My Single Mom Life

I want to thank you all for your words of support and encouragement, it really means a lot to me, and I am sorry if I am unable to personally respond to each and every one of your comments, there are just far too many of them.
Do not get me wrong, I LOVE all of your comments, they really do mean so much, it is awesome to know that I have so much support from so many people during all of this.

I got tired of crying and decided to do something to keep myself busy, so I went and looked up how to make my own ringtones for my cell phone because A) I could not find any on the Virgin Mobile site that I liked, and B) they are just too expensive when you start adding them up.
I found a great site to make ringtones that really works awesome, so if you want to make your own for your cell phone, just go to this site.
It is fast, easy, and there are no harmful things on the site or when you download your newly made ringtone.

Then I needed a way to get them to my phone.
I don't have the USB cable or a micro SD card to use to store and transfer them from my pc to my phone.

They are on sale this week for really good prices, so maybe when I get paid this week after I pay some stuff, I'll pick those up so that I can transfer whole songs to the phone so that I can listen to music on it using the media player it comes with.

But I did find a way to do it.
I needed to download and install Opera Mini 5, and I tried upgrading Opera Mini 4.2, but it wouldn't do it, so I deleted 4.2 and then tried to install 5 for like 2 hours but I kept getting the message "Access Denied" when I went to the site www.m.opera.com, m.opera.com, I even tried the link for Virgin Mobile phones specifically, opera.mini.com/virgin, no matter how I tried it, I was denied.
So I did a search on Google and found that I needed to type in to my phones default web browser, mini.opera.com, and it will download.
The file size on mini.opera.com is like 1kb bigger than the others, so maybe that's why it works, who knows.

Then once you get Opera Mini 5, you need to make your ringtone, then if you have gmail, attach the ringtone file to an email and email it to a yahoo mail account, so if you don't have one of those, get one, they are free.
Then open up Opera on your phone, go to your yahoo email account, click on the email with the ringtone, (hopefully you labled it by putting something in the subject line) then click on the attachment, then click on the box shaped icon that appears, and then in the lower left of your Opera browser, you will see that it says "save".
Click that and it will download the ringtone to your phone, to the ringtones folder.
It will not be labeled the title you gave your ringtone, but instead, it will just say "securedownload" as the ringtone filename, but it's there and it will work.
I have now made two ringtones and emailed them to my phone.
I am way happy that I figured it out, I supposes that sometimes it helps to have OCD, it makes me complete every single thing that I start no matter how frustrating it was to keep seeing that "Access Denied" message.

Posted by Kat at 3:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I have to be really careful how I word this post, I know that other people read my blog and I don't want to be misunderstood in any way.

First, he will not be coming home early, he will be staying until July 18th as originally planned.
I know that staying there is what he needs to do, he needs to have this experience, it's a huge part of growing up for him, I've accepted this trip and what is happening in my head and heart.
He's learning who his father is, he's met all of his half-siblings, he's learning who they are, and in turn, he's learning a good deal about who he is too.
Now onto other things which I am upset about, but I love him and only want him to be happy.
Whatever my sons want in their lives that will make them happy, is what I want for them.
It's all that I have ever wanted for them, all I will ever want for them.

Sebastian called me this afternoon, his voice sounded heavy so I asked if he was still upset about what happened on Tuesday night, he said yes, that he was very, very sorry, but he had a lot on his mind too, a lot to think about.
I asked about what, I reminded him that he can always talk to me, that no matter what, I am always open to hear whatever he has to say.
He said that his family on his dad's side have all been really great, they love having him there, they are so happy that he's there visiting.
They have also been talking to him about living there, they want him to come live there for his last year of school.
I knew it was going to happen, I even talked about it with friends, I just knew.
Great-Gram who is very old, she always says to the boys when we go up, that we get up there so very rarely, that she's afraid that she'll be dead by the time we get up there next, so of course, she wants him to come live there for a year.
His Aunt Heather also thinks it's a good idea, his half-brothers also do.
Surprisingly, it wasn't his father who had this idea or started this whole conversation, it was Great-Gram.

Sebastian said he has to think about it, weigh the pros and cons, think about the consequences of his decision.
No matter what he decides, he knows that someone will be upset.
If he decides to live there for a year, he knows that I will be sad and upset, his Aunt Jo, his brother Mark, and if he decides to come back home, everyone up there will be sad and upset, but he knows that he has to choose, that he has to make a decision, and he really needs to decide by the time he's due to come back here so that if he's going to live there for a year, his school records can be transferred, and all of the legal paperwork can be done so that someone up there will have legal custody of him.

He asked me how I would feel, and being his mom, being that I love him with every fiber of my being, and being that all I want for my sons is that they be happy, I told him that I would be very sad, that I would miss him very, very much, but if it's what he wanted, if it would really make him happy, then I would let him go.
I will support whatever decision he makes, to live there for a year, or come back home, whichever he decides, I just want him to be happy, and so if living with his half-brothers and father, getting to see Great-Gram, Aunty Heather, and Ninny and Pop-pop, (my parents) all of the time is what would really make him happy, then I would be behind his decision 100% and let him go.

He got very quiet, and asked me if I really would behave like that, if I really would let him go, no arguing, no legal fighting, and I repeated what I had just told him.
I will support whatever decision he makes 100%, to live there or here, I will let him go but miss him very much, I will be very sad, because I love him, no matter where he goes and what he does, he will always be my son, and I will always love him.
We talked for just a few more minutes, he was still very quiet, his voice very heavy with contemplation, people laying guilt at his feet isn't really fair in my opinion, telling a kid that you want him to live there because you may be dead by the next time he gets a chance to come up and visit, it just isn't fair in my opinion.
I don't think I'm wrong about that, it's just not fair or right to guilt kids into doing things, especially life changing things like living somewhere else for your last year of high school, having to go to court and tell a judge that you want to live with your father from now on, having to come back here and pack up all of his belongings, say good-bye to his brother and mother, his cat too, to the home he has lived in for the last 12 years, it's just not right to place that on a kid's shoulders.

