt and shorts, makeup removed, bare feet.
He asked why I changed, he liked it.
I said I'm not staying dressed up like that all night, massively uncomfortable, to sit around my own house.
He looked all sorts of confused and bothered.
Like I should have stayed that way all night.
Just because he wanted me to.
No thanks, I had dinner to make and dishes to do.
I do enjoy a mans company from time to time. I like going out and having fun, and having all those fluttery feelings, but I also like being single a whole lot more.
I get to choose how my life goes, where my money is spent, what I do for fun.
If a guy ever comes along who can deal with me being independent and not needing him to fix all the things that break, (I fix everything around the house myself) then he's welcome to hang out.
But for now, things are good being single with no man around.
While shopping on an empty stomach cuz I'm a dumb ass, I had a massive sweet craving. I needed something super rich and sweet in a bad way.
So I headed over to the bakery to see what goodies they had.
I picked this up.
Yes, the little cocoa powder 'u' got messed up because I had 3 boys helping me bring groceries in the house.
At least they didn't crush the 2 loaves of bread.
I love Tiramisu.
It's funny that I love it, because I hate coffee. I cannot drink it, oh man, it makes me want to hurl if I even take a sip. But Tiramisu?
Oh man, it's heaven.
I had never eaten it before until I worked at a local Italian bakery about 7 years ago. I figured I would hate it because of how much I hate coffee.
But Laurie, the owner and baker along with her husband, insisted I try it, promised me I would like it.
One bite and I was hooked.
Laurie and Dave even taught me how to make it, sharing the recipe with me. I've only made it at home a handful of times because the boys don't like it. It's usually just me eating it unless I can give some away to neighbors.
But it's so nice having Publix make such small ones. This size piece can be cut in half or quarters, and it's just the right size to get that super yummy taste, without expanding your waistline.
Believe me, when I did make it at home and couldn't give any of it away to neighbors who didn't like it, I would eat the whole cake.
Not all at once of course, but I would eat a piece of that cake every single day until it was gone.
I hate wasting food.
I blame that on my mother who always told me as a child, that there were starving kids in Africa who would kill to be eating my dinner.
It was usually peas I refused to eat.
One night after mom told me about starving African kids, I said, "Well then give me a box to mail, they can have my peas!"
I think I even cried.
I hate peas.
Well, Babblz is a social bookmarking site like Digg, but for parents.
We need Add this! to add Babblz to the list. It needs to be easier to help people socially bookmark the posts.
So you wanna help us get it added to the list? Pretty please?
Awesome!
Simply click here and fill out the form, and ask them to add Babblz to the list. Give them this url, (http://www.babblz.com/) in your comment.
An example of what you can say is this;
Please add Babblz, http://www.babblz.com/, to the list of social bookmarking sites.
It's a social bookmarking site for parenting bloggers.
Thanks so much!
(Feel free to just steal that)
Babblz is slowly gaining momentum.
Sites like Digg are awesome, but let's face it, they aren't super keen on having parenting issues dugg.
But Babblz is just for parenting blogs, it's all about the issues parents face from raising kids with homeschooling to public education, and health and wellness, to the million other issues parents face.
So please, just take a fast minute to send them a comment asking them to add Babblz.
I already did most of the work for you, you just have to send it.
Thanks a million!
Oh and while you're at it, sign up at Babblz and then vote for this post and my others. *wink*
I just got back from shopping, no, I didn't take a nap, I just went and took a shower, let Sebastian play Sims for a bit, then we went grocery shopping.
I got everything I need and then some.
Never go shopping hungry.
Dammit.
They had all kinds of easter candies left over, 75% off, so I grabbed about 15 single Cadbury creme eggs.
They only sell those at easter time so, I had to get them. *wink*
Now I need to make myself some dinner.
The boys each got a sub so I have to make my own.
I do love Publix subs, but there is just way too much to that sandwich and I end up letting the boys split the rest of mine cuz I can't eat it.
Ok, off to find something to eat and catch up on emails and stuff.
Later days.
I woke up late, because I slept late, because I didn't fall asleep again until late.
Vicious cycle.
Mark is heading off with George around 2pm-ish, Sebastian is probably going to play Sims, while I attempt to get another hour or so of sleep.
I'm dead exhausted.
I do have grocery shopping to get done, but I'm too tired to go do it right now.
I just don't wanna.
*wah*
Plus I would need to take a shower and stuff because my hair is a frightful mess right now, and I don't feel like taking a shower right now just to go buy food.
Ya understand?
lah.
It's a rainy lazy day.
Was so bad, it's not even worth doing a proper review.
Really.
I just wasted nearly 2 hours.
I usually love Edward Norton, and Paul Giamatti is usually very good, but the script and storyline were severely lacking.
And it was dull.
ZZZZZzzzz *snore*
So here they were, toiling away at cleaning and bagging up trash and broken toys, old sneakers and such. Hauling it all outside to the garbage cans.
I stepped outside because I heard my neighbor honk her horn, thought she may have been beeping for me.
I looked at my trash cans in my car port and stopped dead in my tracks.
Yes, they really did clean their room, but they simply moved the mess from indoors to out.
The bags of trashed papers and broken things, were not tied, not in the cans, over flowing and spilled onto the concrete.
Cardboard boxes full of who knows what, just tossed out there to rest any which way they may have landed.
They were upside down and the contents spilled every where.
I walked back in the house, and called them outside.
"Now, you get to clean this up. We may be poor, but we are not poor white trash. You will not make us look like the white trash rednecks who seem to live all around us, and the many more moving to this neighborhood monthly. Clean this up. Bag it up. Put the trash in bags. Break down the boxes and put them in the recycle bin. This is common sense boys."
Why is it that boys live like this?
All of my girlfriends who have sons, say their boys are just like this. Messy slobs who think simply moving the mess from one area to another, is cleaning, and makes it done.
Is this a genetic trait in the male species?
I think it's a defect.
A defect on the male species part in order to keep women doing the cleaning and the cooking, the household chores.
They really can't do it right, even when given explicit instructions, and handed the garbage bags and other tools to get it done correctly.
I'm so thrilled it's a convenience for all you healthy people to be able to piss without a problem.
Really I am.
That was probably the single most ignorant statement I've read in ages.
I have my two teens, Mark and Sebastian, I have Sebastian's friend Stephen, and the boy next door, Bobby.
I am tired, I barely slept 2 hours before the kid came back over, they are all playing video games.
Loudly.
They are just having fun, but they act like they are really in the game, yelling and screaming, and angry. They are joking around with each other as well, loud laughter fills the house.
I'm not angry, just tired. The noise levels seem to make me feel more tired.
Ok, maybe not all of them are playing video games. There are chores the boys need to complete today, and Sebastian asked if he cleaned the game room out completely, all trash, broken computers, broken fans, old shoes that don't fit etc, if he could have that room.
He's cleaned it all up, swept, he's running the vac on corners and stuff now. When he finishes with that, he's going to mop the floor in there, wipe down all the electronics, and then tomorrow, move his bed in there.
It won't last long, he hates being alone at night, but I'll let him try it out.
Plus, it's getting the room really clean.
Heh.
_______
I ordered some beads the other day for a special project, even though I'm not cleared yet to do too much sitting and working with my shoulder for too many hours.
I bought matching beads and findings for a special earring/bracelet set, but I can't tell you what for, it's a secret.
When I do get it completed, I will scan it and post it after it reaches it's recipient.
Really pretty beads and findings though. I spent about 3 hours picking out just the right stuff for this, drawing it out as I went and if a certain shape or finding didn't fit, I erased my drawing, deleted it from the shopping cart, and hunted for just the right one again.
I hope they turn out as pretty in real life as they are pictured in my head and crude sketch.
_____________
Ok, Stephen just left as I was typing this entry. Now just 3 teen boys.
It's still too loud for my sleep deprived head.
One of the many ways I save on AC costs during the hot Florida summers, is to keep my window blinds drawn down all the time.
I never open them up in the summer at all.
They keep the hot glaring sun out, keep the rooms darker, and it turn, it keeps the rooms cooler.
I swear this is one of the biggies that has helped me over the years considering I only have 1 single box unit AC, not central AC.
The box unit is in the living room or front room, and I keep all the windows tightly closed and blinds drawn, and a small fan to help circulate the cool air to other rooms of the house.
Every room in this house has room darkening blinds, drawn down all summer.
Our house doesn't get hot, I can leave the AC set on 78 degrees, and be very comfortable. I am saving money and staying cool.
I've been up all night long, again, I really need to catch a small amount of sleep before the house is over run with teenage boys again.
I'm very tired, but wide awake.
My body wants to fall down, but my brain is still going, going, going.
I hate that.
So I'm off to try and get a quickie nap, then housework and video game playing.
Later days.
I am legally disabled, and I rarely use the handicapped stall.
I always think someone in worse shape than me is going to come along in a wheelchair or other hard to maneuver disability, and need to get in there while I'm washing my hands and touching up my powder.
I have every right to be in there, just as much as any other disabled person, but I still don't because what if someone worse than me comes along?
A lot of local stores and malls, have taken notice of the fact that mothers, and fathers, need larger stalls when shopping with young children, and created the family bathroom.
Our local mall has 3 of these located at all of the public restroom locations inside the mall.
To the right is the men's room, the ladies room is to the left, and the family bathroom is in the middle with an extra wide door for double strollers.
The stalls are very large, much larger than the handicapped stall actually, and all of them are equipped with their own sinks and hand dryers, plus changing tables.
I just wanted to voice my opinion on this, if you're not handicapped, stay the fuck out of there.
You have no right to be in there. I don't care if you like how roomy it is with it's own sink and hand dryer, it's not there for you to use.
You're perfectly capable of using a regular stall, you just think you have a right to be in there. You don't.
You're taking up a needed stall for someone who has maneuvering problems, like myself.
I don't bend at the waist, I can't turn my upper body around in a small stall to try and flush, my whole body has to be able to turn around to do that. I can't reach my arms too far back to try and reach a toilet paper dispenser if it's placed back far on the wall, or the trash receptacle.
