What Was I Going to Say?

Sometimes I sit down to post something in my blog, I start typing, and I just can't stop. Other times I sit here and wonder what in the world I have to talk about. Tonight is one of those nights. I'm sure there is plenty to say, but I can't think of it. Instead I'm reading other people's blogs - I see Misty is thinking of starting a photography meme that involves animals. Why am I not surprised by that? It does sound fun, doesn't it?

Along with reading blogs, I'm dropping Entrecards. I've found that dropping those cards can get extremely addictive. Not quite drug rehab addictive, but addictive nonetheless. I keep thinking, "I'll just drop one more." And then that one more turns into 5 or 6, 7 or 8. It's really hard to stop. Anyone else having that problem?

What to Do in Chicago and Elsewhere

In the past several years, we have spent most of our vacations in the Wisconsin Dells. Yes, I know, real far away, but there is plenty to do there, and we're familiar with the area, so we know what to go and do. Plus, we don't have to do everything while we're there because we know we'll be back before long. It's even close enough that we could drive over there for fun, even without being on vacation, for a weekend perhaps.

Chicago isn't very far from here either, and I know there are plenty of things to do in Chicago, but we rarely go that way. I do remember one time Jeffrey and I spent the weekend in Chicago. We met some friends for dinner, and we got there a little before they did, so we decided to get a drink in the bar while we waited. When Jeffrey went to pay for the drinks, he realized he didn't have his wallet! He had left it on the dashboard of the car after having to pay a toll. Then we got to the restaurant, and left the car with the valet for parking. Oops! So, Jeffrey left me in the bar with the drinks while he hitched a ride with one of the valet parking crew to wherever they had parked our car, and back. Luckily, the wallet was still there on the dashboard. He came back. Our friends arrived, and dinner was really good. Afterwards we walked around the streets of Chicago for a while just enjoying the sights.

Our friend lived and worked in the area, so he knew where to eat and what to do, but without someone to help you out with that, it's nice to have help from something like Trusted Tours & Attractions. You get family vacation ideas and discounts on attractions, like these tickets for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, should we ever make it to New York. I hear there are museums in Chicago, too, which I haven't visited. I missed my 8th grade trip to Chicago, and I haven't made it a point to go since.

Sign up for the Trusted Tours & Attractions newsletter for plenty of great vacation ideas.

Work, Break and Friends - When Do We Sleep?

Beth just called. She's on her way home from work. She's been working a lot this week, since it's Spring Break and she doesn't have school. She was scheduled to go in at 2pm Monday and Tuesday and then her normal time of 5pm Wednesday and Thursday, but Tuesday they asked her to go ahead and come in at 2:00 on Wednesday and Thursday. So she picked up some extra hours there. Since it takes the same amount of gas no matter how many hours she works, it's good to get as many hours as possible when she does go in.

Anyway, since she's on her way home, I should shut things down and go wash my face and brush my teeth and get to bed at a decent time. It seems we don't get to bed very early any more since someone is usually waiting for Beth to get home. This working until 10:00 or later and then having to drive home means she's not usually here until 10:30 at the earliest and 10:45 or later most nights this week. Jeffrey's been going off to bed anyway the last several nights. You know he's 4 years older than I am - so he needs more sleep. :P

Cory has his friends from the library over tonight, too, so someone has to stay up until they leave - which will probably be when Beth gets here or soon thereafter. They're all downstairs playing games on the Wii and GameCube. It's nice that he can have them over because he doesn't see them very often. He knows them from the library and TLC, but none of them go to his school. We live right on the edge of the school district, so that, even though they live close, they all go to a different school. At least they have the library.

OK - getting ready for bed. That was the point. Until tomorrow then.

Most Expensive Hotel Room in the Country

On GMA they're showing us the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Get this - $30,000 a night! It's the most expensive hotel room in the country. It does look pretty nice, but that's ridiculous. If I ever want to stay someplace like that, I better get a term life insurance quote or two. You know, so if anything ever happens to Jeffrey I'll have plenty of money. (Just so you know, I'd much rather have him around than any amount of money, but it does make me feel better to know I will have something if anything does happen.)