It kills me that he may decide to live there, but I meant what I said, I will support him no matter what he chooses, I will let him go because I love him, because all I want is for him to be happy.
I will definitely miss him wanting to be tucked in every single night, rubbing his temples when he has a migraine until he falls asleep, listening to him play with his toys or sing in the shower or bathroom. I will miss him begging to buy Halloween costumes and go trick or treating even though he's far too old for it, and listening to him plead his case that people buy candy to give it away, that there's hardly any kids left in the hood anymore, so somebody should get dressed up and knock on their nicely decorated doors, that it makes the people smile to see cool costumes, it would be an injustice to not give the people what they are expecting. ha ha aha!
I will miss so many things about him, his little annoying quirks, the constant fighting between him and Mark, how he still loves to watch kid's movies all curled up on the couch with his blanket, and I will miss all of our talks as we take walks to the store and back.

I will miss so many things he does, all of the wonderful things about him, his hair, his bright blue eyes, the way that he smiles and laughs, the small brown freckle on the end of his nose, I will miss him so so much, but if it makes him happy, I will let him go.
I love him that much, I love him enough to let him go so that he will be happy.

Posted by Kat at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (49)

Amazon has put the Kindle on sale for just $189.00!
The Kindle was priced at $259.00, and it is now just $189.00, that's a savings of $70!
PLUS!!!
Amazon is offering FREE Two-Day Shipping

I normally do not put up posts like this, an 'OMG you should totally buy this' kind of post, but this is a really great price for a really great product.
Everyone that I know who owns a Kindle, absolutely loves it and raves about it.
I know a couple of people who bought a Kindle and they are major book readers, they can read two to three books per week, and almost every single time I talk to the both of them and ask what they are doing, they tell me, reading a great new book!
Both of them have said that they really don't know how they used to carry around all of the books that they would take with them everywhere now that they have a Kindle.
The difference in weight has made an impact in how they walk, and their posture has improved, they are standing up straighter, because they aren't lugging around a giant bag with two or three books in it everywhere they go anymore.
One friend said that the very first day that she had her Kindle in her bag and she wasn't carrying the usual two books that she used to carry with her every single day everywhere that she went, she kept marveling at how light her bag was now, and that's when she realized just how much extra weight she had been carrying around every single day for as long as she could remember due to her love of books.
She had a huge bag too, it was big enough to carry all of her normal purse stuff and had room for at least three hardcover books, which she preferred over paperbacks because paperbacks tend to get ripped up she said.
Once she got used to carrying just the Kindle with her, she downsized her bag and is now using a normal sized purse for the first time in years because the Kindle is so small and lightweight, and she's very happy with it, loves it, and she said the Kindle is the coolest thing that she's bought for herself in years.

I would love to get a Kindle for myself, but I have some bills to pay off by mid-August, (responsibilities first!) but if the price stays this low, (or maybe it will get even lower!) I just might have to buy myself one for Christmas.
I checked the coverage map to see how the 3G signal is in my area, and it's good, so I know I wouldn't have any problems downloading the books in the 60 seconds they say it takes.
I can't believe that the Kindle is so small, yet it can hold 1,500 books at a time, and there are now over 600,000 book titles available to download and read.
And for those of us who don't have a Kindle yet and can't get one for awhile, but we'd still like to try out the technology, we can download the free Kindle app for our pc, and they even have an iPhone Kindle app for free download too.

I think I'm going to download the free Kindle app for my computer to give it a try, and I'll be able to download books to it and read them, so why not right?
While it's downloading, I'm going to go look for a few books that I have been wanting to read for awhile....

Posted by Kat at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I just knew it, I knew that there would be problems letting Sebastian go to Maine, I knew it.
He left Sunday, it's only Tuesday night, and already there are problems.
I knew there would be, but I thought that it would take at least a week before anything happened.
I really don't want to go into it, I know that his father reads my blogs, so I will not get into it just yet.
But I will say that I am extremely disappointed in Sebastian, extremely disappointed and extremely hurt.
I didn't think that the influence would be so immediate on him, I thought that I raised him better than that.
He will be coming home earlier than planned.
I'm sorry, but I will not allow this to continue, I can't.
As soon as I have the money, I'll have it in about a week and a half, I'll be buying a ticket and he'll be coming home.
I am so hurt right now, hurt, angry, but mostly hurt.

Posted by Kat at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I posted about my friend Mindy and her family's situation a few days ago, and you can read about her situation in her own words here, and she's posted an update tonight.

We have been searching for a new place for almost a week and a half.
When I am not working or packing up the house, we are driving all over to look at the next dwelling. We have spoken with many potential prospects which have all fallen short of obtaining the keys because of one problem.
We do not have the full funds.
Every single one of the houses that we have looked at require security,first and last months rent.
We are close but still fall short.

In the state of Florida, if you are a month-to-month renter, either party, owner or renter, only has to give 15-30 days notice to vacate, and that is what happened.
Mindy, her husband Chris, son Jeff, and young daughter Katie, only have until June 30th to move out or face eviction proceedings which would end up on their credit and make finding a new home to rent even more difficult, as pretty much every single property owner down here runs credit checks before allowing new tenants to move in.
Having an eviction on your credit can ruin your chances of being able to rent a new home to live in even if the eviction was never carried out completely to the end in court.

