It's Just the Coffee Talking

Hey, Only 12 Hours Late!

2012-01-31T19:37:00.000-06:00

I just made a fresh cup of coffee and here I am - on Coffee Talking for the first time today. Only 12 hours late.

Been on the go since about 5:am. Another day of AL hell.

This state sure makes things difficult for you to move to and get anything done.

I just shake my head and smile or laugh now when they have issues with EVERYTHING. Today our 'morning' goals were simply to get 2 vehicles' tags and titles done and get our daughter her road test for her license.

A good indication of how it went is just one of the many 'comedy of errors' we ran into; Tags and titles here are done at the county Probate Office. So I give her our proof of address and she questions if that is really our home address? Yes. Am I sure it's 123? Yes.

Interesting that the county REVENUE DATABASE does NOT have our address in it. They do not show a home there. They show 124 but not 123. She and a coworker looked, and decided to use the neighbors house "124" to verify MY residence since our house doesn't exist in the county database. Interesting when the house was built in 2007/2008 and we are the 3rd owners.

And we drove 50 extra miles trying to get the daughter's license paperwork done because that AL driver's permit she got transferred last month to 'make it easier' to get her license paperwork done now? Not so much. That old permit they hole punched and gave back to her as a joke to "frame on your wall" instead of throwing in the trash? NEEDED IT.   The AL permit dates made it look like she JUST got her permit last month and you have to have it at least 6 months before you can get a license. So another 50 mile round trip back to grab her old one (which she saved... thankfully) and made it back JUST in time before the lady went to lunch. But guess what? The other person who hole punched her old permit PUNCHED THE DATE.   So it was useless.

AND THAT IS JUST TWO OF 50 THINGS THAT WENT WRONG TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband didn't get his registration. My daughter didn't get her license. I DID get my trucks tags today - on January 31st but guess what? They are due for renewal... TOMORROW! Bah ha ha ha ha.

True Story.

It's all renewed by alphabet here and tomorrow is my name's renewal month.   I could either drive back again tomorrow (remember, it's a 50 mile trip) OR I could go ahead and get it transferred today and then I could do a renewal online (after I call in to get my PIN number from them, which have been mailed out to everyone already so I didn't get one).

I said: "Do what you have to do today. Let's get this done. I'll renew online later."

So in 5 hours we accomplished 1 of 3 goals.

That's pretty much my life down here.

One sobbing, red, burning eyes, snotty nose, collapse in a heap good cry later I washed my face, put my make up back on and went on with the rest of the day (which included updating our address and letting the school know we are no longer in their district - and what do I have to do to try to fight for my daughter to stay in this district at least until the end of the year?)   But I'm waging that fight tomorrow. I was too busy today.

Prom dress shopping from 3:30 - 6:pm.
Scanned documents for emailing to my Dad re; bill of sale and vehicle transferring for the grand daughter.
Whipping up dinner in a hurry.

In the middle of all: Brother had surgery. Cutting off and reattaching all muscles and major nerve from shoulder to hand. Bad news. Aspirated during. Got lungs cleared about 3 hours later. Now in hospital longer watching for pneumonia.

Now... where is my coffee?

Monday Morning Coffee Time!

2012-01-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

You guys have been with me through this entire relocation and all the bad luck since moving here... and I just have to laugh when I tell you why I'm late to the kitchen table this morning.

Another service call.

After we had Directv installed, the second their post went into the ground (right next to the corner of the garage where ALL the lines come into the house) the phone got static and internet started to go out at will. Sometimes for 10 seconds, one time for 2 1/2 hours.

Long story short, I demanded Directv come out and check if they installed the post on top of the phone line - which would directly affect the phone and the DSL.

He showed up today. Nice guy - I really liked him.

He said contrary to what Directv told me on the phone... they do not have the gadgets that they hold over the ground to see where lines are. And yes, he thinks the line was probably knicked. But the first step was checking the filters on the phone lines inside the house.

That would be the filters the installation guy NEVER installed. :)

So then he finds 1 phone jack is broke and lose.
The second line upstairs was installed backwards.
The third Directv receiver didn't even have a phone line running to it like it was supposed to.

This means the phones were incorrectly installed when the house was built.
The Directv guy installed the Directv wrong.
The line is most likely knicked when they dug the hole for the post.

Is this kind of service an Alabama thing? LOL!

He said the phone company is going to have to come out and run a line from the street to our home (about 1/2 acre) and we'll have to pay for it. Then we'll have to submit a claim to Directv to be reimbursed.

Ahhh. Joy. My truck. The heat. The refrigerator. Let's add it to the list. LOL.

Bring on more coffee!

Don't buy a dress through Tidebuy.com - Not a good Experience

2012-01-30T07:41:00.000-06:00

I'm going to do a 'normal' Coffee Talking post but I want to post this too as I believe in spreading the word when a company is completely unreasonable and has shoddy marketing practices.

This week my 16 year old daughter and I have been online looking for prom dresses. It reminded me to ask my older daughter (in college) how she ever came out with trying to get her money refunded on a dress she ordered online from a site called Tidebuy.com.

She found a dress she wanted to wear for a very special New Year's Eve date. She is a college student with very little money but she spent the $75 on the dress from Tidebuy.com (plus shipping) and was SO excited. She waited for it patiently as she was flying to our home 1000 miles away from school for Christmas, and then would be flying directly to Washington state to see her long distance boyfriend and celebrate New Year's.   The day before she flew here the package came. She was so excited!

Until she put it on. The dress was beautiful until a human put it on. The roushing was pretty, but they had ripped the fabric and there was a spot where it hung down and was not sewed in the seam. That was fixable with a little thread and needle but the top. Oh my.

The top of the dress was CUT POORLY.   Someone cut the top completely crooked so that a good 4 -5 inches were missing from the side of the bust. One side was fine, the other cut off so short that half of a boob hung out. Since I sew, she asked if I could fix it. We debated many different ways and even thought about buying a lace half top to wear over it, but nothing worked.

Their site promises returns and disputes if you contact them within 7 days and take pictures to prove your case.

They LIE. It ends up they are out of China and make the 'copy cat' dresses you see on the site. I'm sure they normally do a good job, but on orders like this where the product is so badly made it's unwearable, they DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT nor their website promise.

Actually, they hide behind their sudden 'lack of understanding English' and answered emails with "we are sorry you do not like your dress." They answered every one of her emails this way until she finally gave up (which I'm sure is what they plan on people doing.)

It's ripped, it's cut wrong. It's missing an entire piece of fabric. But they wouldn't return her money even though she would pay the shipping to send the dress back to them to see for themselves.

In the end it was almost $100 wasted for a dress that is unwearable. We spent two days in a rush, shopping to find her a new dress the week of Christmas.

Feel free to order if you wish, but be WARNED. Tidebuy.com is a website we will NEVER buy from again.

And - although I almost never, ever do this - as a Mom who saw her daughter taken advantage of and money pretty much 'stolen' from her, I decided the least I could do is warn others about prom dresses and homecoming dresses and wedding dresses from that site. You may not get what you were promised... and the dress might be so badly made it's unwearable.

Just Tired... Wish I Could See More for The Hours of Work

2012-01-29T17:27:00.000-06:00

Today, armed with an old worn out pair of leather gloves with holes in the thumbs, and a pair of clippers, I fought with briars for three hours in the front yard down by the creek. I didn't realize I was tired until my husband called out to me to see if I was tired of it yet. I stopped.

Standing at the base of the hill with my hands on my hips, I realized that yes, I was tired. And... the longer I stood there the worse it got. I could feel my legs turning to lead.

I called it 'done' for the day. But oh... how thick those briars are in some places. Like small trees. No one has done much yard work down there since about 2008. Oh my.

Sunday Morning Coffee.... so what'd you do yesterday? (Edited for comments)

2012-01-29T08:02:00.002-06:00

Last night we tried to watch a movie together (Husband, me and Girl Child) and although I like the movie Jumper, I could not keep my eyes open and by 10:00 pm I was bidding them goodnight. I think the movie ended about 10 minutes later but I couldn't do it. As I left the room my daughter called me "old" and laughed. I could only smile. Heck, even when I was 16 years old, 10:30 was late enough for me. I've always been an early bird. Never a night owl.

Yesterday I took the Girl Child to the mall. She made some good (smart and frugal) purchases with her Christmas money, including a very pretty frame for her room and even a purse that I wanted (from a great eclectic store) and liked but she had the money to spend yesterday, I didn't. LOL. We spent a good portion of it looking at prom dresses. That's a post for another day.