I actually need the room to do a simple basic function, like taking a piss.
But even I don't use a stall that I legally can, because someone else may need it more than I do.
So please, just think before you decide to use it simply because it's roomier, someone who really needs it, may have to wait for you to finish touching up your lipstick.
EDIT**
I received this comment,
I disagree. I think if you are in a bathroom and there is a line it is perfectly acceptable to use the handicapped stall if there is not handicapped person waiting.
Yes, I am an unconventional parent, I do let my kids stay up very late, but I always respect other parents wishes, when expressed.
If they don't tell me that 14 year old "Johnny" needs to be asleep at 9pm, how the hell am I supposed to know I just made them pissed off?
Shouldn't they have told me this when dropping their sons off that night?
Yes! Yes they should have. I'm not a mind reader, and I don't send my teenagers to bed on non-school nights at 9pm.
First of all, they are teenagers, not elementary aged boys. My sons are in bed by 10:30pm on school nights. Non-school nights, they stay up till they pass out. It's not hurting anybody if they stay up late.
But I digress.
How can I be held responsible for enforcing a bedtime I was never informed of?
How is it right to punish those boys months later, for one night back in June, on a Friday during summer vacation?
Haven't those two boys been punished for their parents failure to speak up, long enough?
And why haven't these parents said anything at all to me in regards to what happened?
Perhaps they know that I'll tell them, they never told me about mandatory bedtimes during summer vacation. Perhaps this is all just an excuse to keep the boys under their thumb a little bit longer.
It's a terrible shame this nice kid is still being punished for his parents failure to express rules.
If you were dropping your kids off for a sleepover, wouldn't you tell the parents hosting it, your rules and wishes? Perhaps even food allergies, pet allergies? Teeth brushing, hair brushing, pj wearing rules?
I know I always do.
I have been nominated in several categories for the blogger's choice awards.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about what amounts to a popularity contest, but for the pure giggle factor and to hop on the bus, I'll post which one I'd be cool with winning.
I was nominated for best parenting blog as well, but I honestly can't ask anyone to vote for me on that one because I get a lot of flack for my parenting methods.
I am a totally unconventional parent, and believe me, people let me know how they feel about my choices in how I raise my kids.
Do they ever! *wipes the very beaten brow*
So freakiest blogger it is!
I am a bit freaky. I am a metal head, I have tats and piercings, I let my kids stay up all night and sleep all day on weekends, I let them have total free speech inside our home, I still go out and party till the sun comes up at my age.
I do a lot of things that other women, once they become mothers, don't do anymore because it's "not ok for moms to do those things"
Bite me.
So if you feel like voting for me in the bloggers choice awards, click the button up there or in my sidebar, and vote me to the top of the freakiest bloggers list.
I'm only 48 votes behind the lead. I know you all can get me up there.
Many thanks for your continued support, and I'll do my best to live up to the standards of freakiest blogger of all time.
If you could get any campaign wish granted by the freakiest blogger, what would you ask them (me, ahem, vote for me) to do?
The new video card and 1 gig of memory, made an incredible difference in game play of the Sims, and allowed us to install the other expansion pack that Sebastian bought, Pets.
When I got the new pc for Christmas, we bought Sims 2 and the Nightlife expansion pack.
They played ok, it was grainy and chunky pixels, but playable.
Sebastian and I are addicted to the Sims, and he's gotten so much better at from when he first started.
But anyway, we had tried to install the Pets pack, and it crashed the game. It was just using so much memory, the computer couldn't handle it, even though it was brand new. It really did need a new video card and more memory.
Sebastian was so bummed about not being able to have the pets too. He used his gift cards from Christmas to buy it himself, and has been asking me every month when I'd be able to get more memory or a new video card, whatever it needed to make it work.
Pets has been sitting in it's box since Christmas.
Tonight after getting all the settings fixed for ultimate game play, I tried once more to install Pets and play it.
It worked.
It worked awesome.
Sebastian's eyes lit up and I swear I thought he was going to cry...LOL
I messed with all the graphics settings again to make sure every thing was good to go, and then let him play from about my last post around 6:30, until about an hour ago.
He had so much fun, and when I asked him to hop off so I could get back on here and catch up on emails and stuff, he saved his game, and hopped up out of the chair, and gave me a huge hug.
He just simply had a great time playing and told me all about his family and their new pets, his kids he's raised so well, what generation he's working on, how many days till his original Sims become elders.
He's good at this stuff, and it keeps him happy and out of trouble.
Plus, my computer now runs incredibly fast. It boots in like 2 seconds, has no virtual memory issues at all even after all those hours playing.
It's awesome.
So Michael, thank you for finding me such a great deal on the parts.
You made my pc work awesome, and you made Sebastian a very happy kid.
PT went well, I was in and out of there really fast today because it was my last day.
He gave me an exer-band to use at home along with some exercises and stuff. If I hurt myself again, to just call him back.
________
Then I came home and installed the video card and memory.
Holy freaking awesome!
This is a few days ago graphics.
Really grainy, pixelated. I had to play at a distance because zooming in not only caused the quality to degrade, but the game to slow down.
This is today.
I can zoom in and the game still whips along at full speed.
Awesome.
Yes, Belle and Darren are all over each other all the time.
Delia is almost a child now, and I don't want another baby, so I'm constantly breaking these two up.
They are always going at it in various rooms of the house.
Like rabbits.
Free will is seriously funny when stuff like that happens.
You'll hear giggling and stuff, click on them and there they are, at it again.
Yup, I'm off to the last day of PT babies!
It's all over today.
W00t!
Yeah!
Party time!
hahahahah
When I get home, I'll be performing some surgery on my pc and installing some new parts.
He's gonna run awesome.
Later days!
I got a knock on my door a few minutes ago by my lovely post woman, and in her arms, she had just 3 things for me.
She had the free hardcover, early copy of the book, You know your life is a soap opera if..., that was sent to me by the publisher.
It looks incredibly funny, I cannot wait to start reading it.
Snippet:
"Although obstetricians rarely recommend infidelity as a treatment for infertility, a one night stand with an unsuitable partner, (like your husband's black sheep brother) will significantly increase your odds of conception."
All the weird wacky things that go on in soaps. I love it! Thanks so much for the copy, I'll be sure to post my thoughts on it when I am done reading it.
From my buddy Micheal, a new video card and a full 1 gig of memory stick to slap in this bad boy. I cannot wait! It sucks I have PT this afternoon, I'd rip this sucker open right now and perform surgery.
Micheal is the god of finding the cheapest sources for memory and computer parts. He rocks my socks man.
And from Netflix, The Illusionist.
I love having new movies to watch all the time. I watch one, mail it back the next day, and they ship me out a new one that same day. We do the two at a time unlimited monthly, so we are totally getting the most bang for our buck.
Not a single bill today or other piece of bad mail news.
Good mail days are few and far between so yay! For good stuff in today's delivery!
W00t!
This whole thing with the state of Florida and not accepting direct deposit, is mind boggling.
Amscot called me again this morning, they needed names of people I spoke with, and since I didn't have any, I called back asking the same questions.
Do I have to have a bank checking account and a voided paper check to do this, if I already have a debit card with a direct deposit form from my financial institution?
Them: Yes. We do not accept direct deposit forms.
Why is that?
Them: The system wasn't set up to handle anything but bank routing and account numbers.
But the direct deposit form, has the bank account number and routing number.
Them: We will not accept it and send it back.
I don't want this new card, and I don't want paper checks, I've had one stolen and no one has ever sent me the stop payment form. It's been over a month. I want to direct deposit to my existing account, not start a new one. I get my SSDI, a federal disability payment, deposited this account I have. They have no problem with it. Why does Florida state take issue with it?
Them: We will not do it. If we work with banks, we will have access to all your banking information should we need to know how much money you have. We do not deal with anyone but FDIC certified banks.
Oh, I see. You want bank accounts so you can look at my finances directly without asking me. Is that what you're saying? They are FDIC certified by the way.
Them: No. I'm saying, if for some reason, we need to verify child support payments and other financial information, we need to have the banks permission. Other services don't allow us to do that. They don't allow us the access we need unlike banks do ma'am.
So, you would need to verify I got my CS, but also look at the rest of my finances.
Them: We can't tell you that. Ma'am, we will not take a direct deposit form from anyone. It has to be a paper check or a letter from a bank, with your routing and account number on it, with the bank giving us permission to access your account.
I see. May I have your name please?
Them: Shakita Washington, supervisor.
__________
Did you all catch that part about accessing our financial information without our permission?
Interesting.
So maybe I don't really want them direct depositing to my account after all. They want full financial access.
That's probably why they won't work with Amscot. They don't allow them to have direct access to how we spend our money.
If that ends up being the case, and they say they can access my information, I may just take the stupid card after all.
Not that I have anything at all to hide, all my income is being reported to the proper departments.
I just don't want them having that much information about me.
_______
I called Amscot back. I think I gave them all of what was said. I had just woken up when the Amscot supervisor called me back. I was awake till almost 4:30am, and then up with the boys at 5:45, then back to sleep till 9am.
My brain wasn't turned all the way on when I had both calls.
If I didn't give him all of this, I hope he checks here again.
Sorry man, sometimes, my brain doesn't work until I've consumed an entire can of diet pepsi.
We ate pizza and wings, we watched a movie, an hour of gaming followed.
Then all of a sudden, I had a war on my hands.
Vulgarity follows in this post.
Teenagers are rotten creatures when pissed off or provoked.
They feed off of each others negative energy, and the battle will escalate.
I was sitting here trying to catch up on my feed reading and listening to the news. Something happened in the Bay area, something big, I'll have to check the website now because this is what happened next.
Sebastian: Mark pushed me!
Mark:Liar!
Sebastian: Mom! It's his fault all your stuff is wet!
Mark: Jerk! No it isn't!
Sebastian: Mom! He's the liar!
Mark: Fuck you dick face!
Sebastian: Eat shit loser!
Me: Wait a frigging minute!!! My what "stuff" is wet?
Sebastian: Your cork board and all those papers in the basket.