Mindy and her family have been there for me so so many times over the last five, almost six years.
Because of my back and disability, Mindy and her husband have helped me with so many things from driving me to the hospital for my surgery, grocery shopping, installing a new AC for me, twice, cooking meals for us after my surgeries, cleaning my home after my surgeries, they've driven me to countless doctor appointments and multiple trips to the pharmacy, they've driven me to the hospital ER several times when I was extremely sick, they have done so many things to help me and my family, and they have never asked for a single thing in return from me, not ever.
They have never asked anyone for anything, they have never asked anyone for help, they are always the people helping other people who need help, and they need help this time.
Posting about their situation and asking my readers to donate just $1.00 to help them afford the required first, last, and security deposit on a new rental home, is the only way that I can help them.
Even with all that they are going through, all of the stress they are dealing with because of having to find a new home to rent and move out of that home and into the new home in just 11 days, Mindy is driving over to my house at 4:30am to drive me and Sebastian all of the way to Tampa to the airport to send Sebastian to Maine for a month to get to know his father for the first time in his life, meet all of his half-siblings, and also visit with the rest of his family (Great-Gram, Aunt Heather, Ninny and Pop-Pop) and my friend Shell and her family as well.

It always blows my mind how willing Mindy and her family are to help others.
They never say no to helping someone else in need, whenever I have needed help with anything, there they are, no hesitation, they just help.
Posting about their situation and asking my readers for help is the only way that I can think of to repay them for all of their help and kindness, because they would never accept any kind of payment for all of the help they have given me.
So please, can you donate just $1.00 to help them be able to afford the required first, last, and security deposit on a new home to rent and be able to move in just 11 days?

To help spread the word, you can copy and paste this into your Twitter and that way even more people will read my post and possibly help them reach their goal.

Can you spare just $1.00 to help a blogger & her family not be homeless in 11 days? Thank you!! http://tinyurl.com/2duwdrv

Thank you.

Posted by Kat at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yesterday, Friday, I had a couple of things to do to get ready for Sebastian to go on his trip to Maine for a month, and a friend was supposed to take me so that I didn't have to walk everywhere that I needed to go.
I needed to go get the grocery shopping done, and I needed to go down to the credit union and get a letter notarized giving Shell and her husband Ray, temporary medical guardianship of Sebastian.
He's going to be in Maine from Sunday June 20th, until Sunday July 18th, and if he gets hurt, (oh please no) I want Shell and Ray to be the ones who make any medical decisions for him, they can legally sign for medical treatment of him, and no one else.
But because said friend never showed up yet kept saying they were on their way in 30 minutes all day long, absolutely nothing at all got done.
All day long they had excuses, but they kept telling me they were on the way, for me to stay here, wait, they were definitely coming, so I waited, wasted my whole day.
I didn't get the grocery shopping done, and I never made it to the credit union to get the temporary medical guardianship notarized.

I know that going to those two places doesn't sound like a lot to do, but it actually is because of how much time each thing takes me to get done, especially when I'm distracted and stressed out.
I usually do not go grocery shopping with any friends because friends like to talk while I'm trying to shop.
I have a list in my head, I know each aisle, I know exactly what I need, where it is, and how much it's all going to cost, (Hello? OCD much?) but when I'm with a chatty friend, I lose my place on my mental grocery list and end up forgetting to buy at least a dozen or more items which aggravates me to no end when I get home and realize that I don't have a much needed item to make dinner with because it means that I have to go back to the store.
*breathe*
So for today's outing, knowing that I was going to be with a friend who likes to talk and talk and talk, I wrote out a real list, had my coupons ready, I was ready to go and get it all done as fast as possible without being distracted and stressed out.

Why didn't my friend show up?
I'll tell you why.
She was supposed to be here at 11am, but she said that it was just one thing after another, the dogs needed to go out, the pool needed to be cleaned, the counters were dirty, the dryer stopped and she didn't want things to get wrinkled, she was considering going to North Carolina where her mother lives, where she grew up, because she needs to go see her Charlotte dentist that's been treating her since she was five, and then her and her "old man" got into an argument and she was pissed off and thinking about packing up and just moving back in with her mother in North Carolina, and "OMG Kat! He's driving me nuts! But Kat! I'm on the way! just give me 30 more minutes! I am on the way! I will be there!!"
So I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
I really should have just gone, said screw it, and just walked everywhere that I needed to go, got it all done with because now I'm even more stressed out than I already was.
This trip he's taking has me wicked stressed out and worried.
I'm nervous about him flying alone, nervous about him being alone for the layover in New Jersey, nervous he's gonna wait at the wrong gate and miss his flight and be stuck in New Jersey, all kinds of things that a mother worries about when sending her child off alone for the first time.

Just being told over and over that she was on the way in 30 minutes, to stay here and wait, put me in stress overdrive all day long as I watched the hours ticked away.
It just amplified the stress that I was already overloaded with.
See, when I tell someone that I will be somewhere in 30 minutes, I WILL be there in 30 minutes, probably even there in under 30 minutes, because I hate to wait for people, so I don't ever make people wait for me.
Ever.
When someone tells me that they are on the way to get me, I am ready to go.
I have my shoes on, purse by my side, and the blinds open so I can see them pull in the driveway, and as soon as they do, I'm up and closing the blinds and out the door before they even put the car in park.