We didn't get home until about 6:pm last night and I jumped into high gear to get dinner on the table which was Grilled Cheeseburgers for my husband, Boca Burger for the daughter, Spicy Fries for them, homemade Turnip Fries for me and lastly, I needed to make a batch of homemade sugar free ketchup which needed to simmer 20 minutes. All done and on the table in 40 minutes.

I'm not sure what is on the agenda for today. Probably working on getting more dead wood cleaned up in the front yard and maybe building the rock around the drain in the ditch. There is SO MUCH that we need to do in and around the house... but it all takes money and we won't have any free for a while so even things like painting walls or buying rugs is off limits and of course the bigger things we need (like a dining room set) are not feasible.

Chirish, Joe, Judy, Karen, Tawny.... anyone want to chime in this morning over coffee?

*Comment Response:

Chirish - Funny, I had a vision of you getting up from a chair, walking to the window, opening it, stretching your arms out wide and proclaiming; Ahhh, my work here is done. LOL.

Joe: Work = money though right? LOL. So, in a way, it's a good thing???? :)

Tawni - I've been meaning to get out and take photos just for fun too. There is a really awesome rock (huge huge huge) at the base of a driveway I go by every day that I always swear I'm going to take a picture of because I love it so much... but I never have the time to stop and do just that.

Judy: I remember those photos and those posts!!! Yep. Geeze, was that 8 years ago??? I remember all those pictures of your back yard as you were working on it. Dang, 8 years? Really?

Why Yes, I AM Queen of the House and Of Course I Dress Like This When I Cook and Clean! (Doesn't every woman?)

2012-01-28T10:45:00.001-06:00

This morning is just a typical Saturday morning. Husband off to work and girl child just came downstairs to make some breakfast, feed the cats. She offered to make me breakfast... I suspect she's trying to butter me up to ask to go to the mall later. *wink*

Don't know if any of you are old song fanatics like I am... but, well, I am. I'm random and love almost all music and ever since I was a tiny child singing along to Roger Miller's "King of the Road" I've also loved Jody's response with "Queen of the House".

Sipping coffee this morning, planning the rest of my day and enjoying some old classics from the 60's.

Not a Bad Day...

2012-01-27T13:27:00.000-06:00

Edited.

This morning I wasn't online bright and early as usual because I actually had to be dressed, hair and makeup all done (for REAL, not just for a school run) before leaving the house at 7:10 to get the girl child to school. This is because I was not returning home. I went to morning mass at church.

My second visit, I might add!

Yes, that answers the question a couple of you asked me Wednesday. Did I ever get up the guts to go to the new church? I did. And because it's an early morning week mass, there are never many people there so it's held in a little chapel next to the sanctuary. It was a full house, but that was still only about 28 people. It was a little nerve wracking and some things were very new or different, but I really loved what I got from listening to the sermon and really had the most excellent day the rest of the day because of the positive start.

Mass is at 7:am on Tuesdays and Thursdays though, so that doesn't work for me. But I went again this morning. When I got home I got 2 letters wrote to my college kids and mailed (snail mail as they were also getting their new car insurance cards as well as a check) and then updated 2 of my other sites. Very productive. Very positive. Very laid back 'what the heck' kind of day.

I think, that is in part to the fact that I can see a tiny sliver of sunshine peeking through the clouds. It doesn't take much sunshine to make me happy but it does take a little bit. :)

Top Chef

2012-01-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

Written by my friend Teodoro Martin

I logged onto http://www.directstartv.com/ and upgraded our television package. I wanted to make sure that we had television because someone that we know is going to be a judge on Top Chef this season! We love to eat at a place in Athens, Georgia called Five and Ten. It is a great place with very interesting items on the menu. We have never had a bad meal there. It is really one of the best places that we have ever eaten. Anyway, the chef at Five and Ten has gotten pretty famous. He and the diner have been written up in most of the culinary magazines. He was recently asked to be a judge on Top Chef and agreed to do it. We were so excited when we heard the news, we had to make sure that we were going to be able to watch him on television. We actually stopped by when we were in Athens for a Georgia Bulldogs football game and congratulated him. We just can’t wait until we get to watch the new season. It is one of our favorite shows, and now we have one of our favorite chefs!

Thursday Morning Coffee Talk - A Bit Outdated

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

This morning I ended up immersed in researching our local and area police departments. It started out with an idea that if the Boy Child (who is currently studying Police Science in college) wanted to come live with us down south this summer, perhaps he could look into an internship with one of the cities or town's police departments.

You know how the internet sucks you in and you find yourself going off on random paths though....

The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia is a pretty good indication of law in many parts down South. I started a longer post with some incredible details about some of the scandals and lawsuits in the itty bitty towns surrounding our new home... but for anonymity sake I'm just going to say. "Oh My!" and leave it at that.

I also found myself on the website of one of local libraries. Honestly, I was shocked they had a website. Then I realized it was part of the city website, but believe me, in this particular area, even the fact that that city has a website is rather impressive. Anyway, my interesting reading this morning was the library was quite excited to announce they 4 computer's for use for people who needed to use internet, and if you had family in the military and wanted to talk to them they had a "special computer with a camera" you could use to actually talk to them. Better yet.... they stated they use the Dewey Decimal system.

I haven't been to a library in probably 18 years that still use the Dewey Decimal System and card catalogs. (I actually like this about them though! I love old libraries, love BOOKS and love looking them up in card catalogs. It reminds me of being in 3rd grade again and doing research for a book report at school!). :)

Anyway.... in some ways things are up to date down here but in about 70% of it, it's lagging and a bit outdated. The schools and education system are hopelessly outdated and lacking and lagging. But... I think that may be best saved for another day.

It's pouring down rain outside and although we aren't expecting tornadoes again this morning, they are warning about some serious flood issues. Luckily our home is on high ground, but the creeks below and the ditches can get pretty interesting to watch!

Off to get one more cup of hot coffee before I start cleaning and doing dishes. Thanks for joining me this morning. Have a good day!

For some... blogs are for entertainment. Others? Venting. Ranting.

2012-01-25T13:28:00.002-06:00

Chevy Chase ranting on Xmas Vacation

I don't really care to entertain anyone so obviously I started this blog in 2004 to vent, chit chat over coffee and talk to other adults when children just weren't holding up their end of the conversation. LOL.

I just hung up the phone after an HOUR of transfers that included speaking to "Mike" (yeah right) in India or Pakistan or wherever the heck he was from.

The issue: We had fast internet installed November 4th. Worked GREAT. Didn't really have any issues or complaints. We got DirecTv installed on January 16th. He decided not to put the satellite on the roof because it's a newer house and he said it would put 13 holes in our roof. He suggested a post in the ground. Sounded great to me! He did. We had television reception. I signed off. He left.

I got on the phone to hear static.
I got on the internet to find it was down.
Internet came back on but since then it goes down when it feels like it, up to 15 times a day. It stays out anywhere from seconds to over an hour.

For the past 12 days I've been playing detective. I've been on the phone (and very frustrated) with the internet people who were no help. (She kept trying to explain to me what an 'address bar' on my browser was and where to type a url!!!). I told her I knew where to type a url and I knew what an address bar was and her response was "Oh. Well, most people don't."

She wouldn't LISTEN to me, kept trying to follow her SCRIPT and because I was a page ahead of her, it took the patience of a saint (on my end) to let her catch up with me. In the end I hung up and manually reset the router myself, knowing full well that would NOT solve the problem, but she would not go any farther than that.

More days of stress as it went out last Wednesday right in the middle of an important online training session I was taking part in and had set up an appointment for.

Today I finally admitted to myself that I needed to go back DirecTv. (I knew it would be a huge headache so I was putting it off....)

ALL the problems started the second he installed the post into the ground next to our garage where ALL THE WIRES TO OUR HOUSE COME IN AT.

I think he knicked a wire when he installed it.

And thus started my hour of hell.

In the end... being transferred to people to people to people and finally getting an American in Mississippi that spoke English, I INSISTED (putting it mildly) they send someone out to simply check the installation done last week and ensure the post was not placed on top of our phone line - effecting our phone and DSL.

BOY DID I HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THIS!!!!!!

(Option they were insistent on was me having internet come out and fix it - paying out of my pocket - and then submitting a damage claim through them and waiting for it to be approved and reimbursed.)

UH NO! I am not going to be out over a $100 while two companies fight over who messed up.

So anyway... this post is just a vent.