Me: You did not just say my papers in the basket.
Mark: He threw his cup of water at me mom.
Sebastian: I did not you fucking lying sack of shit!
Mark: I'm gonna kill you!
Me: Knock it the hell off now! Both of you! Tell me what happened! Now!!!
Mark: You asked me a question, I was coming to answer you, I tripped on the kitchen rug and grabbed his arm so I didn't fall down, then as I was coming to you, he threw his cup of water at me and it sprayed the whole wall and my back.
Sebastian: I did not! He did not trip, he grabbed my arm and squeezed it really tight, and jerked my arm around. I was holding my cup of water and it went flying everywhere.
Mark: You're such a liar Sebastian. If that's what happened, how did my back get all wet? I was in front of you walking away, not behind you twisting your arm.
Sebastian: Quit lying Mark, you know you did that.
Mark: I'm not lying! You threw it at me!
Me: Stop it! Now! Go get some towels and dry off my chair, the wall, the floor by the game room. I'll attempt to dry my papers.
*They walk off to get towels and are grumbling at each other. Liar. Fag. Douchebag. Jerk. Fucknut. C-rag.*
Lovely. Just lovely.
It's bedtime, and they start a new war over stupid crap.
I still don't know what really happened, I don't really care either.
I'm just over the constant brother battles.
I know this is all perfectly normal too. Brothers teach brothers how to fight, it's like part of the becoming a man ritual or some crap. They have to test their strengths out, and it's on each other. Non-stop.
I think the only time they aren't fighting is when they are at school, doing homework or chores.
No, I take that back.
They bicker with each other at homework time because he has his pencils on my side of the table, or his book touched mine, or I was going to do that chore.
Only 5 and a half weeks till summer vacation.
I seriously need to find them jobs or something to do all summer.
This is gonna be hell.
Ok, first the good news, tomorrow is the last day of PT! W00t! Yeah! Party time!
I played TOOL for him, and he actually liked it. He doesn't pay much attention to lyrics, but I sorta made him.
With TOOL, the lyrics are what makes me love the music that's being played even more. They have meaning.
So at the end of my session, he had a new appreciation for a band he didn't think he'd like.
He said I can bring something else tomorrow.
Maybe a little Sepultura? *wink*
The only thing I didn't like about today, and tomorrow's appointment, is how late I get home.
I didn't get back here till a little after 4pm, so I was tired, my afternoon was gone, and the teens were already clamoring for dinner.
Pizza Hut it is!
I ordered some pizza and wings, and we have a movie to watch.
The Pursuit of Happyness.
I heard it's great, although a tearjerker, but I still want to watch it.
We watched Children of men the other night, I'll post my thoughts on that later. It was really good though.
I cannot wait until the weekend, this house is going to be cleaned thoroughly by the 3 of us whether they like it or not.
It must be done.
I can't take it another day.
Ok, food is here, off to have dinner and a movie.
Later days!
For Pt. Blargh.
But, today he said I could bring in a cd to listen to over the facilities speakers.
See, they listen to this god awful station that's a mix of 80's, some 70's and some current, but it's all soft rock. Like sleepy pop crap.
I tease Bill every single time about the music because he works there and by association, he now knows most of that music and he sings it.
Mariah. Freaking. Carey.
*bang*
So guess what I'm bringing? haahah
TOOL, 10,000 days.
Hahahahah!
Bill and I have these talks about music all the time while I'm doing my PT. He's amazed I know so many bands, yes, even the crappy ones that I'm forced to listen to while there.
I was joking with him that the real reason I was doing PT was so that in May, I am good enough to go in the mosh pit at the TOOL concert.
He was all no freaking way! I can't let you do that, not with your back that way.
I said chillax man, I'm joking. My general admission moshing days are long gone. I have tickets in the seating area of the Sundome.
But I still might stand up and throw some horns.
He looked at me like I was a bit nuts.
He's about my age and is quite the funny guy, although completely useless with computers.
He wanted to see my before and after xrays of my back, so I burned them to disc and brought them in yesterday for him to see.
He goes, "How do I play this?"
Uh, what?
I had to go over to his comp, pop the disc in and run it for him. Good thing I burned it as a slide show, he probably wouldn't have had a clue how to scroll through them.
I don't mean to pick on him, but he was, still is, a jock.
He is always talking sports and baseball, and I just sit there and go uh huh, that's nice.
He asked if I played any fantasy sports games. I told him fantasy sports leagues are like Dungeons and Dragons for jocks.
Ha!
I admit, when PT is over, I will miss his bad jokes and teasing him to death. He's a great guy, it's not his fault I hate physical therapy, I just hate wasting 2 hours out of my day to peddle a hand bike.
________
Off to brush my teeth and throw my hair up.
I'll reply to comments and emails when I get back.
Later days.
Heh.
Stalling as usual. Hahaha!
I have PT today at 2:30pm, and here it is almost 1pm, and I have not taken a shower yet.
I'm still sitting here and my t and undies, blogging, surfing, chatting through email.
Heehehehe.
I hate PT!
I really hope tomorrow he says it's over. I will totally come home and celebrate.
Yesterday I posted about the state of Florida and their new debit card for child support.
I had explained they won't let me do a direct deposit form with my Amscot card, which is basically a checking account, minus the checks. It's a debit card.
I just got a call from Amscot services. They found my blog and called me to ask what they could do to help me.
They totally agree that forcing people to get a new card if they don't want one, is silly.
So they're going to call the state and see what they can do to allow them to have me direct deposit to my already existing Amscot card.
That rocks!
Thanks Amscot!
All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber.
Rest in peace Mr. Vonnegut
I was dog ass tired when I came home from PT, all I wanted to do was nap, but I didn't. Now, here I am, 1:30 in the morning, awake.
Again.
I don't get this man. I just don't get it.
I just went for a walk to 7-11, we had nothing in the house for breakfast, so it was a necessary trip.
I stepped outside and was immediately drenched in sweat.
It is so stinking humid out tonight.
There's gotta be a big storm coming overnight, lots of lightening popping every few minutes. Beautiful skies, but sticky as gum on the bottom of your shoe.
A few days ago, Jules asked us to talk about our best friends, and I'm just now getting around to it. Sorry Jules.
Shell and I have been friends for ages, I'm not even going to say how many years, but it's been a long, long time.
The state we grew up in, and where Shell still lives, is a cold, boring place, so as teenagers, we all did what a lot of teens do to occupy ourselves.
We caused trouble, drank and partied.
I hung out with a group of people and she hung out with hers. Eventually, groups of people merged together for huge parties, bonfires, keggers. That's how we met, at one of those.
Don't ask for details, I don't remember.
We became fast friends and have remained that way right up till this day, and will be for the rest of our lives. No two people were better meant to be friends.
We've both struggled with our own drug issues over the years and helped each other through them. We helped each other raise our kids when we both ended up as single moms living just a few apartments over from each other. Always right there to lend a hand should the other one need a break.
We shared many dinners together to save on food costs, did each others dishes and household chores, rides, late night talks, you name it, we were right there all the time.
I would babysit for her while she went to college at night, she'd babysit for me so I could get a break.
We were there for each other through relationships that failed, marriages that fell apart, helping each other see the truth about the abusive buttheads in our lives.
We celebrated all the good times together as well. We could party with the best of them.
Shell drove me to the hospital the night Sebastian was born and held my hand, wiped my brow, touched his head when he came out.
At the time, it was the most comforting feeling in the world, and now a source of embarrassment years later for Sebastian, when Shell and I get together and talk about that night. It's amazing how kids find birth stories so icky.
But to us, it was a special moment. My best friend was with me, by my side, while I brought a new person into the world. My mom was also there, another source of torture for the boy. "Oh mom gross! Ninny and Shell touched my head before I was all the way out?!"
Yuppers my boy. Hahaha
Shell and I took a long road trip together, kinda like Thelma and Lousie, without the murders, but with the gun.
Shell had her 9mm with her the whole trip, right in the door pocket. We were armed, had money, and on our own.
We drove from Maine to Florida, to New Orleans, to Nashville, all over the damn south, and then back home again to our kids.
We had a helluva time.
We were "freelance photographers" working for a big named women's magazine, scouting for the next hottest bachelor.
We still have all the pics we took on that trip.
We saw Elvis's house at 3am, hung out with the security guard, signed the gate.
We talked with truckers on cb radio and had an absolute blast.
We learned even more about each other on that trip than we ever knew in the 10 years previous being friends.
There are things about each of us that only the other knows. We've vowed to never tell another soul for as long as we live, but often discuss them together.
I don't think there's another person alive who knows more about me than she does. I've never kept a secret from her, and neither she with me.
When I moved here 10 years ago this coming June, it was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. I was leaving all my family and my best friend behind, never wanting to go back there again.
I do go back to visit from time to time, but I just can't live there anymore. Too damn cold, too many memories.
I know it hurt her, still does, that I'm so far away, but we talk as often as we can, she comes here more than I get up there, but the distance is never going to change who my best friend is.
I've never felt comfortable talking about life with anyone but her.
I really wish when I was up there this past February, that it wasn't as cold as it was, that I had felt better, that I had had more time. We barely had much time to be together, and saying goodbye again was so much more difficult.
I'm hoping she can come down here in October like she's planning, even if it's only a couple of days. I plan on spending that time with her as best I can.
I would have posted pics of us together in this entry, but nah, we both know what the other one looks like, in good times and bad, we've seen each other at our worst and our best.
Besides, the words are the most important. She's the only other person who knows what this friendship, these words, mean.
I miss ya Shell, more than you know.
I've been complaining about my child support checks, namely one getting stolen which still hasn't turned up, and they never did send the stop payment form.
But anyway, in today's mail, I received a letter from the state of Florida department of revenue, in which they blew their own horn over the fabulous new idea of direct deposit and their very own Florida Debit Card Program, just for child support checks.
I've only been asking them to direct deposit my CS for the last 10 months. *eyeroll*
But anyway, if we have a checking account, we can have it direct deposited even if we are handled by two states which before, they said absolutely not on, or, we can get their brand spanking new debit card with a picture of a beach on it, the word Florida in giant letters, and is a Mastercard debit card. Solely for child support.