I did did call another friend to take me to the store to just get the teens something to eat for dinner.
I ran into Publix and grabbed two subs as fast as they could make them, and then came back home thanking my other friend profusely while I was on the verge of tears the whole time, and so now, I have to go do the full grocery shopping today.
It's gonna suck.
Saturday grocery shopping sucks because it's always super busy with people who can't do their shopping during the week due to their work schedules, and tons of old gray hairs whacking me in the butt with their carts.
Then on Monday, I have to go to the credit union and get the temporary medical guardianship notarized, and then stick it and his insurance card in the mail for Shell.
He was going to have the letter and insurance card on him, in his backpack or suitcase, and just give it to Shell when he sees her, or she could go and pick it up at his father's house so it doesn't get lost or anything, but now I have to mail it and just hope he doesn't get injured between the time I mail it and it gets there because Shell and her husband are the only people that I want making medical decisions for him.
I know that Shell knows CPR and other first aid stuff, I know she knows what to do in the event of a broken bone, excessive bleeding, etc etc, plus I know that if he does get hurt and has to be treated, that Shell will call me and keep me informed every step of the way, and ask me what kind of treatment I want him to have.
I didn't want to burden my parents with that duty, they have their own health issues to deal with, and his father doesn't know any of his allergies or other medical history, Shell does, I know that she can answer almost any medical question about him because we practically raised our kids together when I lived there, and even after moving here, I still told my best friend everything about the teens as they grew up.
I know, I sound totally overbearing and that was a massive run-on sentence, but he's my baby, I'm nervous and worried about him, he's never been away from me for this long, ever, he sticks to me like glue, he's my boy, where I go, he goes, so yeah, I'm really super stressed out about this whole trip.
I don't want to be, I want to not feel this way, but I can't help it, I cannot stop feeling like this, I want him to go and have a great time, but I am going to be a nervous wreck the entire month that he's gone.
And I hate it.

Posted by Kat at 5:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sebastian really is going to Maine, he leaves on Sunday morning, Mindy is driving us to the airport so that I can check him in at the desk.
I can't believe that he's really going to go, I'm sad, nervous, scared, and I'm worried about him flying by himself.
We've started getting his clothes ready to pack up, and on Saturday, I'm going to wash all of the clothes that he's taking, dry them, and pack them up in the suitcase as soon as they come out of the dryer so that everything is really clean and fresh.
He's picked out all of his fave shirts, his super cool urban clothing that he's accumulated over the year, you know, all the "cool" t-shirts that the kids are wearing these days, and he's wanting to take my shirt that I won from Jenn.
He loves that shirt and every single time that I wash it, he gets it out of the dryer and puts it on before I even get a chance to see it, never mind actually wear my own shirt.

I just really can't believe that he's going.
I'm so nervous about him flying by himself, and he's going to an airport that I've never flown through, so I'm really nervous about that.
He has an almost 2 hour layover in Newark New Jersey.
Yeah, totally nervous about that, but we've gone over what he needs to do about a million times, I make him repeat it all back to me so that I know that it's sunk in his head.
I just can't believe that he's going, my baby, he's all grown up and going to fly by himself.
I am going to be so totally nervous and worried all day Sunday until I know that he's safely landed in Maine and with family members, I'm going to be a freaking wreck, I know it.
I asked him to make sure that he calls me on his layover, and then again when he lands in Maine, and then again when they pick him up at the airport.
I know, I sound like an overbearing, overprotective mother, but neither of the teens have ever flown alone, so yeah, I'm like way nervous and scared, I just don't want anything bad to happen to him, and I am so not going to be able to relax until I know that he's safely with his father and half-siblings.
Ack!
I'm a wreck already!

Posted by Kat at 2:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First, I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but this is a very serious product review of a medical device that claims it can completely relieve pain, "remind the body to heal itself", and strengthen the body's immunity, and many, many other medical claims

Second, I am in NO WAY affiliated with Amega Global.
I am NOT an Amega Global distributor.
I DO NOT sell the Amega Amwand, the Amega pendants, or any of the many other Amega products.
PLEASE STOP emailing me asking to sell you these products or asking me for more information, like the research from an independent third party study.
To my knowledge, and I have searched and searched and found none, there has NOT been an independent third party study done, or if it has been done, the results of that study have not been made publicly available on PubMed.gov or anywhere else.

PLEASE, I cannot help you get the information you are looking for.
I've tried and tried myself, and gotten nowhere.
This company, Amega Global, most certainly knows how to keep a secret concerning the results of any independent studies that may or may not have been done, but by the looks and sounds of it, absolutely NO independent studies have been done, Amega Global has not volunteered to allow any of their products to be independently studied and the results publicly published.

About two months ago, I was contacted by a woman named Cheryl who said she had an amazing product that would help me, help me with my back pain, blood pressure, all kinds of things, and she would love it if I would try it out and review it on my blogs.
I agreed to test it out and I have been using it as she told me to ever since receiving it in the mail.
It's called the Amega Amwand, and it claims to use "zero point energy" to help the body heal itself.
I HATE giving these people a link, but I feel that I need to so that people WILL NOT fall for this scam, I need to warn people that this thing is a total scam and costs hundreds of dollars ($304.00) to buy, and all it is is the body of a ball point pen minus the ink and ink chamber.

Click the image below to make it bigger so that you can see a screen capture of the checkout cart for the price of the Amega Amwand, and read the actual product description which says the following, and I quote:
"A futuristic tool that is made up of special combination of granulated materials processed using our proprietary Amized Fusion Technology."

It is one solid piece of metal shaped like a pen, it looks exactly like the image above.
You can pretty much tell that this thing is a scam by the url of the website where they sell it.
The url to purchase this thing has the words "CASHRICHES" in it!
Another of their sites is just one big page all about positioning yourself to get in on this amazing money making scheme!

Cheryl told me that in order to get the most benefits from it, to use it properly, all that I needed to do was to simply "wave" the Amwand over my body, the areas that are in pain, in a clockwise circular motion for 30 minutes, 5 times per day.
"It's vital" she said.
She even told me to "wand" my son Mark with it as well because he is having bad back pain too.
Mark laughed at the idea, but he let me use it on him for the entire two months that I've had it and have been testing it out.
Below are the claims that this "wand" can supposedly do to help people.