Vent about horrible internet over the past 12 days.
Horrible customer service on the phone from two companies.
Vent about having American companies outsourcing to India and Pakistan when they NEVER SOLVE ANYTHING. (Seriously... in 9 years that I have gotten outsourced with our cellphone, tv, internet and computers I have NEVER had them understand well enough to help.)

So.. I'm done venting now.
And I have an appointment next Monday morning.

Thank You for listening.

A savings club for prescriptions when insurance isn't enough or doesn't exist

2012-01-20T15:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

This week I've been texting back and forth with the boy child to try to get his prescription for acne refilled in the city he goes to college in; from the doctor we had in the city before we moved away in October and the insurance that I have the card to and he didn't have a copy. Whew.

With prescriptions on the brain, I just smiled when I was given a chance to write about this very topic by Walgreens. It seems a good fit this week!

For those without insurance, or that have insufficient prescription coverage, then Walgreens Prescription Savings Club might be a good fit. It's a risk free membership, because if you don't save more than the cost of your membership during the course of the year of that membership, then they refund the difference. The thing is, right now it's only ten bucks and with savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and generic medications, I have a hard time believing you won't save that ten bucks with your first purchase.

For $10 a year, a family membership covers everyone in your immediate family, (your spouse, dependents 22 and younger and pets). If you are like my son and are a single individual, then it's $5. Not only will you save on your prescriptions, but members of the savings club also save on flu shots, nebulizers and diabetic supplies as well as bonuses on Walgreens purchases, Nice! brand products and photo services.

For more information or to 'like' them, check out Walgreens on Twitter and also, Walgreens on Facebook.

Blowin' in the Wind - Her Wall

2012-01-19T18:41:00.001-06:00

Remember when I told y'all the girl child decided her bedroom walls would be 2 silver and 2 black? (And my husband offered to hang a few old KISS posters up since it would match so well?).

Last week she told me she wanted 2 dandelion's for her wall decor.

"You know dandelion's are weeds right?" LOL.

Well, they arrived this afternoon and I got them up.

They are quite pretty 'weeds' if you ask me. (As long as they aren't blowing their nasty little seeds into my garden or my lawn!)

The daughter's room after I put up the wall images

Edit to add:

Thanks for the comments. We really like it. And the whole "you want a weed on your wall" comment was teasing my daughter. As for the benefits of dandelions - believe it or not I've had them before. Yes.... as in, for dinner. LOL. But my best friends Mom picked them when they were too old (you have to young leaves) so they were too bitter. I also practiced (loosely) homeopathic medicine in the late 90's so I know about the medicinal properties of our plants.... but I admit, life got far too busy with 3 kids under 5 years, all our relocation's, running our house hold and adding pets to the mix. The 'homepathic me' faded away and I now have a bottle of asprin, Excedrin back and body, Aleve and some cold meds in my cabinet just like most of the rest of the country. LOL.

PS: You can find this design at hundreds of places online. Just search for 'wall art' 'wall words' or 'vinyl wall decor' and you'll find a billion things to choose from. I've ordered from a couple different companies over the years and they are all really similar.

Ya Can't Fix Stupid

2012-01-19T10:51:00.000-06:00

You just can't fix stupid.
And unfortunately that includes an awful lot of traffic cops.

A disabled woman is frustrated after she received a $100 ticket for parking in a spot designated for handicapped drivers. She says she even had the proper tag.

Anne Harper told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri she usually parks in the same handicapped space in her apartment complex garage on Pharr Road in Buckhead.

"The ticket has my license plate number written on it. So, they obviously had to look at my license plate to write that down," Harper said.  (Her license plate is a handicapped license plate!)

Harper uses a wheelchair and is a T9 paraplegic, "Which means that from here down, I have no feeling and no function," she told Viteri, pointing to her waist.

Nine years ago, Harper fell while doing roofing work and suffered a severed spinal cord. Most frustrating for her is that non-handicapped people often park in the few handicapped spaces at her building. Even worse, she says, is when they park in the area between the spaces.

"I have to have enough room to open my door all the way, so I can take my wheelchair apart and put it in my car with me," Harper explained.

Atlanta police spokesperson Curtis Davenport told Viteri in a statement, "After looking into the incident, we have determined the ticket was written in error. We are working with the court system to have the citation dismissed."  (Gee, ya think!?  Mighty big of ya there Bubba.)

Harper said she would also appreciate more enforcement against people that don't realize who they're inconveniencing when parking illegally.

"Just frustrating how many people, I come here every day, that are parked here and shouldn't be and don't get any tickets for it," she said.

Atlanta police said they regularly patrol parking lots and garages, including those on private property, to prevent car break-ins and to ticket those illegally parked in fire lanes or handicapped spots.  

Oh Great. I AM getting Old.

2012-01-18T06:56:00.000-06:00

I have a sliver of a thorn in my thumb from walking in the woods yesterday.
It's tiny but painful.
Tried to get it out but it's barely, barely at the surface.

I was really concentrating hard to see it (just as I do to read tiny print these days on things like the bottom of lipstick tubes or directions on medication bottles).

On a whim I pulled out a pair of 'reading glasses ' I have that just magnify things (not a prescription) that I only have because they were a joke. I got them about 4 years ago as a joke from a very blind-as-a-bat coworker. But for whatever reason, I kept them and have them.

So I put them on.

And I could see the sliver (and teeny, tiny words) great.

Well crap.

I guess that means I'm officially getting old. I'll be needing reading glasses to start reading the tint print (and see tiny slivers in my thumb) soon.

As If! A coffeemaker in the bathroom is not a sign of addiction. It's an amenity.

2012-01-16T07:37:00.001-06:00

This morning I told my husband we needed to get a Keurig Mini Coffee Brewer for the bathroom. He laughed at me. I told him I was serious. That way we could have coffee first thing in the morning when we woke up and while we got dressed. He told me that was a sign. A sign of what? Coffee addiction. LOL.

What!? They have them in hotels!

A morning visitor... or two

2012-01-14T07:34:00.001-06:00

I settled down with some coffee to write some freelance articles that have been sitting in my 'to do' box all week. Suddenly I hear one of our cats hiss.

That is an anomaly.

I went to investigate which cat, and why they were hissing, when something caught my eye through the glass of the patio door.   About 10 feet from my deck there was a fox happily trotting up into our woods from the front yard.

It was huge too. Not the scrawny little things I've seen over the years living in northern Minnesota or the Midwest, or on the cross country drives we make. This one was large, healthy, had a thick tail and was walking around like he owned our land - not hiding in the weeds and skunking down like most sneaky fox. Just happily going about his business as he did not know a human was in the vicinity.

And as soon as I said, "Oh my gosh, there is a fox in my backyard."

There was another one!

Two.   Two healthy, huge fox were trotting through my yard and into the woods that begin about 20 feet from my back door.

Just in case it might be a parade of fox today, I ran to grab my camera, but alas... I only saw the two. The parade was over.

Monday Morning Coffee Talk!

2012-01-09T07:51:00.000-06:00

The girl child is off to school with a bag full of fresh supplies (notebooks, binder, calculator, protractors, sketch pads, etc.) The new semester started last week with an all new schedule and new list of supplies, which I told her payday was Friday so we'd get them this weekend. And we did. And I learned... never, ever, ever go to the local Walmart on a Saturday afternoon. For anything. Ever.

We got there around 2:00 and needed school supplies of course, but I was able to cut out a trip to the grocery store by getting some groceries there as well, and we needed bookcases for my daughter's room. We got all our shopping done in that crazy store with a horrible lay-out by 3:50, and got in line.

Did someone declare last Saturday another CHRISTMAS and forget to tell us?

Lines were 8 and 9 people deep!!!

We waited in line from 3:55 until we checked out at 4:37 pm. Luckily I had my Kobo eReader in my purse so I read 2 chapters in my Sci-Fi novel while I waited. The crowds were crazy.

No more Walmart on Saturday afternoon... even if they DO have the best prices.

Do you know what we did after that? We added a hamster to the family. (Sigh).

My daughter has been asking for one since her last one passed away while we were on vacation almost 2 years ago (?). She stepped up her campaign last Spring and Summer and apparently, in a moment of mindlessly answering her and tired of listening I uttered the words "Wait until we move."

And she reminded me of my words. And said she would pay for it all herself.

So, a hamster has joined the Coffee Haus and the cats are 'interested' but not alarmingly so.

Lots going on around the Coffee Haus and some 'to do' lists to make, and prioritizing to be done. I think I need to go brew a fresh cup of java and get to work. I may be back during my next 'coffee' break though.

Good Morning friends!!!!

But... How?