Now, this is all fine and dandy, but they won't accept my Amscot card as a checking account even if I send them a direct deposit form. It has to be a voided check which is asinine in my opinion.
I don't understand why they won't take a direct deposit form.
So, where does this leave me?
It leaves me having to accept this new card or keep getting paper checks which might get stolen. Again.
I don't want another card. I want direct deposit.
I know, beggars can't be choosers, but come on, how hard would it be to do the form instead of a check?
Not hard!
But at least the state has finally come into the 21st century.
I talked to Bill the PT guy today, I told him I am feeling great, which I am. My shoulder doesn't hurt unless I go to PT.
Great huh?
Seriously, all weekend, Monday and Tuesday, my shoulder was awesome, no problems.
I go to PT today, do the pullies, and bam, stinging pain in the scapula.
It sucks.
So anyway, he said let's finish out the week, and if I'm only having pain while doing PT, then we'll call it done after Friday's appointment.
You have no idea how happy that makes me.
I was out and running a few errands this morning, I should have gotten something to eat.
I'm starving and there's nothing tasty here in the house to munch on.
Pooey.
I'm up and about to go take a shower, get ready for my day.
Walgreen's finally has it together, and can finish my script fill and actually bill the insurance.
Yay for small miracles.
If it wasn't for Sweetbay, I'd transfer all my scripts to CVS and just do all my shopping over at that plaza. But Sweetbay sucks.
You walk in and it smells dirty, like rotting meat, and the employees' are never friendly. It's truly like they hate their jobs.
So I deal with downed computers and crap.
It's not fun, I don't enjoy it, but it's one of those situations where I have to decide between risking bad food at one grocery store, and bad customer service, or a clean store and awesome customer service.
I choose clean store, great people, and stupid people at Walgreen's who don't know how to reboot the system.
*shrug*
__________
I have the dreaded PT today. Man how I wish this was over already.
I fricking hate it.
But you knew that. *wink*
____________
My house is a mess.
I didn't tell you all what happened on Monday night.
We were sitting here watching that new show, Thank God You're Here, and the power wet out for about a minute.
Then it came back on.
Then it went out for 10 minutes.
One whole side of the street.
When it came back on, the house was so hot. It was incredibly humid Monday night. Like 2 seconds outside, and you were drenched in sweat at 10pm. It was gross.
So after the power came back on, the whole house was that icky sticky humid, I had to crank the AC just to get it to stop being sticky in here.
I know it's going to affect my bill, but it was seriously needed. You just can't sleep when it's like that.
I was too tired and too sick to deal with the mess that got made that night.
I'm sitting here looking at it now, candles everywhere, flashlights, a giant box of matches right in the middle of the coffee table.
Mess.
Not to mention the rugs.
OOoooh man, the rugs are in serious need of a vac.
Cat hair everywhere, a blanket on the floor, some boxes from who knows what. Mess.
This needs to be tackled.
___________
I was up fairly late, and paid all my bills in the wee hours of the morning, and sent a dear friend, her quickie loan back. Thank you so much girl. You saved me from committing homicide. Yesterday was just a truly, freaking, awful day.
I haven't had a day like that in a long time.
But it got better, today is starting off right, I'm going to keep it as on track as I can.
Later days.
I was able to get to the pharmacy and pick up some of my pain meds. Not all.
Why?
Because their computers were down and they couldn't fill it all and bill the insurance. When one Walgreen's goes down, they all go down.
I hate that.
So at least I have enough to get me through the night and tomorrow.
They said they should be able to do the rest tomorrow no problem.
Uh huh, riiiight.
_________________
Remember I posted about my make-up collection?
Well as I was getting back from he hour long debacle at the pharmacy, the UPS man was here and left me my new Estee Lauder purchase.
I love it all...LOL
No seriously, the concealer is kick ass, the lip gloss is full size dual, meaning one side color gloss and the other side, clear gloss.
The black smudge eyeliner is full size, the eye creams are trial size but I can't wait to use them, and the White Linen perfume sample bottle is so cute and smells good. I was happy about that because most perfumes give me an instant headache.
So my pain is subsiding, I have new treats to perk me up, I told off the Big in another email because he emailed me back some big ol' song and dance bullshit sob story.
Nope, sorry, don't want to hear it, go tell it to your new wife.
Sebastian was ok with it, he took it well and wants to try the new Big out. He's such a good kid and he deserves a good guy who actually wants to do this.
Oh, and on the ex-bastard front, I made a call to CS to modify the amount of CS we get.
If he can afford to buy a new business and lots of pretty signs hanging above the store front, he can afford to pay a bit more than $22.10 every once in awhile right?
Right!
I'm not wasted or anything like that, just very very comfy, which was the goal.
But let's see, why did I put this in the Blogs category?
Oh, that's right, I was just interviewed by the Washington Post about on line harassment.
Since that whole mess of threats on Kathy Sierra, it seems people are starting to take notice of the on line world of blogs, and crap that people deal with from some very ignorant internet users.
I'm not saying what happened to Kathy is nothing, but I am saying it's not new.
Not by a long shot.
Long time readers of my blog know all about my almost 5 year ordeal with an asshat of a man who calls himself the godly one.
This man has threatened me with everything under the sun from private investigators watching me and taking my picture around the clock, to reporting me to child protective services, to stealing my son's pics off my blog and posting them on his forums where we are, sadly, not his only victims of his sick and deluded game.
So when I got an email from a reporter of the Washington Post, asking about on line harassment, well, I had quite a story to tell.
I spent about 30-40 minutes talking to the reporter by phone, answering all their questions about what it has been like for me and others that he chose to do this to.
I stopped giving a shit a long time ago about this moron. I laugh at him now.
He means so little in my life now, I can't believe I even gave him any power over me.
But the problem is, that there are sick idiots out there who do this to people on line, they find it fun, they have a hobby.
A hobby of belittling people, making false claims and threats against people. People they don't even know, will never know.
I was more than happy to tell my story if it helps at all in getting something done about on line harassment.
Code of conduct? Are you people serious?
Asshats who do this for fun, don't give a rats ass about a code of conduct. If they cared at all about people, they wouldn't do this to start with.
Do you really think having a code is going to make them stop?
So here's what I did. I stopped replying, I stopped paying him any attention. I kept documenting everything though. It's all saved to my hard drive and disc.
Because someday, there will be a way to stop them, there will be better laws to protect people on line, and threats of any kind, will be taken seriously by authorities.
So until then, I'll keep documenting and saving, and ignoring him when he shows up. No replies, no ack! here he is again. Nothing but saving his crazy threats.
In a way, I have to thank him.
If it wasn't for his sick game, I wouldn't be the much stronger person that I am now. I'm able to laugh about it all.
So thanks to my biggest fan, I think it's love.
That describes my day so far.
Wanna hear it?
Of course you do.
I can't go get my pain meds till tomorrow cuz I have no money, so I'm drinking that bottle of sangria I've had in the fridge for a month.
I'm in fucking agony because of all the days to be without pain meds, it has to be fucking raining today.
My joints are killing me.
Got a call from my sister in law.
My ex-husband is now a proud business owner.
Yes! The man who can only pay $22.10 for child support whenever he feels like paying it, is now a business owner.
Makes you all tingly inside doesn't it?
Got a letter from the Big program. It seems Sebastian's Big closed out their case and lied to the Big program, telling them he called Sebastian and explained the whys.
Um, no, no he fucking didn't.
I'm home 24/7, I certainly would have remembered getting a call like that.
Now, after school today, I have the wonderful task of telling my son that his Big is gone because he's getting married, and has a new 7 year old step son to devote his time to.
There's a real man for ya.
I restrained from calling him, but did send a scathing email to the coward.
But the Big program has a new guy waiting, and if Sebastian agrees to try again, this guy will be his. He's 26 years old, wants to be a fireman, loves the outdoors and video games and stuff like that.
But yay for me, I get to tell him his Big was a fucking coward of a man who couldn't even tell a 13 year old, goodbye.
What else can go fucking wrong today?!
This has been a very weird day.
I still feel like I'm in dreamland. It hasn't gone away.
I'm like walking around in a foggy haze.
I really hate all the meds sometimes man. They do some funky shit to me sometimes.
Kinda like this.
So if I'm not around, or not making much sense, I apologize.
If you suffer insomnia like I do, and most people don't get enough sleep at night anyway, power napping may help you.
The object of the power nap is to not sleep too long, twenty to thirty minutes is all you really need to feel refreshed and energized to be able to keep going.
When should you take it?
Sometime between lunch and dinner.
If you sleep longer than thirty minutes, up to an hour, your body will produce sleep inertia, that groggy feeling, makes it hard to concentrate.
The site above has all kinds of useful tips for getting a power nap while at work so your job isn't put in jeopardy.
They give tips on where you should nap at work like, in your office or conference room, or in the library or book store. I can fall asleep so easy at the book store. It's so quiet in there.
Our local mall actually has rest areas all over the place now with massaging recliners, they actually encourage you to take breaks and even fall asleep.
I'm not the kind of person who can sleep in a car, I need to see where I'm going all the time, even if it's not moving, but the site suggests if you can't get away with a nap in your office, take a nap in your car during your lunch break.
Hey, as long as you set an alarm of some sort, go for it, I personally love naps.
There are 101 ways to save a dollar a week around your home, on the road, at the grocery store and going out to eat, and many other ideas.
I already do most of the home ones, I am always finding and trying ways to lower home energy costs.
I always try to use coupons whenever I shop too.
The site I linked has a ton of great ideas on how to save money in various ways. There were some I had never done.
I have a friend who is always winning free tickets to events. Just this week, she won eight tickets to different events around Tampa Bay.
She's going to be going to all of them.
For free.
I gotta hand it to her luck, that's awesome. I rarely win anything.
Most of these are common sense things, but worth checking out if you are not already doing them.
Especially if you live here in the south with air conditioning bills.
Those tips for thermostats and filters, are worth their weight in savings on your bills.
