As This Flu Spreads

How worried are you about the swine flu that seems to be spreading everywhere? Just yesterday they announced 3 cases in Wisconsin. Of course, it took them at least an hour to announce it and talk about it. I'm not terribly worried since I'm not a hugger or a toucher, and I don't get out much - though I did go shopping yesterday. Of course, I can't say that about the rest of my family. Cory's a serious hugger, and all of them are at school or work every day. Working as a cashier, Beth comes into contact with all kinds of people every day.

I'm going to have to stress the hand washing - regularly, often, all the time. If you're more worried about it, and you don't think avoiding hugging and hand-shaking, and washing your hands a lot is enough, you can buy swine flu kits that include not just the face masks like everyone in Mexico is wearing, but an entire Tyvek suit, safety goggles, gloves, antimicrobial wipes, and more. It really looks like serious swine flu protection.

A Wish for a Friend

I'm following Misty on twitter, and she just said that the top thing on her wishlist is a Kindle. Now, being the wonderful friend I am, I really wish I could make her wish come true. What I really wish is that we could both have one of these, loaded up with plenty of Amazon books, of course. The Kindle isn't just for reading books, either - it's for reading blogs, too. It really does look like one of the most amazing things ever, but can I afford to buy one for me and one for Misty? No, not really.

So, Amazon, how about this? You send Misty a Kindle and me a Kindle, and we promise to use them and use them and use them, and then we'll blog about them and tell everyone how much we love them. That sounds like a plan, doesn't it?

Looking at the Sky on Friday - 13

For more info on this fun meme, click the image.

This morning’s sunrise – before I left for my walk:

And then, when I got back home:

It seems that it wasn’t all that long ago that I was walking in the dark.  The stars were gorgeous, but I’m appreciating this!  

If you enjoy skies as much as I do, be sure to check out Looking at the Sky on Friday.  (It’s way better than Colonix)

Everyone Needs a Little Help

This week I got an email from a friend asking for some advice on obtaining her own domain. She wanted to know if she could keep her blog hosted free on Blogger without changing anything but her url or if she would need web hosting. Now, I know a lot of people say that moving away from any kind of free blogging service and getting your own host is the only way to go, but so far I've been happy using Blogger. Also, I'm a little intimidated by the whole process of choosing a web host and moving my blog, and I'm especially intimidated by the idea of learning how to use and maintain a new blogging platform because those same people say Wordpress is the only way to go.

I probably shouldn't let that stop me, because there is plenty of information available to help with all that, from lists of the Top 10 web hosts that include ratings, rankings, and reviews (the 3 Rs?) to articles that cover every topic. Because I'm really cheap in all things, I'm most likely to look first at the hosting plans that cost the least - some of these are $3.95 and $4.95/month, which doesn't sound too bad. However, there really is more to it, which is why I'm glad that the top 10 sites listed at Web Hosting Rating list what's included in each plan as well as customer reviews. Customer service and support seem to be really important to the reviewers, so I think when I decide to choose a web host, that's going to be high on my list, too. I'll also probably check out the Awards page to see which host was voted Best Blog Hosting, as well as Best Budget Hosting.

For now, like I told my friend, it's OK to stay with Blogger, but when she's ready to choose a web host, visiting Web Hosting Rating can help in choosing the right one.

1 plus 1 is 2

This cat of ours is really smart. I'm not saying she can actually do math or figure out where to buy the cheapest auto insurance, but she certainly knows what's going to happen in this house.

Like most cats, she does not like the vacuum cleaner. When the vacuum cleaner comes out, she completely disappears. But then I started noticing that she disappears when I pull the broom out - not that she's scared of the broom. She just knows that after the broom comes the vacuum cleaner! I usually sweep the kitchen floor and then vacuum it, in hopes of getting all that dirt and cat hair cleaned up, so she's got that figured out pretty well.

Then I started noticing that she disappears when I start dusting the furniture. Yep, after dusting I usually vacuum. It might be a while before I get to the vacuuming part, but Tillie doesn't want to be around for that, so she disappears right away.