2012-01-07T07:18:00.000-06:00

When I see photos of women with really long nails

trying to get into the world record books,

I can't help but think;

"How in the world do they go to the bathroom?"

WTF? Did NO ONE else want to run for office?

2012-01-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

I read this in the news while sipping my coffee and thought;

"Seriously, how desperate is Alburtis, Pennsylvania that they would elect THIS kid to their county Board?" OMG.

".... A teenager elected to a Pennsylvania borough council seat took office a few hours after pleading guilty to stalking and escape charges.

Nineteen-year-old Kyle Bower was sworn in Wednesday night as the newest member of the Alburtis Borough Council.

Earlier in the day Bower was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a pair of misdemeanors for throwing a brick through his ex-girlfriend's window and slipping out of handcuffs during an alcohol-related arrest.

At his court appearance Bower told Lehigh County Judge Robert Steinberg he's a changed man since he stopped drinking. He says he's pursuing his General Educational Development diploma after dropping out of high school.

Bower still faces case on charges including resisting arrest, escape and public drunkenness in neighboring Berks County."

Grey, grey, grey or uh, grey......

2012-01-04T12:30:00.002-06:00

Want to make your brain crazy? Start looking at all the different shades of.... grey.

Actually, white is worse... especially if you are trying to match something. But now that I'm dealing with shades of grey I'm amazed at how indecisive I am.

Too silver.
Too lilac.
Too blue.
Too dark.
Too shimmery.
Too light.
Too white.
Too purple.

I'm leaning towards Grey Heather or Pebble Grey by Glidden... and I suspect I'm subconsciously not making decision in part, because once the decision is made there is no reason I should go buy the paint and start the job. The big job. A big bedroom. With a tray ceiling. And crown molding.

And the girl child is still waiting for me to start on her Victoria's Secret PINK bathroom stripes.

Kathy Lipke said...: Just finished a clients master bedroom in grey, we chose Rocky Bluffs by Valspar. Earlier this year another client went with Dovetail by Sherwin Williams. Both colors were beautiful.

Response: Thanks for the heads up on those two colors! I checked them both out online. I liked BOTH actually - but wonder if perhaps they will be a shade too dark. I already have our bedding and curtains and they are a darker shade of grey so I was leaning towards the lighter grey to offset it. However, I found a blog where the blogger posted photos of her Dovetail colored room and you are right - very nice! Decisions.... do you realize you just ADDED two more shades to my already difficult decision? bah ha ha! j/k. Thanks for the input! I'm going to get a sample of Rocky Bluffs for my wall.

UPDATED: Can squirrels climb brick walls?

2012-01-02T07:45:00.002-06:00

Updated: This is no longer a problem. We had peanut butter on the traps, but I had dh go outside and get an acorn to put on top of the peanut butter last night. Tonight we found the little critter in the trap. In the end, we found he was a flying squirrel. Note: not a tame little pet Sugar Glider (different species) but a common, wild, southern flying squirrel. Which explains how he was able to get onto roof from towering trees 80 feet away. Flying squirrels and scorpions in our home.... welcome to the South.

I've spent the last couple hours updating my websites, eating 4 pieces of toast, having another cup of coffee and listening to the elusive squirrel squeaking and running around our attic above my head before realizing I've just lost a good 4 hours of sleep.... with nothing to really show for it.

PS: That squirrel? Mouse traps, rat traps, poison..... nothing can thwart him so far. We are at a loss how he even got in there as there are no trees 'that' close to the roof - yet my husband found acorns on his last squirrel hunting trip to the attic last weekend. He must be getting in and out some way. There are a couple air vents that lead to nothing but a 3 story drop to the ground below. Can squirrels climb brick walls? Maybe we have a Ninja Squirrel.

PS: Answer to comment....
Yep, he's a squirrel. He's been seen. Just not caught. And the attic area of this house is huge, huge, huge and has three separate 'rooms' with two different levels. (Crazy roof lines.) Dh is up there again now moving the bigger 'rat' trap to above my office area since he likes to be in this area around 5:am each morning.

Comments while looking through the Christmas Cards....

2012-01-01T11:13:00.000-06:00

My husband never paid attention to the Christmas Cards coming in this past month and is just now sitting down and going through them. I'm laughing at some of the comments he is making...

Like the one from Uncle Bert (not his real name... he is an online friend and reader of Coffee Talking);

"He makes unique X's! I've never seen anyone do that before."

And from a friends family with 3 cats - which they included photos of;

"Oh look at that. They have cats. In outfits."

And from some good friends and old neighbors of ours from Minneapolis;

"You know, they haven't changed one bit. Not one bit! Not in fifteen years. That's amazing. Unless... this is an old picture."

This is entertaining.

Online all the time

2011-12-28T08:18:00.002-06:00

Guest post of the week by Moises Henderson

Being online all the time has meant good things for my social life, to be honest with you. Before I got clear wireless internet service at home I didn’t really check my Facebook or anything often but now that I’m constantly updating my status and whatnot I get invited to a lot more parties and things like that. I think it’s really cool that I’m able to keep up with my friends and my old college buddies without ever having to leave home which is good since I work from home, too! It’s hard to get a lot done when I’m on Facebook all day but you know, I think everyone expects that in this digital day and age. There’s something to be said for having a large social network and that’s exactly what I’ve got – there’s nothing different about my online “friends” and my real life ones except that I talk to my online friends more at the end of the day! My mom loves that I’m able to share my photos, too.

I've crossed over to the dark side. I'm now a Kobo eReader.

2011-12-26T06:34:00.001-06:00

It's 6 am and I'm on my third cup of coffee. Not that it's needed for any reason, but chilly, dark, silent mornings go so well with fresh, hot coffee.

Was it a year (or two?) ago when we first had a discussion about eReaders on coffee talk? About how my husband wanted to get me one, but I was holding out. I knew the benefits, I knew I would end up loving it, but I was not ready to cheat on my beloved 'real' books.

I love books. I love the feel of one in my hand. I love the turning of the pages, the smell, the comfort of it in my hands. I love the history that library books reveal about their past borrowers. The coffee mark, the pencil underline, the turned down dog ears of the pages where they marked their place. I love the feel of the book resting on my thighs as I lay in bed and read before falling asleep.

But I also know the benefits of a slim lined eReader, the ability to have a library of books at my fingertips, the weightlessness of packing for vacations when I'm not fitting 3 large novels in my suitcase for the week ahead.

And this is the year I finally was brought into the realm of people with eReaders. Although not completely ready to give up my beloved books, I am now the owner of a Kobo eReader Touch and it was, indeed, love at first sight. I didn't even need time to acclimate to it. Considering my local library wants me to pay $50 a year for a library card, I feel little to no guilt for coming over to the dark side.

I've tried for about 35 minutes to get this mornings' coffee talking post written but my brain is so full of 'must do' 'don't forget' 'write this down' 'check on this' 'pay this' 'must remember to''s that I'm afraid my thoughts are wandering. Good morning to each of you.... I'm off to organize my thoughts.

Rain Rain, Go Away... My Poor, Starving, College Students are Here!

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-06:00

Rain rain, go away.... I feel like all it's done since moving here is rain. We get a brief respite from it for a day or two (of clouds) and then it's back. No wonder there is so much mold down here.

This house finally has a real family in it. Yes, the two older kids arrived last night. Being poor, starving college students, all they could talk about, text about and think about was food. The texts started while they were still on the plane;

"Do you have lots of food?"
"No. We have cookies. And milk. But that is for Santa. We have some Ramen noodles though."
"Noooooooooo!"

*grin*

The drive home made my son insane as I would announce that we still had 5 more miles to go. Still had 2 more miles to go. LOL. All he could do is talk about how hungry he was. (They had not ate all day as he only had $6 in his pocket and didn't want to spend it on an airport sandwich!).

In reality, I broke our budget 2 days ago to buy groceries. It may have been painful but paid off when he opened the refrigerator and the look on his face and the gasp that came out of his mouth was like he had discovered the holy grail.

Cool eyeglasses for the cost of a couple coffee's

2011-12-20T13:50:00.001-06:00

This post brought to you by Zenni Optical. All opinions are 100% mine.

A couple years ago, while at my previous job, I inherited the office and desk of a previous director. Although she had cleared out most of her things, the bottom drawer held a variety of objects, including a fun pair of bright red reading glasses. I tried them on, laughed at how blurry and crazy things looked with them and then popped them back into the drawer.

Fast forward a few years and hours upon hours of looking at computer screens, coupled with my age no doubt, has made me realize glasses might be in my not-too-distant future. Luckily I've already found cheap eyeglasses online... that don't look lower priced at all.