Also, shutting off your computer when not in use, and cutting out on phone services and cable.
Major savings.
Since ditching my long distance and not having a third computer in the house, (no room mate anymore) my electric bills dropped by 100%.
Outstanding.
So go check out their list of ways to save money. It's worth the read and the time if you're looking to save money any way you can.
Are you a work at home mom? Want to join a new weekly question meme that is just for work at home moms?
Then check out WAHM, and join up!
This weeks QOTW is:
What is the worst Work at Home Scam you have seen or heard about?
Man, there are sooo many!
Pretty much any that are MLM's. The Melaucas, the Amways, the health/diet pill scams.
Basically, any company that says you need to pay any amount up front, get people to sign up under you, in order to make money.
I hate scams.
Baby Delia woke in the middle of the night with a stinky diaper and hungry, so Derek didn't wake Belle and Darren, he just took over and gave Delia her bath in the bathroom sink.
Delia's birthday came and now we have a crawling, get into everything toddler.
Oy!
And then Belle set to teaching her to talk and walk. Not an easy task with a toddler who wants to get into everything.
But Delia is getting the hang of both very quickly.
It's going to be so awesome to get a better graphics card and memory in thee. It slows down after a few hours and makes game play a pain in the butt.
and use my computer and phone for a lot of my business dealings as well as personal, it would be cool if I could get an Telecom Audit on a personal home phone.
I have to keep track of who I call and for what, whenever I make a call, so that at the end of the year, I can make sure business calls are separate from personal calls for tax purposes.
I've been doing my tax stuff and man sorting through all the calls, is a pain in the butt.
I went and played with my Sims instead.
I am bored and tired.
Just an overall weirdness today.
Like I'm still sleeping.
Ya ever get that way?
Like you know you're awake, but you feel like you're still asleep?
I'm like in la la land today and get get out of it.
I don't have PT today, they changed my schedule this week to Wed. Thurs, Friday, so that means I won't be whining about that today.
That's a good thing too.
I woke up this morning to find that Aunt Flow had let herself in sometime in the middle of the night.
She could have called or something, it's been months since she came by for a visit.
Bitch.
I really hate how she just shows up unannounced whenever she feels like it.
If I had to go to PT today, it wouldn't have been pleasant.
I'm so tired today and the teens are back at school, so I think I'm going back to bed for awhile.
I just don't feel awake yet.
Click for bigger.
I love these pics. :)
New computer memory that is.
Actually, a new video card + added 256mb.
After several hours of Sebastian and I playing Sims this afternoon and early evening, we decided that we want all the stuff in our game we're not currently getting because it slows down if we turn everything on and high.
Things like shadowing, reflections, lighting enhancements, anti-aliasing etc.
So I'm going for it this week.
This should make gaming much better.
Nobody's around. The teens are playing games.
I have nothing to do.
Blah.
I will probably never need this, but others do. EMI Shielding is shielding from Electromagnetic interference.
You would shield equipment so as not to interfere with other equipment, that is performing important functions in your operation.
Some of the products that you would use are Conductive Elastomer Gaskets, Low Closure Force, Foam-Based Gaskets, Shielded Vents and Windows.
Some of the machines EMI shielding is used in are MRI machines, which I have been in quite a few, but I wouldn't have the slightest clue about all the safety devices and precautions they have to take.
All I know, is they make me take out every single piercing and piece of jewelry. And now with all these titanium rods in, I can't even step foot in a traditional MRI machine.
One of the other many diet pills on the market today is Hoodia. They say celebs use it all the time, regular folks, lots of people have taken it and had great success.
It says it suppresses appetite, reduces caloric intake and tricks your brain into feeling full.
I'm curious to know if real people are losing weight with it.
Anyone out there try it?
Why is it, no matter what foods you make on a holiday, you end up bloated and tired as hell?
Mark and I are practically falling off our selected seating, clutching our bloated abdomens.
I barely even ate anything!
Sebastian is on the other couch, playing video games and going, "Wow, I'm bloated man."
Yeah, join the club buddy.
I think I need a nap now.
But no, no rest for me today. The laundry still isn't finished.
Blah.
Ham is cooking, bunnies are being eaten, laundry is spinning.
Typical day here.
I think I need a nap though.
Ha! I'm way tired.
I think I'm gonna lay down and watch a movie or something until the ham is done cooking and stuff.
Happy easter and chocolate bunny day to all!
I think I may be coming down sick with the stomach thing again. I hope not. I get so damn tired right before it starts, and that's how I was all day today. I slept until the phone woke me at 10:30. Then slept again until the phone woke me at 11:30. Then when my sis came over around 1pm. Then slept again until about 3ish. Then slept again until about 7pm.
I went to bed last night at 10pm.
That's a lot of sleep, and I'm still tired.
I'm trying to fend off the sickies with those blasted pills that dry me out so bad. Cotton mouth, no pee, eyeballs dried and itchy.
I hope they work.
________________
Sebastian came home around 5pm, then he and Mark went to Taco Smell for food. I offered to make something, they said no, sleep, you look like you're going to pass out.
So I did.
Sebastian is sound asleep on the couch, Mark is playing video games, and I'm waiting for my sheets and pillow cases to dry so I can go back to bed.
I'm going to go type of a review of the movie we watched the other night called Keeping Mum. It was quite good and funny.
Later days.
Most excellent photographer, Robyn of Buttons and Bows Photography, is offering up her custom made templates, for marketing.
The design and layout is simply gorgeous.
It's her new 2007 client information packet, and it's simply beautiful.
She's offering the templates up for sale so you too can have a gorgeous client information packet for your photography business.
I love her pictures. It's hard to believe what started out as a hobby, and taking pics of her own kids, has turned into a booming business for her.
Go take a look through her portfolio to see what I mean.
One of these days, I'm going to have enough money to have her take the boys pics. I know she does mostly maternity and newborn, and small children, but I know she could do an amazing job on the teens.
It would be a keepsake picture, one I'd be proud to hang in the center of my living room. They'd make great gifts for all the grands too.
I love the colors and how she makes them pop, and the softness of the pictures. She captures her clients so perfectly.
You simply can't get that kind of look at Sears or Wal*Mart photo studios. At those places, all the pictures have the same backgrounds, the same poses. She captures her subjects as who they are.
I've been sleeping off and on, Mark just woke up, Sebastian is still off doing stuff.
Blah.
Bored.
About 6 months ago, I was contacted by the national scoliosis foundation, to do a simple DNA swab test, in the hopes to track the genetic trait that causes scoliosis.
I was more than happy to participate in it. Scoliosis can be a very painful, debilitating disease, if left untreated.
They sent me another letter about 2 months ago, letting me know they had received many other swabs from people with it, and were beginning the process of trying to track it down to one trait, in the hopes of being able to possibly find a cure.
I don't know how they'd cure it, but if they could find the one gene that causes it, perhaps they can stop it by coming up with some type of immunization possibly.
I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I was nominated in several different categories for the Bloggers Choice Awards, a bunch of different ones, and I thank you for the noms, it's cool.
Even though I haven't made up my mind about going to postie con, I feel the love people.
Grassy ass.
Special shout out to my biggest fan, you rock! *swoon* ;)
So I went to PT, and all anybody was talking about was John Winter. It's affecting people.
We know they are just people on tv, but every single day, we watch them, we know them, if they showed up on our door step and needed to use the phone or get a glass of water, we'd be all hey! It's you! Come on in, stay for dinner.
They are family to us in a way.
I have to wonder what was hurting him so much, I hope they at least tell the viewers part of what the note said. I don't think we're entitled to know every thing it said, it's probably very private for his family, but the viewers who knew him for so many years, have the need for closure ya know?
I actually emailed the morning news team a few times this past year, because of the banter between John and the should be a blond, Gayle Guyardo.
She's kind of an airhead. I put her on the same shelf with Katie Couric. Totally serious news story, giant smile on her face, a slight chuckle at the end.
Anyway, John and Gayle used to go back and forth with each other all the time. I emailed one morning because it was hysterical what was happening between them, and Gayle seemed completely oblivious to it all.
She said something to John, he totally burned her in his reply, she mumbled something stupid, he burned her again, then he sat there with this giant grin on his face looking right at the camera, as Gayle tried to figure out if he insulted her or not.
Funny as hell. Bill Ratliff stepped in and said, "Ok now, back to work you two."
He totally knew John got her good.
But that's why I liked him. He had wit, he had sarcasm, always one step ahead of everyone on that show.
And they answered their own emails.
John had replied to my email within a few minutes that morning.
I was congratulating for the most serious burn on Gayle, told him I almost spit my breakfast out when he said it.
He replied all innocently, "What? I would never."
Then a few spaces down it said, "Don't let on, I don't think she got it yet."
I laughed even harder after getting that.
Isn't that funny?
It's going to be so weird now, watching the morning news, with him absent.
Knowing why he's gone.
It would be one thing if he quit, or got fired, or moved on to bigger and better news markets, but not this.
It's so out of his character not who he was, as everyone who knew him said.
What do we do with all the questions we have no answers for.
TBO.com is reporting that he killed himself yesterday afternoon around 3;30 as deputies broke into his home after an anonymous caller called and asked them to check up on him.
When deputies arrived, Winter’s vehicle was in the driveway, Carter said. Deputies knocked on the home’s doors, but he did not answer.As deputies forced their way through the front door, they heard a gunshot.
Winter’s body was found inside the garage. No one else was in the home, Carter said.
He left behind a note, but Carter said she did not know what it said.
Shortly after deputies arrived, Winter’s friend arrived at the house.
The friend told deputies he had not spoken to Winter for several minutes before then and that Winter would not answer his phone upon repeated attempts to call him, Carter said.
Sebastian is taking off with my sister today to go to Myakka. Mark is headed off with George for a bbq, and I'm going to PT.
Yay! hahaha
I'm wondering if they're even open today because it's good Friday.
I'm afraid to call and check cuz I know they are. Hahaha
Back in March, Richard was having a contest for Alexa ranking stuff. Anyone who wrote a review on Alexa for him, got their name tossed in.