Then today, before I even pulled the broom out, Tillie got up off her chair, where she had been sleeping all day, and ran off. Why? I was shaking the kitchen rugs out the back door. She knows. Shake the rugs, pull out the broom and sweep the floor, and then comes the vacuum cleaner. There's no way she's going to stay around for that!

Does Mother's Day Sneak Up on You?

Or is it just me?

Mother's Day always seems to sneak up on me. It's the 2nd Sunday in May - May 10th this year. (Just noting that so it's in my head.) When I was in college, I completely forgot about Mother's Day until the Thursday or Friday before. Well, actually, I didn't forget, I just thought I had another week. I was in California, Mom was in Illinois, and there was no way anything was going to get to her in time.

So, did I send (late) mothers day flowers? No, I called my good friend Jeffrey and had him buy a card, sign it for me and leave it for my mom on her chair at church. I thought that was a pretty good solution. Mom wasn't exactly thrilled, but at least I tried!

I'm not sure what I'm going to do this year. E-cards are great for those special occasions that sneak up on you - too bad they didn't have those back in the day! But, since I have a while and I'm thinking about it now, maybe I'll check out the Mother's Day Flowers and Gifts suggestions at 1-800-flowers.com. Some of these are even available the same day, so if Mother's Day sneaks up on you, you know what to do!

PayPerPost v4.0 alpha

PayPerPost v4.0 has just been released, and I'm happy to say I got my Alpha key so I can check it out and see how it works. So far I'm pretty excited, and not just because of the spiffy new design.

The part I think I'm going to like best is that I won't have to hang out on the site looking for opps, only to have the good ones snatched away. Sometimes that gets so frustrating! No, with the new version of PayPerPost, there's no more fighting for opps. Instead you get an email:

Good news!

An advertiser fancies your blog and has offered you an opportunity...

The email even tells you the title of the opp and how much the advertiser is offering, and you get three days to write your post and accept the opp.

When you first add your blogs to the new PayPerPost, you get to set the amount you will accept for a link as well as the amount you will accept per word. You also decide disclosure type (In Post, Site-wide, or Either) and link type (Follow, No Follow, or Either) you prefer for your blog. That should mean that the opps you get offered are opps you will be willing to take. If not, you're free to decline them.

I've been reading through the FAQs and finding more things that should be very positive. I especially like that advertisers will have a more hands-on role in the process. Instead of creating an opp that gets released to every blogger in the system that meets certain criteria, the advertisers actually get to choose the blogs they wish to advertise on, from a match-list of blogs supplied by PPP. I'm hoping this means that the bloggers who really take the time to do the research and write a good post for each advertiser will be the ones who get the most offers, as the advertisers see and learn where they get the most value for their money.

Anyway, this post has been sponsored by PayPerPost v4.0 - but they're really only paying me for 100 words, and I went way over that and haven't even said half of what I could. If you'd like an alpha key to check it out for yourself, leave a comment here on the IZEA blog .

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Image by giuss95
via Flickr

When I ask him if he loves me, my husband likes to joke that he told me that he did once and he hasn't told me any different. I guess until I hear different I just get to assume that he still loves me?

It really is just a joke, because he tells me all the time that he loves me, but from everything I've heard, it's sometimes hard for guys to say "I love you" or to know how to say it. When is it the right time to buy flowers or jewelry? Will she read too much significance into it? Will she wonder what you did wrong? And what worked last time won't necessarily work this time. It's tough being a guy, isn't it?

That's why Bella True has put together a great site to help guys know what jewelry to buy when, from the beginning of a relationship all the way through engagement, marriage and the 75th anniversary. With a guide like this, guys ought to be able to let that special lady know that he really does love her, even if he doesn't say so all that often.

Honey? I'm loving this heart necklace.

Next Trip Florida?

Cory and I went to New York with the band, and we had a really good time. One of Cory's friends who goes to another school just got back from DisneyWorld with her band. She's my friend on Facebook, so I've been looking at the pictures she uploaded. I haven't been to Florida in years, and her pictures are making me want to go back. We've been to Daytona Beach and Destin, but the last time we were in the Orlando area, Beth was 6 and Cory was 4. That was a long time ago, wasn't it?