When it comes to eyeglasses you don't have to invest a lot of money to look like you did. Even buying eyewear during the holidays can still leave you with some jingle in your pocket as these frames start under 7 bucks. That's like buying two black coffee's at the local coffee shop! Since eyewear can run into the hundreds of dollars you can save big bucks and purchase some great gifts for friends and family instead. Watching your Mom open that framed print you had made of your siblings as children, or being able to get the video game or movie your child wanted sure beats having to spend it on eyeglasses.

Fun and fabulous, smart and sassy, colors that can show off your eyes, your personality or even your festive spirit this holiday season. I found some great brilliant red frames that caught my eye; what about you? Check out their website to see if you can find a pair that have your name all over them. Feel free to let me know which are your favorites!

Update on Holiday Baking and Goodies

2011-12-19T21:47:00.000-06:00

Cowboy Joe was asking me what I've made so far for the holidays... well, I'm about half way there. Let's see if I get the rest made before this weekend....

Made:

Angel Bars (OMG these are incredible...)
Gateau Bon Bons (made with almond flavored centers using marzipan)
Harris Fruitcake (not a real fruitcake as it's made with graham crackers and marshmallows... mmm)
M&M and Hershey's Kisses Pretzel Rings and Squares
Peanut Blossoms
Peanut Butter Fudge
Peppermint Tea Cakes
Red Velvet Cake Balls
Ginger Molasses Cookies (1 of 3 batches made)
Salted Nut Chews
Candy Dipped Pretzel Sticks
Snowflake Sugar Cookies (pictured above)
Cashew Rolls
Twix Style Bars

Still Hope to Make:

Almond Tea Cakes
Candy Cane Cookies
Cream Wafers
English Toffee
Gingerbread People with Baked on Icing
Lemon Meltaways
No Bake Cookies
Rosettes (a Scandinavian Tradition in my family)
Russian Tea Cakes
Sugar Cookies - Trees and Stars
More Molasses Ginger Cookies ( a favorite of everyone so I make 3 batches)

Are you guys making anything yummy this year you would like to share with the rest of us?

It's Cookie and Cake Ball Day

2011-12-19T12:52:00.001-06:00

I'm trapped in the kitchen surrounded by confectioner's sugar, vanilla, mixers, decorator's bags, frosting tips and sprinkles!

If I survive this sugar laden land I'll check in later... with coffeeeeeeeeee!

Updated: I survived. The snowflake cookies are all decorated and the cake balls are complete. I survived the sugarland kitchen but admittedly, not in the mood for coffee talk tonight. Good night y'all.

It's Becoming My Nightly Habit

2011-12-17T18:16:00.000-06:00

Long, busy days.
Stress.
Living in a new city, a new state where I don't know anyone.
A string of bad luck since moving here.

At the end of the day I just want to relax.

So over the past week I've taken to a nightly ritual.
A habit perhaps.
Or it's becoming one.

I grab a glass from the cupboard.
I fill it with ice.
I walk to the cupboard and open the doors, reaching for the bottle I know is waiting for me.

As I unscrewed the cap tonight I watched the liquid slosh over the ice in the glass,
I put the cap back on and as my hand reached to put it back in the cupboard I noticed for the first time really, how quickly the level was diminishing.

I've averaged one, sometimes two a night for the past 4 nights.
The bottle may soon be empty if I keep this up.

Perhaps it's become a habit.

Probably not a good one as it turns my mouth and lips almost black.
My drink of choice each night, after a hard day?
Grape Snow Cones. On the rocks. With a spoon.

When I wore my marketing and advertising hat....

2011-12-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

With this most recent relocation to a new state, our house needs so much cleaning, repair, organization and work that I have no intention of immediately starting a job outside the home... but I admit that weekly, I do still search the job ads to see if by chance an opening in my field.

I've been lucky in my past positions that I've worked in organizations where I've been able to wear a lot of hats, and learn new skills and use my talents as much as I wish. It's a perk of working in non-profit organizations where the lines between departmental job descriptions are often blurred. One of the most challenging but exciting hats I've worn was taking on the marketing positions at two previous jobs. Both of which were stuck in the 'old' way of marketing (take out an ad in the local newspaper) and needed to be pushed (sometimes kicking and screaming) into the current world of websites, internet searches and social media marketing.

If an organization is full of 'old school' employees that aren't up to date with the electronic world we now live in, sometimes the best thing to do is hire someone who knows their stuff. Companies like That Advertising Agency. The internet is their playground. While print ads, tv and radio are still utilized, more and more people are watching and listening online. They can partner these strategies with social media marketing and SEO to bring a creative, effective advertising campaign with measurable results. They'll even track your campaign continually to make sure it's bringing you the results you want, or they'll work on new strategies until you, the customer, are happy.

I heard from my old boss last night in an email and he reported that attendance is up higher than ever - which is mainly due to changes we made since 2010 by increasing our online presence and investing in our website and social media marketing. It's today's world.

If you've procrastinated this long, today is your day!

2011-12-16T07:02:00.000-06:00

More than 2,500 retailers will participate in Free Shipping Day today!

Best Buy, DSW Shoes, Overstock.com, the Apple Store and Barnes and Noble are just a handful of the retailers offering free shipping with the promise of delivery by Christmas.

Last year's Free Shipping Day generated nearly $1 billion in sales, beating Black Friday for internet sales. The event grew from 250 retailers in 2008, its inaugural year, to 1,750 in 2010. For coupons and a full list of retailers, visit www.freeshippingday.com.

Starbucks offers this weekend only....

2011-12-10T10:11:00.002-06:00

I've been so busy with the relocation, moving, and all the problems that have plagued us since arriving that I've not had the time to post some of the Christmas holiday COFFEE offers that are surrounding us! This morning I'm on the tail end of some great Starbucks offers and wanted to pass them along.

To get the special offers you text MERRY to 697289 to have offers sent to your phone. (Message and data rates may apply)



December 10:: Tazo® Tea Sampler or Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew Gift Pack Sampler $12.95 (regular price $16.95-19.95) 12/10/2011 only. Quantities limited.


December 11:: Holiday Boxed Mugs $6.95 (regular price $9.95) 12/11/2011 only. Quantities limited.


December 12:: Free brewed coffee during the month of January 2012 When you purchase and use this 16 oz tumbler. $19.95 (over $70 value) 12/12/2011. Quantities limited. Restrictions apply. See tumbler hangtag/insert for details.

Text MERRY to 697289 to have offers sent to your phone.

(Updated.... an hour later) Heating Guys are Here Now.... 6 nights without heat

2011-12-08T09:44:00.001-06:00

The heat guys showed up.

They seem nice enough, but boy, I've got to get used to this Alabama way of thinking. I'm 'just a girl' so it's obvious I'm being dismissed and when I asked for a laymen terms explanation about how the system works so I at least have a working knowledge of it and the system have, the main guy just turned around, ignored me and started to work on the system. The quiet hung in the air so I asked another question. The 'other' guy then gave me a simple explanation about how they reverse the refrigerant to heat, about how when it gets really cold like it did last night, it's better to put it on 'emergency heat' and not the heat pump, as it will never get your house warm in heat pump mode, and how emergency heat doesn't really mean 'emergency', it just means 'running on electricity only'.

See? Even that little bit affords me a working knowledge of it.

Anyway. They are here. I'm huddled here in the office area with a space heater and fresh cup of coffee to warm my fingers. My bedroom was 48 degrees this morning.

UPDATE: or 'down' date as I'm not very up about it. The heat was working, they left. I went upstairs to work on putting up clothes rods in my daughter's closet. Came downstairs and after about 15 minutes realized the house wasn't getting any warmer. Sure enough, nothing coming out of the registers. Thermostat checked, turned off, turned on, breakers checked.. fan and auto checked, heat and emergency heat checked. No dice.

They are coming back within the 'hour'. Oh for pete's sake. Can we not have ONE THING GO RIGHT SINCE MOVING HERE? Why does Alabama hate us?

Night number 5 with no heat....

2011-12-06T13:50:00.001-06:00

Tonight will be our 5th night with no heat.
And even though we are in the South, it's cold here right now! Last Friday when it went out it was down to 27 degrees that night!

Apparently they don't work on heat pumps when it's raining.
Even when you tell them it's the air handler in the garage that is broken.

And days like today when it's not raining, they don't call you back to schedule the service.
So when you call them, they say it's just so hard to know if the rain will start up again that they aren't doing any calls today either.
And there is still moisture in the air anyway.