Well, a whole month passed cuz he forgot to do the drawing, (tsk tsk) and he meant to do it on camera, but it wouldn't work.
So anyway, he just did the drawing, and it's me! I won!
W00t!
$50 big ones baby!
Rock! \m/
Man I'm tired. Really tired.
I went and did the shopping, got all our candies, got stuff for a way lower price because they marked them wrong on the shelves.
heh.
The manager gave me a dirty look while she was lowering my prices in the register.
I said to her; "It is not my fault that someone at this store, printed up a sign and stuck it to the shelf that said 'Cadbury eggs, 2 packages for $1.00'. I read the tag, bought them. You can take it down if it's wrong."
She finished fixing my prices, walked over to the easter display and ripped it off the shelf.
Hah!
Then I saw this.
It's a make your own Twinkies bake set.
No, I didn't buy it. I just had to take a picture of it.
All the store employees stared at me while I did it.
It made me chuckle.
But I got a nice deal on the ham. Spiral sliced, maple and brown sugar coating, 9lbs for $1.99 a pound.
Yes, I get excited about a good deal on meats.
Go ahead, say, I have no life. haahahah
I have a ton of emails to answer, but I'm tired. I really need a nap. I've been home for about 3 hours, but dealing with people with stuff shoved up their asses.
Don't know what the hell happened, but damn, people need to stop, read, think, before going off on shit.
Later days.
and my neighbor next door is going and offered to let me tag along. I totally appreciate that.
Mindy was going to take me tonight, but I'm just gonna go now and get it over with before the boys come home from school today.
I need to pick up a few bits of food, candy for the teens, Cadbury eggs and all that stuff.
When I get back, it would be totally cool if you lady readers of mine, would take pics of your makeup stash, and leave me a comment on this post, so I can come see if one or more of you, have more makeup than me, that you barely wear.
I need to go get dressed now.
I'm still sitting here in a t-shirt and undies, as usual.
I told my neighbor to give me a warning call so I can be ready, but I should just go and do that now huh?
Later days.
I was reading blogs through my feed reader this morning, and Amy had a post up about a great deal at Estee Lauder.
Now being the makeup whore I am, I snapped that offer right up.
I don't know why, I hardly ever wear makeup.
I wear it when I'm going out for a night of partying or something, maybe once in awhile I throw some on cuz I feel like it, but mostly, it sits in a plastic bin on my bathroom shelf.
I'm going to show you that I have far too much makeup products for someone who never wears any.
The bin, bag, and brushes, and other ends.
Contents of the bag.
Contents of the bin.
This is seriously way too many products for a woman who maybe wears foundation, powder, eyeliner, and lip gloss.
What's in your stash?
ABC is reporting that a major controversy is taking place because of a 200-pound, 6-foot-tall and anatomically correct sculpture of Jesus made entirely out of chocolate. The art piece was made by Cosimo Cavallaro, who says; "I didn't go out there to make this offensive, Had I wanted to make it offensive, I would have done something completely different."
It was supposed to be on display at a gallery in New York during easter week, but officials at the gallery, pulled the plug after criticism from both Catholics and Christians.
"This would rank as one of the worst, most vile, obscene and blasphemous assaults on Christian sensibilities that I have ever seen," said Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League.
CHOMP!
Big bites, taken right off the side of the very object that symbolizes their faith.
The artist did send out invitations that read; "Come eat Christ", but again, it would be on exhibit, not to actually eat. But chocolate crosses in baskets? Eaten.
It's artistic expression, and people are free to create whatever they want and put it on display.
Others should be free to view whatever they want.
Forcing galleries to remove artistic work, is censorship.
It's not protecting your religion. It's not protecting your flock's religion, it's censorship plain and simple.
If I were these people, I'd be more pissed off at the millions of kids who walk around on easter Sunday, taking bites off a chocolate cross, than I would be at a statue on display.
Ooopsie, missed a few weeks.
This weeks questions is; "What are your strengths and/or weaknesses as a mother?"
Hrm, I would have to say that one of my strengths is my open-ness.
I talk about every thing and any thing with them. They have a question, no matter if it's about sex, drugs, drinking, child abuse, spousal abuse, what color the sky is, or what's for dinner, I answer it, honestly.
I never hold anything back from them telling them about all of my experiences in life, what I did, what happened, how it effected the outcome of my life.
I believe because of this, my sons come to me with what ever thing is on their mind, speak freely, trust me, and are honest with me.
My weakness is I let them stay up too late, and also allow them to play video games for hours on end.
Mark is actually so good at GoW, (Gears of War) that he's entering a tournament, that might actually win him a spot on the finals in Prague.
Yes, a video game tourney in Prague which would require an adult chaperon.
Me.
Hey, it would be an all expense paid trip to Prague. He could play GoW, I could sight see.
I encouraged him to enter.
While at PT today and waiting to be called back, the secretary asked me if the easter bunny would be delivering baskets to my boys on Sunday.
I said no, they don't believe in fairy tales.
Wait, it's this Sunday?
To which she replied yes, had I forgotten?
Yes, I did. Easter is not a holiday we 'honor', we do celebrate candy, but not the day.
Part of that whole being atheist thing.
So yes, I had forgotten that Sunday was easter.
She then asked me what religion I was because I don't celebrate easter.
When I replied with 'none', you would have thought the holy ghost came in and was standing behind me.
"What? You mean you don't believe in god?"
No, we don't.
"Wow", she said, "I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't believe in god."
I replied, "There are a lot of us out there, and more and more people every day, are professing not believing in a god."
She sat there with this stunned look on her face for a few minutes, and then decided to discuss the weather.
I agreed, it was very warm and humid out today, and then I was called back.
It's interesting to watch people's reactions when they discover that not every one believes in a god.
Some are outraged and condemn you to hell immediately. Some ask questions about what it's like to not believe, some ask about evolution, but many are like the secretary, stunned.
Especially when it's around a major religious holiday like easter or christmas.
The PT guy Bill, had over heard part of our conversation, so when we went back and I started the upper body bike, he asked what we do on easter if we don't go to church and stuff.
I said, "We sleep in, wake up, play video games, eat, play, watch movies, eat candy, goof off, watch the shows on tv at night, go to bed."
"You really don't do anything at all for easter?"
"We eat those Cadbury cream eggs. Those rock."
"Wow."
Uh huh, wow.
I mean really, what am I supposed to say? We really don't do anything to celebrate easter. Some years I have cooked up a ham and mashed potatoes or something, simply because it's a holiday, but usually not. There have even been a few times I've ordered pizza or chinese food.
I have celebrated a mythological rabbit when the boys were younger, because all their school friends were talking about the easter bunny coming and bringing candy. But I always told them the "bunny" didn't exist, and that parents bought baskets, put fake grass in them, and filled it with candy, and even hid eggs for their kids to find what the "bunny" left behind.
They've always been cool with it, knowing that it wasn't real, as long as they got candy, every thing was all good.
I'm debating getting a nice ham and potatoes for Sunday, not for the holiday, but because a honey glazed ham sounds really tasty right now.
The age old question mothers around the world ask while watching their sons and their friends, turn spoons, sticks, tv remotes, and whatever else they have in their hands at the time, into a weapon, usually a gun.
I was reading the latest post over at GNMParents, about just this subject, and before I even finished the first paragraph, I said in my head, "It's in their nature."
You can nurture all you want. You can never let them have a toy gun. You can drill into their heads over and over, that you don't want them playing with toy guns, to tell an adult if they see a real one, never touch it, but you are more than likely going to fail.
Studies have been done on this subject time and again, and most boys who find a gun, real or fake, will hold it, handle it, and pull the trigger.
The doctors just know that boys, by nature, are very curious and interested in guns. Even if they don't have toy guns at their disposal, they'll pick up sticks or something, and pretend it's a gun. It seems to be an innate part of their nature. Even if they haven't been previously exposed to guns, they seem very interested in them.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has come out publicly with the recommendation that the best way to avoid gun-related deaths and injuries is the absence of firearms from homes and communities.So you can not have a gun in your home, but you cannot prevent others from doing so. It's our second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms. This isn't about our second amendment right, but it should be noted why we have it.
It's not so we can go around shooting people at whim, it's to protect us against our own government.
Our forefathers fought a governing party, they over threw them by force, to be free. They knew that in the future the people might once again have to fight for their freedom from an oppressive government.
The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed, where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once.
Justice Alex Kozinski, US 9th Circuit Court, 2003
My boys have great respect for guns, they know what those weapons are capable of, and they know they have the right to keep and carry a gun when they get older, for protection of themselves and their loved ones.
In the state of Florida, home owners and even renters, have the right to shoot and kill an intruder, if their life and family, or property is in danger.
I myself have plans to buy a gun and and get my CCW (concealed weapons permit).
I also plan to take the boys to a range and have them taught proper "real" gun safety.
They are allowed by law at their ages, to go to gun ranges and be taught gun safety, and I'm going to take them.
They are even allowed to have a CCW.
Parents can do every thing they can think of to avoid their sons playing with, or being interested in guns, but it's not going to help. It is in their nature to be curious about them and want to touch them.
So instead of trying to stop nature, parents should be respectful of the weapon, and teach gun safety. I'm not saying all parents have to take their sons to a range like I plan to, but parents should have their kids taught gun safety.
You can hide them from guns all you want, but it is one of our rights to have them, they are every where.
Teach safety in case they come across one instead of trying to stop them from their own natural curiosity.
So I went, I said I feel great, asked if I had to keep coming, he said yes.
Grr.
He said a doctors script is an order, not a negotiation.
Grr.
So it looks like I'll be going, every other day, weekends off, till it's done in about a month and a half.
Bummer.
__________
I called the teens who were home by then, to ask if they wanted some Wendy's burgers. Of course, so i told them to have all their crap picked up before I walked in the door.
They did, and now we're watching Casino Royale
I'll let you know how it is.
Later days.
It's time for PT at 1:45, and here I am sill sitting, not showered.
I am going today, but I think I'm going to tell him this is the last time.
My shoulder feels great, and it's driving me bonkers to have to go.