Usage of AmWand Can:

* Discharge blockages in the body
* Clear distortions in our bio energetic field
* Facilitate the body in healing
* Energize food and drink increasing potency of the minerals & vitamins within them
* Use it on our pets and plants to supplement any energy deficiencies that they have
* Balance and energize imbalances your body may be experiencing
* Help to remove aches, pains and other discomforts
* Lift the face...tightens the skin
* Energize our environment in which we live

Amega AmWand Benefits Can:

* Help the body obtain homeostasis condition
* Help the body's bio-energetic field to source Zero Point Energy
* Relieve aches and pain
* Neutralize harmful elements (energetically) from the liquid we drink, & food we eat
* Energize the skin providing a "face lift" with noticeable improvement
* Energize creams and oils for better absorption of nutrients
* Facilitate and strengthen the flow of energy in our body
* Stimulate bodily functions and strengthens immunity
* Help the body to look and feel younger

You also can have quicker and stronger nail and hair growth, and a greater resistance to tooth decay that is visibly seen. The lifting of the face with noticeable improvement has also brought forth an additional and extremely high interest.

When water is treated with the Zero Point Energy Wand and then used in conjunction with any supplements, they can be absorbed much more quickly and efficiently, and effectively by the body's cells.

I have used the Amega Amwand every single day, five times per day for 30 minutes each session as I was told to do.
I even "wanded" my water with it as I was told to do.
I am here to tell you that the Amega Amwand did absolutely nothing at all for me.
It did not relieve any aches, pains, or other discomforts, it has not helped reduce my blood pressure, and I saw no noticeable improvement in my hair, nails, or face.
It has not helped me to look or feel younger.
It has not helped or strengthened my immunity, as a matter of fact, I've been really sick several times during the last 2 months, and it did not help me get better faster, or at all.
It did not do a single thing that it claims it can do.
The Amega Amwand is a total scam and I feel the need to tell people the truth before they fall for this scam and waste hundreds of dollars on it.

Every day, millions of people live in pain and are desperate to be free from that pain, and would take any kind of supplement or other types of self care items to try and relieve that pain.
If you live with chronic pain or know someone who lives with chronic pain, then you know how desperate you can feel to get any kind of relief, and there are very unscrupulous people and companies out there who know that desperation and are ready and poised to take full advantage of those people who live in pain.
There are thousands of products on the market already that make thousands of claims that their product can help you be free from pain, and people buy them because they are so desperate.
This product, the Amega Amwand, is one of those products that claims so many amazing things that it can do for you, but it does absolutely nothing.
NOTHING.

The existence of zero point energy is not controversial although the ability to harness it is.
No device claimed to operate using zero point energy has been demonstrated to operate as claimed. No plausible description of a device drawing useful power from a source of zero point energy has been given. Thus, current claims to zero point energy-based power generation systems currently have the status of pseudoscience.
That means that this Amega Amwand is a total scam.
It is pseudoscience, fake, not what it claims to be.

Energy healers:

Many energy healers assert significance of zero-point energy in the rationale for practices such as reiki. Physicists and physicians consider such claims to be pseudoscience: at best based on a complete misunderstanding of physics, biology, and medical science and at worst self-serving, fraudulent business practices.

Amega Global makes all kinds of products that claim to use zero point energy to help the body heal itself.
They make the Amwand for $304.00, the AmPendant in silver for $394.00, another AmPendant in Rose Gold for $404.00, and another AmPendant in bronze for $409.00.
They also make "food" that ranges in price from $52.00 up to $270.00.

They make all kinds of other products that claim to use this zero point energy, and they are selling them to people that are desperate to be free from pain, there are testimonials out there that claim this thing really works, but I can tell you after testing it on both myself and Mark for almost two full months, that it DOES NOT work.
I really feel the need to warn people about this new self care, help the body heal itself, scam.
I do not want to see anyone at all fall for this, and that's why I have used the name of it, Amega Amwand, as many times as possible so that it will get indexed in Google and other search engines, and be in the search results for it so that people will find this post (cross posted to KatScan as well) and learn that it is a total scam.
I feel very strongly the need to warn people so that they do not fall for this scam and waste hundreds of dollars on any of these Amega Global products that will do absolutely nothing for them except remove hundreds of dollars from their bank accounts.

Please, if you or someone that you know suffers from chronic pain and have either been told about the Amega Amwand, or they read about it, and are thinking of buying the Amega Amwand, please, direct them to this post.
I would not ever lie to my readers, this product, the Amega Amwand, is a total scam, it does not work as it claims to.
I tried and tested the product 5 times per day for 30 minutes each time, for two months, and saw no noticeable improvement in pain relief or energy, or any signs of looking and feeling younger either.
The Amega Amwand is a total scam.

Back when I first received the Amega Amwand, I brought it with me to one of my pain management appointments so that I could get my doctor's opinion of it.
I took it out the box and explained to him what the distributor Cheryl was selling to people at a cost of $304.00 and a promise that it could heal people's ailments and completely relieve pain.
He read the little pamphlet, looked at the wand very closely, and then he asked me if I had actually paid for this thing.
I told him no, of course not, and explained to him how I received it and what my plan to review it was.
He told me, and I quote,

"Kat, you have to use your websites to tell people about this. This is probably the single biggest medical scam that I've seen in the last five years, and believe me, I've seen a lot of them. If you have your blogs (he looked kinda confused on what a blog really is) and the power to reach as many people as possible, you absolutely must tell people the truth. And Kat, the truth is that this thing is 100% garbage. It is a lie packaged and sold to desperate people, people who are so desperate to be free from pain that they will do just about anything they can to get relief. You have the ability to help people not waste their time and their money. Use the power you have to do something good. If you just spare even one person from wasting their money and their time, then you've done something great. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I am going to go to the website and then email this to as many of my colleagues as I can, they need to know about this too and try to stop their patients from getting scammed if any of their patients happen to mention it or ask their doctors if they've heard of being healed by zero point energy."

When I got back home and was going back over the pamphlet and stuff that came in the box with the wand, I found the certificate of authenticity, and one thing that I noticed on this "Certificate of Authenticity" that comes in the beautifully padded and silk lined box, is the ultra fine print typed so freaking small that I had to get my jewelry making magnifying glass out in order to be able to read it.
On the very, very bottom of the back of the certificate of authenticity, it reads in super tiny fine print exactly as follows:

DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been evaluated by The Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or physical condition.
The FDA won't even approve this thing!