And would you like to be put on the schedule for tomorrow after noon?

Uh, yeah? Hello? I NEED HEAT!
Why would I be taken off the schedule to begin with? I put in my service order on Sunday!

And tomorrow we are expecting more storms again too.

(We have a home warranty with the house so I have to go through their company. If I use anyone else it won't be covered.... ) But if they send out any survey's after the service is performed you can BET YOUR SWEET BOOTIE I'm going to be honest!!!!!!

$20 Regal Cinema Gift Cards are up for Grabs this Week from Gilbert the Gift Card Machine

2011-12-05T20:00:00.001-06:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gift Card Weekend for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Starting today, December 5th, and lasting all week, 'Gilbert the Gift Card Machine' is giving away more than a hundred $20 Regal Cinemas gift cards.

All you need to do is 'like' Gift Card Weekend on their Facebook page. And, you can share with your Facebook friends, receiving an extra chance to win for every 'like' you influence.

So what is "Gift Card Weekend?" It's a once-a-year event where participating retail partners give featured offers for gift cards purchased during the holiday season and can be redeemed one special weekend; from January 6 - January 8, 2012.

Participating stores and restaurants:

JCPenny
Regal Cinema
Subway
Sephora
Applebee's
Bass Pro Shops
Adidas
Buca di Beppo
Lowe's
Spa Finder
Marriot
Giant Eagle

Each week is a different retailer, but if you know someone who loves one of these cool stores, feel free to purchase a special Gift Card Weekend gift card of your own for them. If they love the store (or you do, and you want to spread the love) and they are available to redeem it on Gift Card Weekend, be sure to check them out.

A Sumatran Monday Morning

2011-12-05T07:22:00.002-06:00

Monday! Good Morning Coffee friends! This morning is K-cup's Sumatran Reserve from Green Mountain.

Yesterday I submitted a work order online for service on the heat pump unit. It's actually the air handler part of it that won't talk to our thermostat I think. But at this point I don't care. I'm calling in the troops to fix it so I don't have to think about it anymore.

The husband just came into the office, groggy and sleepy and rubbing his face. It seems he is off today and is going to take the girl child to school and then pick up more boxes from the apartment and move them to the house. This frees me up to do a little more freelance writing - which is good because I have two jobs waiting for submission. I can also be here if by chance the electric heat pump tech calls! Although, when the husband returns, I'll be heading out to Lowe's to get the paint and supplies for our daughter's bedroom and bathroom DIY projects. (Victoria's Secret PINK bathroom theme... complete with striped walls).

And baking.... must continue holiday baking. 2 goodies made last night and ready for freezer. Only about 22-ish more to go! :)

Comment Answers:

MonkeyDragon.... " ..... trade you, my girl child of the same age is requesting a free-hand artsy wall mural with existential undertones and Orwellian themes for her room..."

Ah - that would be my SON requesting that one.

Online Shopping Beats Driving Around for Hours

2011-12-02T08:54:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I threw on a vest, light scarf and Uggs and headed out the door to pick up my daughter from school, intending to come right back home. As I sat in the parking lot waiting for the kids to be released, she texted me to say she wanted to go somewhere and do something and not just go straight home. Being that we are new here and don't know people yet, we do spend a lot of time at the new house in solitude. Mom and Dad don't mind, but for a fifteen year old it's stifling! So, off we went. Window shopping for house items. Three hours, 55 miles round trip and wasted gas later we came home without having purchased anything.

As we shopped I found myself telling my daughter; "We need so many things for the new house that it's overwhelming. I can't even begin to focus or make a decision!" And it's true. I get overwhelmed and don't even know where to start!

I'm often online looking up everything from classy bedding to rugs, to curtains to furniture! When we moved in we not only were in need of basics like beds and mattresses, but we didn't even have a refrigerator, washer or dryer - much less the dishes, pots and pans and entryway rugs we needed.

After eating off paper plates for a week, my daughter and searched through what seemed like a hundred contemporary dinnerware sets and chose one that we love, is comfortable and goes with our kitchen style and design.

Because it's so overwhelming to need so many different items for a new home, it's awesome to find sites online that let me shop and browse for so many different items at once. Not only can I see best prices on the items I know I need, but it often sparks a brainstorm of other items I had forgotten we need or didn't know existed, (corner group beds ) and let's me see the reviews for products others have tried and loved or hated. Price comparisons, product reviews and hot deals... from the comfort of my own home and not driving around a new metro area wasting gas and time and feeling overwhelmed with the possibilities!

Mmmm Starbucks Sumantra Blend for Keurig this morning.....

2011-12-02T07:12:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I saw they were coming out with K-cups for the Keurig by Starbucks. Although I'm not a fan of Starbucks coffee in their coffeeshop (they always, always taste burnt to me, no matter the blend I order), I do like their coffee that I grind at home.

When it finally hit the stores it was about 2 dollars higher than all the other coffee brands and choices, and it comes with fewer k-cups in the package so I avoided it. This weekend I stumbled upon a $1.50 coupon off so I purchased it to try it. And? And it's pretty darn good. Thumbs up. Don't plan on buying it regularly until they come down off their high horse and lower the price to be comparable to everyone elses, or at least put just as many k-cups in the package... but when they do, it's a product I would buy.

I have to bring my daughter to school right now so I'll be back in about an hour for 'coffee talk'!

Free Torani Flavored Syrups to.....

2011-11-21T12:30:00.000-06:00

Judy AND nimrodiel!

On this particular blog I have enough coupons for free Torani Syrup to send you BOTH a freebie! A full sized bottle of whichever flavor you choose at your local merchant. (If you lived close to me I'd hand deliver a bottle of Peppermint Syrup as I already owned one full bottle I bought and they sent me another!). Oh well, mint everything in December, from homemade mint ice cream to mint hot cocoa! LOL.

I need a mailing address to send the coupons to. Please email me.

Would you like a splash of flavored syrup with your coffee? Enter to win!

2011-11-18T10:55:00.003-06:00

Contest Closed!

The number one flavored syrup in America is Torani and they have over 100 flavors to entice you with! (They offer sugar free versions too!)

This week I enjoyed a free bottle of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup compliments of SheSpeaks.com and Torani Flavored Syrups. While great in coffee, I personally love it even better in cooking. From desserts to fruits, flavored soda's to oatmeal. Have fun finding new ways to use it. You can order from the vast choices online at Torani.com with a special code to save 10% (use offer code "shespeaks") but I've also got a bottle (free coupon) to give out to one lucky Coffee Talking reader for free!

A splash of syrup and a dash of milk for an amazing coffeehouse style drink or perhaps an Italian Soda? The choice is yours. Comment below with your favorite flavor (make sure your email is linked to your user name or you leave it for me, or else I won't be able to get a hold of you!). I will draw one random winning email/name next Monday, November 21, 2011 at 12:noon. If you prefer to email me your comment and name (and not post it on the website) you can do that too. All entries will be created equal.

Regular Flavors Available from their website:

Vanilla
Raspberry
Strawberry
French Vanilla
Irish Cream
Syrup Dispensing Pump
Almond Roca®
Amaretto
Apple
Bacon
Black Currant
Blackberry
Blood Orange
Blue Raspberry
Blueberry
Brown Sugar Cinnamon
Butter Pecan
Butter Rum
Butterscotch
Cane Sweetener
Caramel
Chai Tea Spice
Cheesecake
Cherry Lime
Cherry
Chocolate Bianco
Cookie Dough
Chocolate Mac Nut
Chocolate Milano
Chocolate Mint
Cinnamon
Classic Caramel
Classic Hazelnut
Classic Root Beer
Coconut
Coffee
Crème Caramel
Crème de Banana
Crème de Cacao
Crème de Menthe
Cupcake
English Toffee
French Vanilla
Gingerbread
Grape
Green Apple
Guava
Hazelnut
Honey Vanilla
Huckleberry
Irish Cream
Italian Eggnog
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Macadamia Nut
Mango
Maple
Orange
Orgeat (Almond)
Passion Fruit
Peach
Peanut Butter
Peppermint
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Spice
Raspberry
Red Raspberry
Ruby Red Grapefruit
Salted Caramel
Shortbread
Strawberry
Tangerine
Tiramisu
Toasted Marshmallow
Vanilla Bean
Vanilla
Watermelon

Reebok Refunds

2011-11-14T03:01:00.001-06:00

This post brought to you by Reebok Settlement. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know if any of you bought into the fad of 'toning shoes' over the last few years, but my oldest daughter did. As a matter of fact I found two pairs in her closet as I was packing to move; both of which tossed aside after she realized wearing them did not tone her backside like she had seen in the ads. At the time she first showed me her new shoes and explained how they were toning shoes, I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. She isn't the only one who bought into the ads; there is now a class action lawsuit

We aren't part of it and have no plans to join it, but I'm happy to pass along the information. If you purchased certain Reebok toning shoes and/or apparel from December 5, 2008 through October 12, 2011, you may be eligible to receive payment from a class action lawsuit alleging that Reebok violated certain state laws regarding the marketing and sale of toning shoes and apparel. For the record; Reebok denies all wrongdoing. The Court did not decide which side was right. Instead, the parties have decided to settle.