I'm still half tempted right now to call them up and say I'm not going and won't be back.
But I won't, I'll go today.
Much to my anger and disgust over the whole situation.
See, I have things to do here today that didn't get done yesterday, and something else came up that is going to bother my OCD something fierce until I fix it.
Totally logical excuse not go go!
Right?
Right.
Just agree with me.
Ok, maybe if there's absolutely nothing else on.
I *heart* Netflix.
But anyway, I don't watch it, I don't enjoy it, I don't understand the obsession with this show.
I read blogs of lots of people who are obsessed with the show though.
I know that on nights the show is on, I am going to be barraged in my feed reader, by every one doing their own Randy, Paula, and Simon impersonations, posting as the show goes along, about what the singers are wearing, how they danced, if the were good or bad etc.
And of course this years contestant, Sanjaya, who every one just loves to pick on.
I have known about Vote For The Worst since the first season when it sprung up, and I get a giggle out of what they do, but this morning, as I was reading their show recap for this week, I nearly spit my re-heated General Tso's and fried rice all over my monitor.
Speaking about Melinda Doolittle, this is what they had to say;
Melinda Doolittle wants to break out into I’ve Got No Neck… I mean Rhythm. Tony Bennett calls her the best singer all day and Melinda pulls the “OH MY GOD, I’VE NEVER HEARD A COMPLIMENT IN MY LIFE” wide eyed stare bullshit again. Her singing this week is good, as always, and it’s actually semi-interesting compared to her normal borefests. Simon thinks he’ll never be able to criticize Melinda for anything, ever. Here, Simon, I’ll help. Melinda, you have a terrible sense of fashion, you have no neck, when you act like you’ve never heard a compliment before I want to strangle you, and you sort of resemble Shrek. See, that wasn’t that hard. Melinda may be a great singer, but you can definitely insult her if you try!
Today is Christine's birthday! So please do go wish her a happy one.
Christine and I have known each other through blogging for years now, truly one of my better on line friends.
We know so much about each other, and almost got to meet when I went up to Maine. But I ended up feeling completely worn out on the day we were going to get together, and her husband Mike, ended up in the hospital.
We will do it though the next time I am up there!
Christine makes hand made cards and loves to stamp book craft. She always sends the most gorgeous cards out to me, truly personalized.
There's nothing nicer, more memorable, than getting a card that was made just for you.
When I came home from the hospital last February, I had a stack of mail waiting, bills mostly, (Oh joy) and cards from friends and relatives wishing me a speedy recovery, and her card was in the pile.
It was just for me, beautiful, and I loved it.
I have saved every single card she has ever made for me and sent.
I have them all in a box in my room. They are pieces of art, I can't throw them out like you would do with any store bought card after the event has passed, I keep each and every one of them.
Sebastian loves looking at them too, all the details she puts into them.
He gets excited when he sees an envelope come in the mail.
"Christine mail! Christine mail! Open this first!"
In the past few months, two of Christine's most fave kitties, (not that she doesn't love all her cats) passed away, and it broke our hearts as well as hers. The boys and I were so upset, and know how she felt. Mark cried the most knowing how it is to lose cats himself, and we had gotten so used to seeing them over the years on her blog and on the home made cards. Squeaker was famous, and on several of the cards she made for us.
She loves the Boston Red Sox and baseball in general, micro brewed beers, cooking, watching people cook. I bet she has like a million cookbooks, she's always watching Alton Brown and others.
They (her and her hubby) are supposed to be going away this weekend for a baseball game and one of their fave bed and breakfasts to stay at, and she posted she hoped she wasn't getting sick yesterday.
It's her birthday weekend! No getting sick!
Go wish her a happy birthday and tell her no sickies are allowed on birthday weekends.
Oh, I hope the Brown truck actually shows up at her house today. She says they actually do ok in her deliveries, mine suck, but they need to be on time today. It's her birthday after all!
I was tired, starting to get dopey, but it was only about 9pm, the boys were still up, so I couldn't go to bed yet.
Then as they were going to bed, I sorta woke up again.
Blah pooey.
I'm going to force myself to go to bed, I have to. Even if it means laying there all night staring at the ceiling.
___________________
I had read Shadowscope's feed earlier on the Westboro Baptist Church, sorry I didn't leave a comment Richard, I got all wrapped up watching that very disturbing family.
All 7 videos uploaded.
That family sickens me. They think they are being courteous and kind, warning people that they will be going to hell, but honestly, that makes you feel sick in the pit of your stomach, and turns non-believers, and even some believers, further away from a god. People don't want to be associated with that kind of Christianity.
I felt sorry for the children though, horrible for them.
They are raised in that life, never knowing any other way unless they leave the family. If they do that, they are never allowed back, disowned.
But the small children, 6-7 years old, being forced to hold up signs that say "fag troops", and not even knowing what it means.
Having to stand around and picket at funerals of dead soldiers, and on street corners, condemning people to hell, and having things thrown at their heads from moving cars, all because their parents are fanatics.
I'm not saying the people in cars throwing things are right by any means, they are not.
But the parents, who admit they are the most hated family in America, are putting their children at risk, in harm's way, just to say they are right and every one else is wrong.
And the daughters, the teenage daughters, who go to public school and are ridiculed, have no friends, have just accepted that they will never have a boyfriend or get married, because every one hates their family, it's just terribly sad.
You can see it when the BBC interviewer talks to them, that it bothers them, that they will never know love, never be or have a normal life.
They quickly hush him, nervously laugh, they don't want to discuss it.
The videos are an interesting look into the families lives, and worth watching if you have some spare time. The 7 youtube clips, average about 9 minutes each.
I did a lot, but at the same time, barely felt like I got anything at all done.
I'm a total zombie, I do know that much.
I have like this haze in front of my eyes, I'm all 'glossy', doing anything feels like I'm moving in slow motion, or just woken up after a 3 day bender.
Ya know that feeling?
I'm so out of it, I just ordered food for dinner. I couldn't even remember what we had ordered till it got here.
Chinese. Ah yeah, that's what it was.
I'm hoping that once I hit my bed tonight, that I just pass out and don't wake up till I'm well rested.
Bright eyed and bushy-tailed, as my mom would say.
The boys have been so super awesome, being really quiet, listening to me ramble on and on about stuff I can't even recall 5 minutes later.
It's been a really long, strange day.
Once I get my wits about me, probably in the morning, I have a line of code to remove from my /head tags.
I need to remember what the hell is looks like first, before I can take it out.
It's simply not worth having it in there, if it's going to slow down my site, or make it completely inaccessible, like it was for many hours over night and this morning.
I can always put it back when I need to.
Ok, off to attempt to catch up with every one.
Gonna be punch drunk? Hahaa!
I'm freaking wired again.
Haven't slept, been busy with stuff all day.
The teens came home and asked if I slept yet.
Nope.
They were totally awesome and did their chores, homework, and now they are playing video games.
It's been an interesting day around here.
Ok, off to do other stuff.
Later days.
For many, many hours, last night and most of the morning, my site was inaccessible due to code placed here from another site.
When a server crashed, it basically took all the blogs with it, down the drain hole as well.
I posted how upset I was, and rightly so. Their code, took down my entire site for hours and hours.
They deleted it.
Hrmph.
Here's my opinion.
Hire over night dev workers so in the event this happens again, you'll have a jump on it.
Make sure your servers can handle the large amount of users who will be trying to get to your latest deployment.
It's been one error after another for weeks, heck months, and you wonder why you can't drum up enthusiasm for your upcoming event.
This has gone beyond ridiculous.
Great day for a deployment huh?
Still up! LOL W00t!
hahahah! Man, is it ever gonna be a long freaking day.
If you Digg, would you mind terribly digging this?
I got Dugg! It's kinda cool, my first digg, how awesome.
Thanks in advance!
*mwah*
I'm still up, the teens are up and getting ready for school right now.
I have a lot to do today, so maybe I'll sleep later.
I feel great too, I'm not tired, my back and shoulder are not bothering me today, things are good.
How about you?
Did you wake up feeling good?
What's your day gonna be like?
I know you have read me talk about the limited choices here for phone and cable, well now there just might be something we can do about it.
One of my latest Blogad avertisers, (check my sidebar for graphical sponsors) is a site called, TV4us: We want TV Choice.
The Florida State Senate is considering the Consumer Choice Act (SB 998) which, if enacted, will save Floridians money by offering choice in television service.
More than a decade after federal laws were changed to give consumers more options for television service, only four percent of U.S. households have more than one choice for their wired video service.
Hahahah! It amuses me greatly when I get like this, can't shut off, hyper as an ADHD kid after eating 5 candy bars.
I am actually having fun, amusing myself this morning.
look really good for Las Vegas real estate.
Have you seen the prices of home out there? They are actually very reasonable.
I know quite a few people out that way who own property and/or Las Vegas homes, and either have plans to build on the property, or rent out their homes, and buy another.
I know Jules lives out that way, not sure if she owns or rents her home, I also know Krix lives out there. I know a ton of people who live there and some who have gone there for vacations, and have come back raving about how nice it is to be there and they hated having to leave.
Most of them tell me how much they want to move there and buy their own home or condo.
I actually know a guy named Tom who lives in one, and rents two other Las Vegas high rise condos, and has plans to buy a few homes.
That's how cheap they are right now.
He told me the prices of existing homes, are so low, that he's considering buying a few to flip, and the prices for new homes, are just perfect for building custom homes and selling them.
He said there's high demand for the area, so he's going to take advantage of it.
It makes me wish I had my settlement money.
I'm really not sure anymore if I want to stay here in the Florida area, or go somewhere else.
Sure it would be a really big change, but so was moving here.
I survived that, I could survive another move.
The teens said none of the teachers felt like doing any work either, so it was basically a free day at school.
Lucky for the boys, they were dead exhausted.
Tonight, they couldn't wait to crawl in to bed.
It's quiet, I have the run of the house, and wide awake.
lalalalalalala
It's almost 11pm and here I am, once again, wide freaking awake.
It's gonna be a long night, but my insomnia just might pay off for me.