We stayed in Kissimmee , because everyone knows you can get much better deals on hotels and condos in Kissimmee than right in Orlando - and it's right there, anyway. From Kissimmee you can reach all of Central Florida's best attractions in just minutes, or be lounging on one of Florida's sandy beaches in about an hour. And Kissimmee has some great attractions of its own, some of them free. You know how much I like free stuff, right? I'd like to visit the Old Town Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment Complex, not for the shopping, but for the live entertainment and street party at night. I'd like to go hiking or roller blading at some of the Lakefront Parks and maybe spend the day at East Lake Toho in St. Cloud.

Of course, while we're there I will want to visit SeaWorld, because I love SeaWorld. Too bad that isn't free... Also, I want to visit Disney without the kids. I know that sounds backwards because most people want to take their kids to Disney, but our kids didn't like any of the rides except the Small World ride, and it just about drove us crazy. Oh, that song is irritating!

Anyway, I'd love a Central Florida vacation - not just for all the great attractions, but also because I would get to visit my cousin who lives there, and I haven't seen her in ages and ages. I just entered the Freedom to Enjoy Sweepstakes for my chance to win a 6 night trip for four that includes airfare, a rental car, admission to theme parks and attractions, and even golf for Jeffrey. Maybe SeaWorld can be free after all. And while Jeffrey is playing golf, I can hang out with my cousin!

Kissimmee is giving away three weekend getaways (3 days/2 nights) for two; and two weeklong vacations for four. So be sure to enter, because the best vacations are free, right? There's so much to do in Kissimmee. What would you do?

Designing My Own Shirt

I wore my I ♥ NY shirt to the grocery store today. You know the one I mean - they're everywhere on the streets of New York, and everyone who has ever visited New York City probably has one. Well, actually Cory doesn't, but he did get a really cool hat at Nintendo World. Beside the point, I know. The point is, thousands of people are wearing these I ♥ NY shirts.

I wonder if whoever came up with the logo/design is rich? Don't you wish you could come up with some great design that everyone wants? VistaPrint lets you create your own custom t-shirts, and while they may end up for sale on every street corner, it's still really neat to have your very own shirt with your very own design, something that no one else has.

T-shirt prices at VistaPrint start at $4.74 for a short-sleeved shirt right now, and you can upload your own logo/photo/design for just $2.49. Those are some pretty good sale prices. If you don't have your own design to upload, you can browse the designs on VistaPrint to customize one of their templates.

Cory has a really good idea for a t-shirt that he wants designed. I love his idea. Unfortunately the design requires a specific color shirt, which is not available on VistaPrint. They have white, light gray, and black available - all good colors, just not for this specific shirt. No, I can't tell you about his design, because we wouldn't want someone designing it before we do!

Unfortunately, I'm not usually creative enough to come up with my own design ideas, so I like that VistaPrint has so many designs to choose from. Once I find one I like, I can add my own text, change fonts and colors, move things around, and completely customize my shirt. VistaPrint makes it easy, even for people for me who don't know where to start. I know I could get more creative, but I found a really nice design and added my blog URL. It really didn't need much customization because I like it just the way it is - just made the font a little bigger. I think I'm going to have to order a shirt, and I bet no one else will be wearing this one!

HDTV Winner Every Day in April

Unless you've been living in a cave and don't have television, you know that all television is going digital in June. That means without a converter box, or cable or satellite, you won't be able to watch television once the change goes into effect.

Charter wants to make sure you don't lose your television signal. They have some pretty good packages, and the best part is that you can use the Charter website to build the package that works best for you. Right now there's a bundle offer that gets you cable television, high speed internet, and local and long distance telephone for under $100/month for 12 months. If that bundle isn't what you're looking for, you can use the bundle builder to build your own. Personally I know a bundle like that would save us quite a bit of money.