To be part of the Reebok settlement you must have purchased one of these products;

Eligible Shoes:

Easy Tone
RunTone
JumpTone
SlimTone
EasyTone Flip
Train Tone
SimplyTone

Eligible Apparel:

EasyTone Capri
EasyTone Shorts
EasyTone Sleeveless Shirt
EasyTone Pants
EasyTone Long Bra Top
EasyTone Short Sleeve Top

Morning Coffee.... Kid is off from school today too

2011-11-11T07:02:00.000-06:00

In 15 years of having kids in school, my kids have never had today off. I asked DD if all the kids were going to spend their day 'off' from school to go to cemeteries and nursing homes and visit family members houses today to honor the veterans that fought for our country? She said no of course, so I said, "Then I think you all need to be in school!"

For the record though, they are off.

Plans? I am currently in the apartment with coffee but preparing to go out to the house again. I'd like to clean more of the baseboards in the basement with bleach solution and like it or not I've got to get started on the master bathroom which I haven't cleaned yet, outside of cleaning the inside of drawers and lining them with adhesive drawer liners. I need to tackle the bathroom floor and unpack bedroom boxes. I'm hoping to hang at the house most of the day because we have 2 memory foam mattresses being delivered for the guest room and the college-kids' bedroom and I don't want to miss delivery. Our thought is that we will probably start sleeping at the house in the guest rooms soon - until our mattresses come the last week of November.

Coffee this morning in Caribou blend but I must have missed my 'golden' time for coffee as I'm only on my second cup but it's already tasting 'off' and I can my coffee time is over. I guess that means it's time to get dressed and get moving!

My Life In Boxes

2011-11-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

10:00 pm

Back to the apartment to sleep.

Inventory showed we had about 320 items and boxes. Only a couple hundred more to go.

Got an Office? How about some free Coffee Talk?!

2011-11-05T16:01:00.005-05:00

This post brought to you by Tassimo. All opinions are 100% mine.

My office was probably typical of a lot of offices you've worked at. You have your die hard coffee drinkers, your hot cocoa drinkers, your 'only tea' please drinkers and those that only do lattes or cappuccinos. Right before I relocated a coworker and I were discussing the possibility of purchasing a machine for the office that would be a win/win situation for everyone. A individual brewer that everyone could use to make their favorite drinks. We were discussing whether or not accounting would approve the purchase and bouncing the idea of everyone investing in their own coffee and teas if we were to provide the machine.

If you are currently in the same though process at your office, Tassimo Professional is going to make it easy for you. Create high quality coffee-house style beverages right in the office. Cappuccinos and lattes using Gevalia espresso and milk creamer. Suchard hot chocolate for that cocoa drinker and Twinings Tea. Brand names people recognize and trust.

Tassimo uses T DISCS with a unique double-bar brew code not only to ensure precise brewing and consistent quality but your coworkers won't walk away with 'extra' T Discs for home use, because they are not compatible with home machines.
Here is the best part. You can sign your office up for a Tassimo Professional free demo. It's like taking it for a test drive and kicking the tires. My office, with our various beverage drinkers would have been the perfect fit. This relocation across the country came before my idea would see fruitation, but if you think a Tassimo Profssional would be a good fit for your office, check out the details of your free demo trial at the link above.

Sprucing up our mantle with fall goodies

2011-10-27T09:56:00.000-05:00

Guest post written by Courtney Anderson

There are all kinds of little decorating touches that I love to put around my home. I am all about that. I always notice the little things like that in my loved ones' homes when I visit them so I make it a point to put things in mien that draw attention to them, too. The holidays and different seasons are really great excuses to add in all types of little things like that to my decor too so I take full advantage around every special occasion!

I went online to get some inspiration about little things that I could do to my mantle for fall and while I was looking I saw some stuff about wireless internet providers. I showed it to my husband and after that we decided to switch over our home internet service to one of those providers.

I came up with some excellent ideas for my fall mantle decor, including little pumpkin organments and creepy little candles. I want it to look like fall, with just some fun Halloween stuff added in there.

Does Your Puppy... or Baby... Have the Cuteness Factor?

2011-10-25T19:01:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puppies vs. Babies. All opinions are 100% mine.

Get ready for some cute-ness! It's Puppies vs. Babies and you get to not only soak in the adorable innocents of both puppies and babies, but you get to vote!

I'm a Mom and I love babies. But I'm very picky about my cuteness factor! Even my own little nephew, whom I adore with all my heart was an ugly baby. Thankfully he is a little heartbreaker at 16 and is quite the ladies man! But be honest, not all babies are little Gerber models.

But, when it comes to puppies I'm also just as picky! If it's a skinny little rat looking dog or a Poodle I'm going to have to pass on finding any cuteness in that package. Even as puppies. I'm a tough judge! How about you? Which is cuter? The sweet little cheeks and big innocent eyes of a baby with carefree belly laugh? The little ball of fur running across the grass with his tongue out, falling over himself and his two big fluffy feet?

It's a Puppies vs. Babies online contest and from now until November 23rd you can visit to get your daily dose of adorable puppies and babies, vote for your favorite and in the end? The winner gets to prove they were deemed the cutest, by bringing home five thousand bucks. Grab your coffee (or tea) and go visit. Check out the cuteness and vote for your favorite.

Oh Dear Friends How Is it That I've Not Had Coffee Talk Yet?

2011-10-22T10:48:00.001-05:00

I've been up for a few hours. Had numerous cups of coffee. Accomplished a few writing tasks. Put out cans for a recycle can drive. Sent a package to my daughter with a friend of hers driving to see her this weekend. Stain treated a fall coat. Blah blah blah. But didn't have coffee around the kitchen table with you yet!? My apologies. Extra Margaritaville State of Mind Coffee for you all!

Thanks to Obama spending our money like it's Monopoly money, the government is now trying to slash trillion-dollar-plus deficits. And do you know where they are trying to cut it? Medical coverage for the men and women who have fought for our country.

"... Powerful veterans groups and retired generals are mobilizing to fight any changes, arguing that Americans who were willing to die for their country should be treated differently than the average worker. The American Legion has sent a letter to every member of the House and Senate pleading with them to spare health care benefits. The Veterans of Foreign Wars has urged its 2 million members, their families and friends to contact lawmakers and deliver the same message."

Here is something to chew on. We are giving free medical and dental coverage to Baby Mama's with 9 children by 7 different fathers. We are giving free medical and dental coverage to people living here in our great country illegally. They are not even Americans. But we are giving them FREE health, dental... heck, we are even giving them money to go to our colleges for FREE (when people like me are struggling like hell to pay for my two kids college tuition because we couldn't get grants... we are white and middle class.)

We will give people free healthcare who don't want to work. We will give you free healthcare if you live here illegally.

But for the men and women who are willing to die for our country... give up their own lives for this country... we don't want to give them healthcare coverage?

WTF is wrong with you people?

This from a girl who happily kept her same cell phone for 4 years....

2011-10-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Last night I was sipping my coffee (yeah, I know... I never used to do coffee in the afternoon or evening. That was prior to this crazy relocation across the country. My coffee quota seems to keep on track with the work and stress level produced by the aforementioned buying, selling and moving) and reading random news stories.

I came across an article that speculated what gadgets would be 'gone' within the next 2-3 years. It caught my eye because it said stand alone GPS systems would not be used anymore due to the capability of 'smart phones'. I won't dwell on that right now as it's a 'hot topic' for me. People looking down at their phones as a GPS map and trying to push all the little buttons to zoom in, out, change their route and find information while driving is just as bad or worse, as texting. (I'm leaving built in systems out of this post, for another day.) Next on the list included things like CD's and DVD players as music becomes completely digitized and Blu Ray gains in popularity.

Also mentioned were e-readers, as tablets are being used more now than ever and incorporate the ability to be an e-reader but also serve as a laptop or main computer for many who need only basic text entry and typing but use their computer and laptops for internet browsing, studying, reading, research, movies and checking their social media updates. All of which can be done with a tablet, eliminating the need for those people to have both a notebook or laptop and an e-reader.