Really, I think no matter how much money I had, I'd never be able to spend that kind of money on a hotel room, or anything else. Think how many people could be helped with that money. It bothers me to see celebrities go out shopping and spend more money in one day than some people make in an entire year. Yes, if you earn the money, you have the right to do what you want with it, but still, it just seems so irresponsible and selfish. Even a small portion of what they throw away on non-essentials could make a huge difference in someone's life - or a lot of someone's lives.

Pinching My Pennies

I was talking with someone the other day, and the conversation moved to the cost of living and how the cost of practically everything has gone up recently. She looked at me and said, "You're feeding a family. I can't imagine." The conversation moved on, and we never really had a chance to discuss it, but it got me to thinking. I know food prices have been going up, but am I really spending a lot more than I used to? I don't really think that I am.

Like I've said before, I put a lot of effort into cutting Grocery Coupons and reading the ads so that I can get the best deal possible on everything I buy. When something is on sale and I have coupons, that's when I buy it. That's when I stock up so that I don't run out and have to buy it when it's not on sale. My freezer is full. My pantry is full. Also, a really big thing is that I don't buy a lot of pre-made convenience foods, and I know that saves money. I'm home. I have time to cook, so I don't have to rely on those convenience food, though I know they are life savers for many working moms.

Today I found the Penny Pinching Gazette, and it looks like my kind of site. Here you can print out Free Grocery Coupons, look at online grocery circulars - to combine those coupons savings with the sales, get recipes, and read some helpful articles. With the cost of everything increasing, it's great to have new resources to help save every penny possible.

In Home Tutoring Service

Here's another option for students who are struggling in school. Club Z provides Tutoring in the comfort of the student's own home. Club Z tutors are certified professionals with a passion for teaching. The combination of individualized one-on-one attention and a secure learning environment works together to help struggling students get back on track. It's also more convenient for the parents because they don't have to drive students to tutoring sessions, and the schedule is very flexible, with sessions available mornings, afternoons, evenings, weekends, during the summer, whenever is convenient for the family. Tutoring is available for students in PreK through 12th grade and adults too.

No More Waiting in Line at the Post Office

I'm on our local library board, and one of the things we do every month is go through the expenses, approve the financial report, and accept the checks. There for a while it seemed that every month several small checks for postage came through. It's not that we don't know or agree that the library always has something that needs mailed, but it seemed like a waste of our Library Director's valuable time to have to run to the Post Office just to purchase the stamps needed for that day.

Now I think she buys a good supply of stamps at once and keeps them on hand for when they are needed. If the library got a Dymo LabelWriter 400 Turbo, she could save even more time. It comes with the DYMO Stamps^® software, which makes it simple to print the new "shape-based" USPS®-approved postage in about a second – for envelopes, small packages, Flat-Rate Priority Mail^®, Express Mail^® and International Mail. There's no monthly fee, just the cost of the postage used.

Not only can the Dymo LabelWriter 400 Turbo print the online stamps, or postage labels, it can also print the mailing labels, so no one will ever have to hand address an envelope. I, for one, end up throwing away too many envelopes because I mess up when I'm addressing them. (I think they have to be perfect, of course) Maybe the people who work at the library have better handwriting than I do, but still, simply printing a label to stick on the envelope could save envelopes and time. The labels can also be ordered pre-printed with a logo, so it could be great advertising every time anything is mailed.

By itself or in conjunction with the Dymo postage scale, this label writer would be ideal for not just our library, but any small business. If you send mail through the USPS, visit Dymo's site to see what they can offer you.

Take Me to the Rodeo

Jeffrey wants to go to Las Vegas someday. I haven't been real encouraging because it just doesn't excite me, probably because I think of Vegas, and I think of casinos. Yes, I know people get into gambling, and there's the excitement of winning, right? I guess I'm just too practical or pessimistic or something, because I know the House is always going to win. So, if all there is to Vegas is gambling and casinos, then I'm not at all interested.

I have been doing a little Vegas research, and I realize my perceptions of Las Vegas aren't really true. There are so many other things to do. I bet you could even go to Vegas, never even set foot in a casino, and still have a good time. Of course, Jeffrey would have to try his hand at Texas Hold 'Em, so he'd want to visit a casino or two, at least once.