To make it even better, Charter is giving away a 22” flat screen HDTV every day throughout April. New Charter customers and existing ones who would like to upgrade are eligible to win. Simply sign up for service online, and you're entered once Charter installs your Cable, Internet, or Phone service - or your money-saving bundle. Imagine how great all those HD channels are going to look on your new television! There's also a really great grand prize that includes a 52” LCD flat screen HDTV, a Home Theater System, and one year of free Charter Digital Cable® service with HD programming. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Charter still isn't available in my area, so I guess I won't get a chance to win a new TV or get a great deal on my Cable television, high speed internet, and phone service - but don't let that stop you!

Log Those Miles with BeeWell

I've been walking 2 miles every weekday morning since Cory was a baby. That's 16 years of walking. I haven't actually kept track of all my miles, but if I figure about 50 weeks at 10 miles each 16 years I get - a lot of miles! I should probably do the math, huh? One of these days.

I have been keeping track of my miles for about the last year on my LiveJournal. I got a new pair of walking shoes, and I wanted to keep track of the miles I walked in them. They've about reached the end of their life now, but they've served me well for 400 miles. (If I round to 400 miles per year for 16 years, I get 6400 miles - how's that for math?)

Today I signed up for BeeWell Miles , and I'm going to continue tracking my miles. Now it's for something even more important than knowing when it's time to replace the walking shoes. With BeeWell Miles, Bumble Bee Foods will donate $0.15/mile for every mile logged, up to $150,000. When more than 1 million miles are logged, Bumble Bee Foods will donate an additional $50,000, for a total of $200,000. Donations go to help Breast Cancer Network of Strength provide emotional support to those who can't wait for tomorrow's cure.

The campaign runs from 4/1/09-10/31/09, so it just started yesterday, and I've already logged my miles for yesterday and today. 60¢ gets donated for those miles, and by logging all my miles through the end of October, I can donate almost $2 per week. It may not sound like a lot, but I'm just one person. The more people who sign up for BeeWell Miles, the more miles that will get logged, and the more money that gets donated. Since Jeffrey started walking with me a little over a year ago (that's him in the picture) I ought to have him sign up and log his miles, too.

Besides being a great way to help other people, BeeWell Miles looks like a great way to get moving toward a healthier lifestyle. There are all kinds of resources on the site, like articles to help you get more benefits from walking or running, tips on eating well and making wise choices, community forums where you can meet and interact with other BeeWell members, and a great tool for calculating the mileage of your walking routes. So far that last one is the only one I've used. I found out that my route is actually 1.86 miles instead of actually 2 - but it still counts as 2 miles!

If you've been thinking about getting healthier, let BeeWell Miles help you. If you're already running or walking, why not log those miles and help make a difference for breast cancer NOW.

My House is Making Me Sick

While Cory and I were gone to New York, Jeffrey painted the hall bathroom. He says the whole house needs repainted, and he's probably right - after all, it hasn't been painted since the house was built, before we moved in. The problem is that we live here now. I walked into the house, and the smell hit me. I've been running the exhaust fan in the bathroom pretty much non-stop, and I hate hearing it run all the time, but if I don't the smell overwhelms me. It's just toxic.

I was fine the entire time we were gone. I did get a headache at the end of the Philharmonic concert, but that was because it was late and it had been a long day. However, even ''sleeping" on the bus on the way there and back didn't make me feel bad. Then, the first morning I'm home and wake up in my own bed - headache. I'm blaming it on the toxic paint fumes and that we left our bedroom door cracked a little so Tillie could come in if she wanted.

I have way too many things to get done around here. I do not have time to feel bad, and disability insurance doesn't cover things like not getting stuff done because of headaches - even if I had it. What I do may be worth a lot of money, if we had to pay someone to do it, but it doesn't qualify since I don't actually get paid to do it. So, I just keep telling myself that I don't have time to be sick. I don't think I'm listening, though - no headache this morning, but now I feel like I'm getting another cold. I don't know if I'm really getting sick or if it's the paint fumes still bothering me. If Jeffrey really thinks he has to paint the entire house, then I'm going to have to go away, for longer than a weekend, and not come back until the smell is gone. Can I move in with one of you?