I will be updating this post on both of my blogs with new information or links to other articles about the Amega Amwand and what a total fraud it is, as I find or come across them.
If I find other reviews, I will link them, if I find video reviews, I will link to them as well, and when I see my doctor on Tuesday at 11am, I will be updating him about my "progress" after using it for two months.

**EDIT**
Added links on 6/22/2010

Here is a link to a Youtube video and a post about the Amega Amwand scam.
I am not a hamster, Boob product: Amega Amwand.

Amega Amwand: Medical Scam, at the blog I Am Not A Hamster.

Amega Amwand Is a Scam at Blahvert.

The comments on this post at a money making blog are quite interesting, especially one by someone named Chadi.

FTC disclosure;
I was not compensated in any way for this post.
I received the Amega Amwand for free to test it and review it, and I have to send it back.
It is not mine to keep.
There is absolutely no free product to keep, or compensation received for reviewing this product.
The opinions expressed here are my own, but some of the wording has been taken directly from the Amega Global websites where they either sell the product or hype the product to get people to become distributors of these products.

Posted by Kat at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I've spoken about my friend Mindy here many, many times, about how her and her family are just really great people, any time that I've needed help, a ride, or to be taken to the hospital, there they are, ready and willing to help me.

Well now Mindy and her family need my help, your help, our help.
Her post explains in detail what is happening, but if they don't get some help, Mindy and her family, husband Chris, son Jeff, and daughter Katie, they will be homeless.

Things have not been good recently around here.
Chris and I just recently found out that our landlords must sell the house that we have been renting since October of 2008. It wouldn't be such a big deal because normally tenants are allowed to stay until the house does sell.
Not in this case.
They have asked us to leave by the end of this month.
They are in the midst of a foreclosure and are wanting to sell asap and the easiest way to do that is get rid of the occupants so that it will be a smoother transaction for all parties involved.
Except of course, US.

We may have first months rent but nothing more. We have been looking and most renters now are required to pay security deposit, first and last months rent up front. That is a lot of money to come up with in just a few weeks. A goal that we will not be able to make on our own.
Our parents are all retired. They receive their social security and are budgeted to that alone. They are willing to help as much as they can but the reality is, it will not be enough. My biggest fear is that if we do not come up with enough funds that we need, we will be homeless.

Mindy has always been there for me, they never ask anyone for help, they are always the ones helping others, but this time, they really need help.
If you can help, please, please, please, go to Mindy's blog and click on the PayPal donate button and give whatever you can.
And please, spread the word, link to her post on your blogs, Twitter, Facebook, wherever.
Mindy and her family need our help, I am begging for help for them.
They are really great people, so kind, loving, and generous, always helping everyone else.

Posted by Kat at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was recently given the opportunity to try the new make-at-home Jamba Juice All Natural Fruit Smoothies, I was sent a freezer pack containing the 3 all new make-at-home flavors.
There's Mango-a-go-go, Razzmatazz, and Strawberries Wild.

We've tried all 3 flavors, well the teens have, because I'm allergic to some different fruits, namely, strawberries.
The teens really liked them, and they were so so easy to make!
All you do is tear open the pouch, and dump it in your blender with just one cup of apple juice, and blend!

The first one that I made is the Razzmatazz, which is strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, and non-fat yogurt, and it's real fruit, chunks of real fruit, whole blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, you can actually see the real fruit, it's not a blended-up pouch of mush like some other make-at-home smoothies that I've tried, but actual fruit pieces!
I was very pleasantly surprised!
Once blended, each pouch makes 2 eight ounce servings, only 120 calories or less in each glass, so it was just enough for the teens to each have one big glass of a yummy and healthy smoothie.
The teens loved it!

I know that I am allergic to strawberries, I know they make me break out in hives, but something possessed me to get a straw and take just a few small sips out of Mark's smoothie.
A few hours later, I was completely covered in hives.
Head to toe.
Everywhere.
But the smoothie was really super tasty, I wish that I had been able to drink more of it, it was awesome tasting, but even just a few small sips, and BAM! super itchy hives. Hahaha!

But the important thing is that the teens loved them, they are really good for them, lots of healthy ingredients, and not bad on the price.
They retail anywhere from $2.99 to $3.29, and can be found in the frozen juice section at the grocery store.
I've already seen them on the shelves at Publix, and they are priced at $2.99, so I know that I can buy more of them for the teens.
If you like smoothies, or just want your kids to get more real fruit and antioxidants, and a full 100% daily dose of vitamin C, you can pick these up and make them for your kids.
I promise that they will love them and so will you, they are really super great tasting.

Posted by Kat at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Now that Mark has a job, (he likes it!) he already has plans for his paychecks, (haha!) and he's going to save up his money so that he can buy himself an Alienware gaming computer.
He likes the one they have now, but he wants a super awesome gaming pc.
Hey, it's his money, he an do what he wants.
But this also means that when they break things, or the things just die every 2 years from constant use, he can now buy his own xbox 360 gaming headsets.

If I had known that Buy.com was going to have that headset on sale for just $10, I would have waited and bought that one instead of the one that I just bought for $20.
The one that I just bought is the same kind that we've been buying, and they break every two years or so.
It's cheaply made, damn, I wish I would have waited because the one that is now on sale for just $10, is a totally kick ass headset.
I am kicking myself for not waiting just one more week, if I had waited, the teens would have had an amazing headset instead of the one that is guaranteed to break in two years, and it's now too late to return it because we've already opened it, destroyed the packaging, and been using it for a week.
Ugh.