Something I'd be interested in seeing is the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, held this year December 4-13. Now there's something that actually has winners. Back in 1984 Las Vegas Events (LVE) guaranteed the rodeo a prize fund of $1.8 million to the cowboys and $700,000 to the contractors to get them to move the rodeo finals from Oklahoma to Las Vegas. I'm sure that prize fund has increased over the two decades the rodeo has been held in Las Vegas.

When I was much much younger and my family still lived in California, we went to a rodeo and had a great time. I don't remember much about it except for the excitement and the horses. I was always crazy about horses. We knew a couple girls who had quarter horses and participated in barrel racing, though I don't know that they rode in that particular rodeo. Still, it made it more interesting. Since then I've only watched some rodeo on TV. I'm thinking that, if some small little rodeo was exciting enough that I remember being there all these years later, imagine how much better the National Finals would be. If Jeffrey said we'd get WNFR Tickets, I just might be talked into going to Vegas. December is a good time to get away from Wisconsin.

Custom Wedding Invitations

When Jeffrey and I got married I really had no clue how to plan a wedding or even what I was supposed to want. I know lots of young girls grow up planning their weddings and have all kinds of dreams and plans. Not me. I didn't even know where to start. On the plus side, that meant there were things I didn't know I was supposed to want or have, so I didn't have them and, therefore, did not have to pay for them. On the negative side, every decision was stressful because I didn't know what I should want or have. But then again, I've heard the whole wedding planning thing can be seriously stressful anyway.

We did have the usual wedding basics like invitations, flowers, cake, punch and napkins. I remember we had to have the napkins reprinted because they were wrong. The wedding invitations turned out nicely, though back then we had to go to a shop of some kind, look through books of invitations, choose one, choose what it would say, etc. We chose "This day I will marry my friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, Love."
Now brides can simply go online and choose from many 1st Class Wedding Invitations like this one I really like - though there's one with a motorcycle I bet Jeffrey would like. It's really easy to choose one you like and then fully customize it by adding personal wedding info, choosing a verse and then being able to fully customize that, choosing the font and font color, and other options. I don't see the same verse we used for our invitations, but it is really easy to insert whatever you want. The whole process is quick and easy, and invitations ordered today can be shipped by Friday. I haven't priced invitations in years, but these prices look pretty reasonable.

One of these days Beth is going to decide she wants to get married. A big dream wedding isn't something she's talked about, so I guess we'll see what she decides. At least she'll be able to choose from some Contemporary Wedding Invitations and get that part of the planning taken care of easily.

Choosing a Digital Photo Frame

A while back I mentioned that I was thinking about getting a digital photo frame because all my pictures are digital now and I rarely print any out to put in frames, photo albums, or anything. I got a couple comments saying that while these frames look nice, they cost quite a bit. True, and as cheap as I am, I will definitely be doing my research before I finally break down and buy one.

I found some video reviews of digital photo frames at digital frames direct that might be quite helpful in helping me choose. I already learned that there are 5 important things to consider: the look, screen quality, display options, storage capacity, and whether or not you can send photos to the frame remotely. Did you know that some of these frames have timers so you can set what time they turn on or turn off, or light sensors so that they turn off when the lights go off? While price is a big consideration for me, I know it's also about what you get for the price, so I've still got some looking to do.

I'm Sorry They Made Some Bad Decisions, But...

We were just talking this weekend about some of the improvements we'd like to make on our house. Unless there's a really good reason, like moving for a job, we see no reason to move. Instead, we'll just stay here and make some improvements here and there, like adding a patio and pergola out back, replacing the carpeting with ceramic tile and/or hardwood, and maybe even eventually adding a fireplace. We like our house.

Sometimes I wonder if we're the exception to the norm because, even around here, houses are constantly on the market. Sometimes people really are moving away and have to sell. Sometimes they just want to move to a bigger and better house. I think that's part of the problem with the mortgage industry now. People were taking out loans they really couldn't afford, except that the interest rate was so low at the time that, if they really stretched, they could afford the payments. When the interest rates went up and the payments on their adjustable rate mortgages went up, suddenly they couldn't afford that bigger, better house any more. It may be simple to get quotes for mortgages, but buyers still need to make smart decisions.

Now we keep hearing people wanting someone to help, wanting the government to bail them out. If the government does decide to help these people out, I can't help but think that some of that is my money going to help these people out. Not that I'm against giving. I just don't think it's right to penalize the people who have been responsible and not gotten themselves into trouble by making them help pay to bail out those who have.