Heh ehehe.
If it does, I'll let y'all know. *wink*
______________________
After I canceled my PT appointment, I immediately felt better.
All that anger passed, and I was able to get done everything I needed to, get some light housework done, (laundry) made all my other important calls, and even goofed off for a few hours.
I think I just needed to blow it off for mental health reasons.
_________________
Please Digg this post.
Thank you.
Let's see, when was that? I think it was back in 1996, I was dating this guy for quite a long time, almost 2 years. He had family in upstate New York, and we'd often take trips there to visit them, with the boys in tow.
We spent a Thanksgiving with his grandparents in Plattsburg one year. They owned a huge farm, and an even bigger farmhouse.
The boys loved it because they had horses and could go riding. Ok, Mark could go riding with my boyfriend, Sebastian was still just too small.
But anyway, the following spring, he surprised me with a weekend trip to stay in a really lovely New York Bed and Breakfast in Albany.
He arranged a sitter for the weekend with his dad and step-mom, and just the two of us went from late Thursday night, to Sunday night.
It was so nice that time of year. Not too cold, not hot.
I'd love to go back up there again sometime.
Both Sebastian and I sat down with the Sims around 6:40.
Look at the time!
It's amazing how much time can whip past you when playing that game hahahah
I already got tagged for this in the morning, but Cass tagged me a second time, so here ya go, a list of 5 more things I am obsessed with.
I'm only doing this because it's you Cass, anyone else can go jump in a lake.
1. TOOL
2. Sims
3. Horror movies
4. Counting things as I put them away.
5. Growing my nails long.
And I don't have a list of people to tag, so I'll tag Shell.
and I promised Sebastian he could play with his Sims after school today.
That's his Kennedy family. Leon and Diana. The attempting husband stealing slore.
He doesn't play very long, usually ends up asking me to decorate their house for him, because left to his own ideas on a house, they up up with neon pink walls and bright green rugs, no toilets or stoves.
His Sims end up in bad moods, peeing all over the house and starving to death.
He did do one house really cool once. His Sim people loved it, whenever any of their Sim friends stopped by, every one's moods increased and then his Sims got good points and bonus money for having successful parties and stuff.
So I'll be off line for probably an hour, that's about as long as he plays.
That's ok though, I have to run to the store anyway.
Later days.
There are so many different diet pills and patches on the market now, which one is the best, produces the best results, has the least amount of side effects?
The Diet Awareness Institute, has narrowed down what they feel is the absolute best one on their Diet review page of their site.
It has no ephedra, which has been banned, but does have Guarana and Bitter Orange, which helps boost metabolism and suppress hunger.
With swimsuit season fast approaching, everybody is looking to lose weight fast and easy.
They've given it their number one rating, and they also have plenty of consumer reviews of the product.
Their own Viagra that is.
I was just scanning the news on Google, and came across an article that said there was a plant that British researchers have discovered has the exact same effects as the potent drug used mainly for erectile dysfunction and to improve sexual performance.
The plant is winter-flowering heather, and botanists have recognized the source of its active ingredient.
They expect it to be the next must have plant in British gardens.
That's kinda funny.
There's gonna be all these Brits, growing winter flowering heather, and then trying to extract the potent drug from it.
I expect there to be lots of accidents involved.
I just called and canceled my PT appointment.
I know, bad.
I just really started getting agitated at the mere thought of having to go today.
Like pissed agitated.
A simple 45 minute appointment in the middle of the day, takes me 2 hours.
The ride there, about 10 minutes, waiting for my neighbor to come back and get me, about 20 minutes because she's disabled herself and needs to get herself moving again, the traffic because it's season down here, can take a long frigging time to get through.
It's like this freaking huge hassle, and the more I thought about going today, the angrier I got.
I'm not in a bad mood, just a frustrated mood.
I'm just frustrated with all of it. I'm tired of doctors and PT, meds, keeping track of levels of pain.
"What's your pain scale today?"
It fucking hurts! How's that!
I don't actually say that, I think that, I answer them on a 1-10 scale, politely, but man, I'm just so over it.
Maybe Wednesday's appointment will be a better non-frustrated day.
I'm over it.
I don't want to go to PT anymore.
I have work to do here. Every hour that I am not here, I am not working.
I have a ton of comments to reply to, I have actual assignments that need to be done.
Not being here is lost money.
And I also know that at the end of it all, I'm going to end up with a huge bill that I won't be able to pay because, wait for it, I'm not working!
And my shoulder actually does feel better today. Maybe he fixed it already, maybe it's just a good day, but whatever.
I don't want to fucking go anymore.
The rules are to list five things that are my obsessions, then tag five other people and challenge them to do the same.
Ann tagged me for this one, so here it goes, and not necessarily in this order:
1. Music
2. Movies
3. Computer stuffs
4. My kids, they rule.
5. My unwavering non-faith.
Now, I'm tagging some people, if they play cool, if they don't that's cool too.
Belle
Latte girl
Mindy
Christine
Brandi
Are you a work at home mom? Want to join a new weekly question meme that is just for work at home moms?
Then check out WAHM, and join up!
This weeks QOTW is:
Do you do any spring cleaning, or anything to get ready for the warmer weather?
Well it's always warm here, so no, not in the sense of packing up the winter gear and digging out the summer clothes. We wear shorts year round.
But we do spring cleaning. Throw away old broken stuff, the teens clean out their clothes for items that don't fit anymore, and if they are in good shape, we donate them to the Salvation Army shelter.
Basic spring cleaning like, dust everywhere, get rid of cobwebs, move furniture and vac under the couches, wash all the drapery and stuff like that.
I was right in the middle of this truly bizarre dream about vampires and tattoos, when the phone rang at 9am.
I scrambled to get my wits about me, whip off the covers, try not to fall on my way out of my room due to a cat or two, sleeping right where I need to walk, on the cold terrazzo floor of the hallway.
I grabbed the phone to hear a woman's voice ask if I was me.
I said yes, how can I help you?
Then an automated message played.
*grrr*
I hung up.
I don't care who it was from, what they were selling or needed money for, that is some serious bullshit.
The voice asking if I was me, sounded like a real person. Maybe it was. Maybe that's how they are doing things now.
Get real people to actually make the call, then have them switch over to the automated message.
Maybe companies realized most people just hung up, or were abusive to telemarketers in general, so they found a way to spare them from being verbally chewed out.
It's more annoying this way.
Much more annoying.
And it takes away all my fun of screaming into the phone.
I am up late as usual, and there's some show on right now and the host just ate a huge, awesome looking steak.
Now I want steak. I know it's almost 1am, but I want steak and I want it now.
It just looked so good in all it's medium-rare goodness.
Perfectly cooked on the outside with just the right amount of seasonings, pink in the middle, juicy.
Omgd yum!
It's my fault too.
I'm far too lenient with the teens on weekends and vacations, when it comes to bedtime.
Friday and Saturday nights, I let them stay up till they pass out.
School vacations? I let them stay up till they pass out.
I did wake them up much earlier today, then any day during this past week of spring break.
All week, I allowed them to sleep until they got up on their own.
If that meant noon, or 2pm, even 3pm, then so be it.
It was less time during my busy day, that they would be playing video games and arguing.
But tonight, after a whole week of staying up all night and sleeping all day, they are not tired.
Like I said, I woke them up early. They were nudged and prodded starting at 9am, until they were finally awake and showered by 10:30am.
But just like me and my insomnia issues, your body gets used to that kind of schedule.
It's gonna be hell in the morning waking up them up at 5:45am.
Their first day back at school is going to suck.
I do feel bad, but it was vacation.
They aren't little kids any more, they should be allowed to stay up late, have friends stay over, sleep all day.
I'm getting the air horn ready for the morning.
Belle blew up to gargantuan size proportions during her pregnancy.
All she wanted to do was sleep, eat, and pee.
She also cried. A lot.
Darren completely loved her being pregnant, and couldn't wait for the baby. He was a bit on the annoying side though, always rubbing and talking to her belly.
She just wanted to be left alone for the most part.
Finally, the big moment arrived just as she was getting herself a midnight snack of cookies and orange juice.
Bitch totally got her figure right back too. How unfair is that?
Darren insisted on the name Delia for their new baby girl. He even gets up to feed and change her all the time.
Let's hope he doesn't get over that new baby smell, and keeps this kind of daddy attention up all through potty training.
Derrek likes his new baby sister, but is so completely swamped with school work, he has little time to interact with anyone in the family.
He's trying really hard to get good enough grades to get into a prestigious private school.
Finally got a look at the new couple who moved in.
They are Sam and Renata Hunter.
A few of their neighbors stopped over to greet them. Belle, and Leon and Diana Kennedy.
There might be some trouble for these newlyweds.
Diana's eyes lit up, and her heart went pitter patter the second she saw Sam.
Renata took notice of that and will be keeping a close eye on the tramp.
And just to make sure Diana knows Sam is spoken for, Renata made a very public show of affection for her man.
Will Derrek make the grades?
Will Darren stay a loving devoted dad?
Will Diana make a move on newly wedded Sam?
Will Renata have to kick her ass?
Stay tuned to Sims of our lives.
I think I'm going to make a cake today, play with my sims some more, just goof off today.
Not much is going on on line anyway, it's really slow.
I checked my feed reader about 10 minutes ago, and only 20 people had posted since 2am.
Slow.
I don't want to just mindlessly surf all day, so I'll do fun stuff.
Be back later on.
But I feel like my head is spinning. Anybody know any good hangover cures?
I'm sure it's not a hangover, I only had 1 drink, honest. I had 1 Smirnoff ice Twisted Arctic Berry, which was pretty tasty I must say. I just didn't feel like drinking a lot yesterday. But this morning, my head is spinning, weird huh? I hope this doesn't mean another sick spell is coming on, but at least if it does, I can take that final test.
Man, this is going to be a really long day on line.
Every body has some sort of April's fools joke posted.
It is going to be a long day of deciphering real posts from jokes.
I like jokes, just not April Fool's jokes.
And I'm tired.
L. Diane Wolfe
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