Posted by Kat at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today is Mark's first day on the job, and I'm sitting here all nervous waiting on him to get done and come home.
I'm anxious to hear how it went, if he likes it, and how his back held up being on his feet all day long and stocking shelves etc.
He has his medicine with him, only one dose to get him through his shift, but he's not used to standing on his feet all day, lifting things, I'm nervous/worried that he's in a lot of pain right now and just trying to deal with it until it's time to clock out and come home.
He's usually sitting in a chair playing video games, or watching movies with me, not standing up and walking around for 8+ hours, not lifting 12 packs and stocking the shelves, so yeah, a nervous and worried mom because I know that pain he's dealing with, I used to have to work through that kind of pain.
*bites nails waiting*

In other news, the teen's father and I actually had the most pleasant, polite, and cordial conversation that we've had in 17 years, this morning.
He called because he didn't actually buy the ticket yet, or send the money order yet, he was calling to get full name, date of birth, and address, so that he could purchase the plane tickets today.
He called close to 10am, he asked for the information, I gave it, we politely talked about the cost of tickets and fees that airlines charge for minors flying alone.
Jet Blue considers minors to be 13 and under, and the airline that he was going with says that minors are 17 and under, so he was being charged extra fees for Sebastian flying alone.

I swear, I was really, truly polite, I wasn't biting or sarcastic, I held my tongue because this is something that Sebastian wants, and I want him to be happy, I want him to do this, to have this experience, so when he, their father, asked me for Sebastian's birth date, he didn't know it, he knew it was like a week or so ago, but he didn't know the date, and that really pissed me off, but I held, I held.
I know he has six kids, I know it must be hard to remember all of their birth dates, but to me, this is something he wants too, he wants Sebastian there, he should at least have tried to know the date, Great-Gram knows it, his sister, Aunt Heather, knows it, he could have asked them for the date if he didn't know it.
Know what I mean?
Am I wrong?
Am I asking too much by feeling that him not knowing his son's birth date, is just really wrong?
I didn't yell when I got off the phone, I was still being all calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but inside, I was frothing because of him not knowing Sebastian's birth date.
A parent should just know their child's birth dates, even if they haven't been a part of that child's life for many years, they should just know it, they should know the birth dates of all of the kids that they created.
In my opinion, it's what I think, and I could be wrong, and if I'm wrong, if people tell me that I'm wrong or asking too much, I'll admit it, but really, it hurt.
It hurt to know that he didn't know his birthday.

Today was a rough one for me because of the heat, it was just wicked hot out, I couldn't get cooled off even inside with the AC, even a shower didn't help me.
I needed to go to the store, so we just walked up when Mark had to go at 1pm, got what we needed and came home, but that whole walk, it felt like my heart was gonna beat right outta my chest.
I felt dizzy and light-headed the whole way there and back, and when we got back, I kicked off my sandals and laid on the couch for nearly 2 hours just trying to cool down, relax, and get my heart to stop beating so damn fast.
The store owner, Moe, said that I didn't look well when I got there, and I'm sure I didn't, I was sweating like I was a faucet and hose, my skin was all clammy, and I felt faint, so I'm sure that I looked un-well.
I really am hoping that the summer doesn't get too much hotter than it is, or I'll be spending the entire summer indoors.
The walk, it's just an eight minute walk there, eight minute walk back, but it felt like an eternity, I felt like I was going to pass out the whole walk back home.
I told Sebastian that if I started to go down, to push me toward the grass so I didn't hit my head on the cement sidewalk, I knew that there's no way he could catch me from falling, so I told him to push me toward the grass yards and at least it wouldn't hurt too bad.
Since being back home in the AC and it's night, it's cooled off a few degrees, I feel much better, but I need to remind myself to take my blood pressure meds every day, and I need to drink much more fluids.
I know that I don't ever drink enough water, and after today's experience, I know that I need to drink much more so it doesn't happen again.

Tell me if I'm wrong, if I'm wrong, I'll admit it, I'll say that I'm wrong, but it just really hurt my heart quite a bit because I love Sebastian so much, and his birthday is always important to him, he doesn't ever ask for anything, he just wants to know that people remember his birthday, he doesn't want to be forgotten, and so yeah, it hurt my heart, but if I'm wrong, I'll admit it.

Posted by Kat at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mark got a job!
He will now be working up at the corner store, starts tomorrow at 1pm.
I am so happy for him to have a job!
He'll have spending money of his own, he'll be able to help contribute to the family food bill, and he'll be doing something useful with his time instead of sitting around here doing nothing but video game playing all summer until he starts classes in the fall.
This is totally awesome.
I helped him get the job, the store owner and I are friends, and he had to fire his last employee because he was stealing, so the owner asked me how old Mark was, if he was honest and hard working, and I said yes, he's a great kid, and he said ok, bring him here at 1pm tomorrow.
Yay!!

Also, can cats get hemorrhoids?
And if so, do they make hemorrhoid treatments for cats?
For any animals?
I'm asking because Nova the fat cat, keeps licking at her butt-hole and meowing loud like she's in pain.
I really don't feel like taking a closer look, but I think I'm going to have to.
I don't wanna.
Looking at a cat's butt is really, truly, absolutely, horrifyingly disgusting.

Posted by Kat at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

DISCLAIMER
Before anyone asks or decides to make a judgment about me blogging too much information about my kids and their lives, Mark who is 18, and Sebastian who is 17, have read this post and both have agreed that it could published.
It was edited to their wishes which I have always respected when it comes to blogging about them.

Stress is a hell of a fat burner I tell you.
This is probably one of the biggest reasons that I am so stressed out and not sleeping well, having blood pressure issues constantly, etc.
It's killing me.