Cooking Barbecue Ribs in a Blizzard

I made barbecued ribs for dinner Friday. It had been a while since I made them, so I was online looking to see how I was supposed to cook them without having to take the grill cover off the grill, and I found a page titled, "Cooking barbecue ribs in a blizzard." I thought that was pretty appropriate since it was snowing rather heavily all day, though I didn't follow that recipe. I think we got 9 or 10 inches of snow throughout the day. What a great way to welcome Spring, huh? A blizzard and some barbecue. I ended up baking the ribs until done with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some onion, and then smothering them with barbecue sauce and baking them again. They were fall apart yummy and messy!

I thought about warming up the leftovers - it was a big package - today, but instead we're having hot dogs. Jeffrey looked at the package and decided I was trying to mess his diet up - because the hot dogs have too many calories and too much fat. I agree, they do probably have too many calories, but it's not like we have them all the time. They're really easy for a Sunday. Those ribs probably had more calories and fat, because they were really greasy, but there was no package to tell him that.

I did remember to cook the dogs on the George Foreman grill this time. I used to cook hot dogs in the microwave, and they're OK, but since we got the George Foreman grill, no one wants them cooked in the microwave any more. They never used to complain, but Cory for one complains loudly now. I know because last time we had hot dogs, I forgot I had the George Foreman, and I cooked the dogs in the microwave.

Speaking of complaining, I should probably complain because Cory got hold of the remote and turned on some disturbing TV show. What is that show called? Family Guy - disturbing, but Cory thinks it's funny.

Cory Needs New Boots

Cory was complaining this afternoon when he came in from shoveling the driveway. His boots gave him a blister, and it's all my fault because I've known all winter that his boots were too small, and I haven't gotten him a new pair yet. Never mind that I'm not responsible for buying his clothes any more. That's why we give him money every month. Never mind that I'm not actually in a store much more than he is, so he should have looked for and bought his own boots. Besides, with those growing feet of his, how in the world would I have known what size to buy him?

I did look at boots when I went to Walmart yesterday. They had 3 pair I thought might work, but I didn't know which size to go for. I guess we'll have to make a trip to look for boots - together - and hope there will be some left. It's kind of frustrating that all the summer clothes are in the stores, and winter hasn't left us, yet.

A Cure for the Common Crud

I think we've all been a part of the viral film revolution. You know what I mean, videos spreading from web user to web user, being forwarded in emails and posted in blogs, spreading through the web like a virus. If people like it, it's everywhere, and if they don't, it dies a painful death fades away.

Vanksen | Culture-buzz and BEFILM The Underground Film Festival, in association with Dailymotion.com, will hold a special "Viral Screening and Party" on April 28, 2008. Space is limited for this Viral Film Festival, so register now if you'd like to attend.  (Note: this link may or may not have anything to do with the original post, but it's cool, so check it out anyway.  The video definitely didn't, but it's my blog so I can embed it if I want to)

They are also calling for video submissions, so if you think you have the best and most creative video the web has to offer, your video could be included. All videos must be less than 30 minutes in length, and the deadline is March 29.

Education and Experience

Because we've got two kids in high school, we are constantly getting letters and information from various colleges and universities. There are so many! How do students even begin to choose? I guess that's why they send so much information.

Today I read about a very interesting and unique opportunity offered by Kettering University. Students not only receive a quality classroom education at Kettering, they also get hands-on education and experience through Kettering's engineering co-op programs. Students are placed with companies in their freshman year, and work and study year around, in alternating 3-month periods. No waiting until graduation to put what they are learning in the classroom to practical use. I also like the idea that the students are getting work experience while in college, instead of waiting for graduation, looking for a job, and being told they have 'no experience'. Kettering students gain up to two and a half years of 'real world' experience by graduation.

U.S. News & World Report publishes their America's Best Colleges Guide every year, and Kettering has ranked #1 in industrial engineering ( Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering to be exact) for 8 years in a row. That speaks very highly of their program. They also came in at #11 overall in the Best Program category.

I'm going to have Cory take a look at Kettering to see what he thinks. Michigan isn't so far away, is it?