Remember how I posted about Sebastian spending a month with the teens father this summer?
After a lot of talking, arguing, crying, and more talking, I've decided to let him go.
It was not an easy decision at all, it's been extremely hard on Mark and I to even talk to Sebastian about it, but after a lot of talking not just with the teens, but with many family members and friends, it was decided that letting him go would be the best thing, for him.
He needs to go and see his father and learn for himself who his father is and get the answers to any and all questions that he may have about him, about things that happened, and maybe he'll get the truth, and maybe he won't.
Sadly, my money is on him not getting 100% truth.

The ticket has been bought and stuck in the mail, it's a round trip ticket, or supposed to be, and it should be in the mailbox sometime soon, by the middle of next week at the latest.
There are rules, lots and lots of rules, some of which are no drinking, no smoking, no drugs, no piercings, no tattoos, to be allowed to visit with his Ninny and Pop-pop, (his grandparents/my parents) and that he is NOT a babysitter there to take care of his little half-sister Sixx.
If a sitter is needed, someone else needs to do it, a different family member, or hire someone.
Sebastian is there to be with his father and be able to visit with his other relatives, he is not there as a free babysitter.
These rules and others, will be written down and given to him to give his father, if he comes back and I discover that any of them have been violated, there will be hell to pay.
I have full, legal custody, he only has visitation for 6 hours on Saturdays, he's lucky that I am letting Sebastian go, so my rules will be followed or there will be trouble.

Do I sound angry?
I am, but this is something that Sebastian has to do, I know that, it just kills me to let him go.

Posted by Kat at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Now that I finally took the super awesome Radeon HD 5770 graphics card and the 4GB of memory out of the teens old computer and put them into mine, I can finally play my Sims 3 again.
It looks totally amazing too, no lag at all, crisp clear lines, excellent detail, and I can finally turn on reflections so when they are looking in a mirror or even just near a mirror, you can see the reflections.
I am so very happy that I finally made the swap, I have not been able to play in ages, and playing is not only fun, but a huge stress reliever for me because if I am stressed out or angry, I can kill off a Sim in very bad ways and it makes me feel tons better.
But now that I have made the swap and my computer can totally handle the Sims 3 and even some stuff to download made by other people, (the old graphics card prevented items and hair from being visible in the game) I can now get some of the expansion packs that are out.

I will only buy them if they are on sale, and if I have the extra money, which I don't have at all right now, but that's ok, I can wait.
But eventually I would like to get both Ambitions and World Adventures.

In Ambitions, you decide whether your Sim will be the brave town hero or cause loads of mischief among their neighbors. Make your Sim save the day as a brave firefighter, change the town as a leading architect, or live on the edge as a tattoo artist. Will your Sim find success as a billionaire high-tech inventor or eke out a living as a bumbling mad scientist?

In World Adventures, there are travel opportunities available to your sims, which allow for everything from pleasant family vacations, all the way to an adventure-filled, possibly even dangerous Indiana Jones like adventures. Along the way your sims can accumulate unique skills and abilities, learn about new cultures, enjoy a unique soundtrack of real songs recorded in Simlish.

Simlish is really kind of cool, they take real songs, even some of the newer songs that are popular right now, and they translate them to Simlish, and sometimes, the real artist sings their song but now in Simlish.
This is Matt and Kim singling their song "Daylight" in Simlish.

Posted by Kat at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sebastian, my baby, turned 17 today.
He had to go to school today, it's the last week, the last day is Friday, so when I woke him up at 6am, I gently called out his name, I gently rubbed his back, he opened his eyes a little bit, and I sang happy birthday to him very quietly.
He let me sing the whole way through, all the while he was smiling, and when I finished, he sat up in his bed, thanked me, and then told me that he loved me.

His day at school went OK, some of his teachers remembered that it was his birthday and they gave him some special treats, a HUGE candy bar from one teacher, a free pass from another teacher to not have to do any of the last days of school grunt work some teachers like to do, (1 teacher had the students write out multiplication tables, another had them copy down 100 words from different letters of the dictionary, etc) and another teacher just let him play on the computer through the whole class.

When he came home, my sister called and had decided to take them all out to dinner and then do some video game shopping.
I did not go because A) there is not enough room in my sister's new car for her, me, both boys, and both of my nieces, and B) because I am on bed rest for blood clots in my ankles and feet again.
It started on Sunday night, and I thought if I rested, kept them elevated, that it would go away, but it did not, so I called my doc this morning, and he puts me on bed rest and to keep my feet elevated.
They are elevated right now too.
When I sit in my chair, I have this little table that is like thigh-high, it is like a small side table, and I use it as a foot stool when I am sitting here.
I sit like this all the time, my feet are always elevated when I am at my desk, my keyboard on my lap, it is a totally comfy position.
I am really hoping that the swelling goes down soon, and it should, the new blood pressure medicine, Triamterene, 37.5mg, has me peeing so much, that I will probably drop another 10lbs using it instead of any diet supplements.

Anyway, they went out to eat and then to Best Buy for a new video game.
He got Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce for their Xbox 360, from my sister, and then when I get paid later this week, I will be buying him Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires.
Both of the boys love those Dynasty Warriors games, they have played every single one except for these last two which Sebastian will now have this week.
They came home from eating out and shopping, and both Sebastian and Mark sat down and cracked open the new game and played right until Sebastian had to go to bed.

Tomorrow is the last full day of school, and then Thursday and Friday are half days, and I am really hoping that by then, all the swelling will be gone so that I can take Sebastian out for his birthday.
He told me he wants to go to Taco Smell to eat, and I will buy him the other Dynasty Warriors game, we will have a chocolate layer cake, and he will be a totally happy kid, excuse me, a totally happy young man.
Hard to believe, Sebastian is now 17 and Mark turns 19 on August 15th.
The time just flew by didn't it?
I started this blog when we moved here, Sebastian had just turned five years old when we moved here on June 3rd 1997.
He was just a small, wiggly five year old kid, and here he is now, a really tall deep-voiced 17 year old young man.
Time just flew right by me.

Posted by Kat at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)