About theFiremen

I found it. It was one of my friends on LiveJournal who mentioned one of the signs of Spring being the firemen starting to jog in their shorts again. Of course, she lives a bit further south, so she's going to be seeing Spring a little sooner than we are here. I'm not quite desperate enough to start looking for Branson hotels in the hopes that Missouri is far enough south for Spring to be arriving. It might happen, though. You never know.

And speaking of my dear LiveJournal friend - I hope this Spring's weather is much kinder to her and to her family than last Spring's.

5th Annual Dark Sky Festival

Whenever we're out driving on a clear night, I can't help but look out at the stars. Luckily, we don't live near a big city, so we can actually see the stars, especially on a dark road between towns. Unfortunately, there are a lot of places where people never get to see the stars because of all the light pollution. I never actually thought of it that way, as pollution, but that's exactly what it is. Not only does all that light hinder the ability for people to see and enjoy the night sky, it can disrupt the surrounding natural environment, cause health problems, and it definitely wastes energy.

To call awareness to the light pollution problem, Harmony, Florida is hosting the 5th Annual Dark Sky Festival on Saturday, April 5 from 7-11pm. The festival is free to the public and includes telescope viewings of the night sky, live music featuring Motown sensation RARE EARTH, children's activities, information about environmentally intelligent lighting and lifestyle practices, and much more. The Festival kicks off the start of National Dark Sky Week, a week set aside to deter light pollution by encouraging better overall outdoor lighting practices.

The Dark Sky Festival, held in Harmony's town square, is kind of a cross between a community picnic and a science fair. It's not only lots of fun, but extremely educational. For more information, do visit the Dark Sky Festival website. There are pictures from previous festivals, some festival history, directions, and more.

Information About Acne at Acne.com

I had to laugh out loud when I noticed one day that someone had found my blog when they searched for, "Does Jack Daniels cause acne?" Unfortunately, I had no information here to help them. I really don't know what causes acne, though I do believe the best course of action is not to let your teenagers drink Jack, whether or not it causes acne.

The best place to find information about what does and does not cause acne, as well as acne treatments such as Proactiv Solution, is acne.com, a comprehensive acne resource. They tell you the truth about the relationship between what you eat and acne, as well as listing various acne treatments and how they work, common myths about acne, and preventative measures.

Luckily, neither one of my teenagers suffers from acne at this time, but I like knowing where to look for answers and get some information to help prevent it happening to them at all.

Sometimes I Just Need a Maid

You all saw the pictures of my daughter's room today. If you didn't, scroll on down, I'll wait. Now, the rest of my house looks much better than that, though I can easily look around and see so many things that need done. Since I'm the one home all day, that makes all the cleaning my job. I wonder what I would have to do to justify hiring a House Cleaning Service and letting someone else clean my house?

At MaidPro they have a vision of bathrooms and kitchens sparkling all across the nation, of beds made, and furniture polished, of shining hardwood floors, and freshly vacuumed carpeting. I have that same vision, well, not necessarily across the nation, just in my house. Unfortunately they don't service my area, so I will have to do my own cleaning, but feel free to check to see if they're available where you are. They offer high quality cleaning services and great customer service.

Swimsuits that Might Actually Fit

Remember that video I made last week  about wanting to get outside in the sun?  Well, it's cloudy and rainy right now, so I'm not really itching to get out there, but it's almost Spring so I know it's only a matter of time.  I obviously didn't actually put the swimsuit on in that video - 1) because I'm way too white to be seen after a whole winter of being inside, and 2) because I can't actually be seen in public in that suit.  It's just for tanning, and I can't actually move around without falling out of it.  OK for the backyard, but not for the beach.

There was a time I thought I would never be able to find a swimsuit to fit me properly.  You know, buy it big enough to fit on the top, and the bottoms are way too big.  Or get the bottoms to fit, and there's not a chance I'll fit into the top.  That's why I'm glad you can buy swimsuits separately now.  I can find a top that fits, and a bottom.  I like the idea of buying tops by bra size, so I know they will fit.  After all, what does L or XL really mean?  Usually just not the right fit.

BiggerBras.com not only has some really nice looking swimwear separates, in sizes up to a G cup in some of them, but they also sell full busted lingerie. And, NO, I won't be wearing the lingerie in public, but I have high hopes for the swimsuits for both Beth and me.