I for one love my GPS. I like DVD players and I need a keyboard for typing as writing is such a major part of my day. I guess I'm just not a hipster when it comes to electronics. Then again, I use my cell phone as a.... phone. GASP! I know, right?

Dresses for Plus Sized..... That I didn't Think Looked Plus Size at All

2011-10-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

This morning I'm sipping coffee and looking at things to write about on the blog that don't have anything to do with moving, painting, mortgage approval, buying or selling our home... get the idea? Something outside of craziness that has become my days.

I found myself looking over a website for plus size cocktail dresses and wondering why all the models looked thin and beautiful to me. Certainly not what I would call plus sized. Oh, there were some that were a little larger than the woman in red I chose as a quick example, but most of the models on this website that caters to size 12 and up must barely be a 12 to qualify. Then I realized, when you look at other websites for women's clothing size 2-14 you'll note that not one of those models are probably larger than a 2 themselves even though women size 10 and 12 are buying the clothes. It's all relative I guess.

Looking over their website I found the dresses to beautiful, have the coverage most 'real' women want in the cleavage area, fit proportionally and had so many to choose from for any need that I could probably have bought 15 of them within 10 minutes of browsing. Pretty. Affordable. And for real bodies of real women... not stick thin waifs on the runway.

Seek My help continually, even when you feel competent to handle something yourself....

2011-10-10T16:50:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I grabbed a daily devotion book my husband had bought me last spring. I don't get to it every day and this weekend was so busy I hadn't read it since last week. Today's devotion for thought may have been written in general to serve millions of people but it spoke to me. Directly to me. And I'd like to share;

Trust me enough to let things happen without striving to predict or control them. Relax and refresh yourself in the Light of My everlasting Love. When you project yourself into the future, rehearsing what you will do or say, you are seeking to be self-sufficient: to be adequate without My help. This is a subtle sin - so common that it usually slips by unnoticed.

The alternative is to live fully in the present, depending Me each moment. Rather than fearing your inadequacy, rejoice in My abundant supply. Train your mind to seek My help continually, even when you feel competent to handle something by yourself. Divide your life into things you can by yourself and things that require My help. Instead, learn to rely on Me in every situation. This discipline will enable you to enjoy life more and to face each day confidently.

Coffee Talk this morning.... realtors and coffee and 'stuff'

2011-10-07T07:58:00.002-05:00

Since I brought the Keurig down to my husband's apartment I have the 'regular' Hamilton Beach Brewstation out again. A perk of course is being able to drink more than 2 cups of coffee without the guilt of those pesky little expensive k-cups and the fact that I can program it to brew so I have fresh made coffee when I wake and start a new day.

Yesterday we got the home inspection report for the house we put an offer on down south. Nothing horribly wrong, but there were some things that needed to be done and looking over the list, we decided to leave all the electrical, calking, drainage and other little things to ourselves and only ask the sellers to fix a leaky shower head at the pipe (leaking into the wall), secure and working plumbing (a note on the master bathroom toilet says 'do not use' on it and needs a new wax ring), and then the three heating/cooling units all have to be serviced and the condensate line and drainage trap were not installed properly.

I know the owners/investors are tired of investing time and money into the house but we felt it only fair to request these things to make the house a full functioning home to move into. The breakers and other electrical issues we would have loved for them to take care of, but we also want to be fair in our asking. Waiting to hear today what their response is. If they don't know there are a list of things that we are willing to take care of ourselves, they may be angry with the idea of paying HVAC people and plumbers to come out... so hopefully our realtor will verbally let their realtor know there are inspection recommendations that we are not asking them to repair.

It's a 'wait and see' kind of day on that topic anyway.

Last night I found out why my 'selling' realtor has been so quiet this week. She is apparently in the Bahamas. That might explain why I never heard back from our buyers as to the new 'early' closing date they were requesting.

Today the POD is being delivered back to our home. We've had many things in storage since May to declutter the storage room and make it look nice for showing the house. Today I'm having them return it and will empty the boxes into the garage so we can stop paying for monthly storage. I'm also having to empty and defrost the deep freeze this weekend to prepare it for going to my parents house next week. I have the trash collection company picking up a huge couch on Monday morning and a charity is picking up a huge list of items on Wednesday that I have to get out to the garage this weekend. This includes; beds, mattresses, dressers, desk, tv stands, coffee table, kitchen items, blankets and more.

Off to sip some of this coffee that is getting cold and undrinkable while I type. Good Morning to each of you and a big smile. Thanks for stopping in for your morning coffee!

Diet Coke, Cucumbers and Coffee Cake.... and trolls

2011-10-06T22:13:00.000-05:00

This morning I meant to come and welcome everyone with coffee but as I got to the second paragraph, my computer froze up (it does this a lot lately) and the only thing I can do is hold the power button down to force a shut down and then restart. Of course Windows isn't happy and I have to tell it to run normally and wait for it to reboot. By that time I had lost my post and our home inspector sent his report bright and early so my day started and didn't let up until about 4:30 pm this afternoon.

But here I am tonight... just finished Diet Soda, a glass of ice water, a sliced cucumber and then, I couldn't help myself; a huge slice of homemade coffee cake. It's sitting unhappily in my stomach now, but oh, how it tasted good on my tongue!

Watched a movie tonight that is actually a Norwegian film and is the corniest topic ever, but ended up not being too bad, due in good part to awesome actors who played their parts well; Glenn Erland Tosterud and Otto Jespersen. Trollhunter (English Subtitled). By the time you are about 25 minutes into the movie you actually find yourself 'over' the fact that you are watching a movie about hunting 30 foot tall trolls in Norway that are normally kept corralled in their territories by power lines. Interesting to see how everyday things like power lines, tornado's and bear attacks are explained for the troll activities in the area as the TSS (Troll Security Service) struggles to keep their existence secret. A little goofball, but an American company has already bought the rights to remake it and honestly, I have to admit, I'll watch the remake as well!

See ya tomorrow over coffee! Columbian. Starbucks. Freshly brewed at 6:am.

Inspection Today

2011-10-05T07:56:00.001-05:00

I've had a few friends and even family ask for the link or photos of the house we found down south and put an offer on. I know it's silly, but I've had to explain to people that I don't want to tell anyone about it or show anyone the house until it's really, truly ours and we've 'closed' on it and signed the paperwork.

There are so many things that can fall through before the sale; more so this time than ever before. In all the other states we've lived in, when you accept an offer on your home, you take it off the market and stop showing it. It's under contract. However, this the state we are relocating to this time, they leave it on the market. The listing doesn't change, it doesn't state it's under contract and they continue to show it and accept offers! Frustrating for the buyers who are investing in home inspections and purchasing appliances and calling to get the utilities turned on.

Today my husband is meeting the home inspector for a thorough walk thru. We already walked through with our realtor and even met and walked through with the sellers, in which we noted and discussed cosmetic fixes. The things the inspector is looking for are not task items like carpet cleaning, (http://www.thesteamteam.com ) or the soap and chemical cleaning damage done to the stone in the shower (tile cleaning austin) but structure issues, electrical, heating and cooling, etc.

This particular house had some issues that the seller fixed already (a pipe burst and the A/C unit froze up while the house was empty so no one knew and there was water damage from the condensation build up that leaked through some of the walls and ceiling) so we invested in a really good, experienced inspector whom we hope will not find anything of consequence today.

Got a Job Interview In Your Future? Remember... Clothes Make the Man (and Woman)

2011-10-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

When it comes to career clothing, my husband and I hate to spend money on them. Stuffy men's suits and jackets or women's suits and career pieces that you only wear to the office or a wedding or funeral seem like a complete waste of money. However, todays suits and career clothing have a style and fit that are not the same as our parents and grandparents wore. With just a few minor adaptions at the end of the work day, our suits can easily go from 'work' to 'play' without having to stop at home to change. This makes shopping for career clothes less painful.

Express would like to make it even easier for you to look good in the office offering the Express sweepstakes which could get you a $500 suit makeover. Feel free to comment if you have great ideas on how to turn the workplace look into a fun, relaxed look for going out for drinks after the clock hits five. Got something to say about a favorite suit you found on their site? Awesome, let's hear it. But don't forget to go to the Express site and enter to win (you can enter every day if you like) as it's an easy way to click yourself towards a $500 makeover with a suit that may land you that job, help you look professional networking or just spruce up your look at the office.

Dry Shampoo New To You?

2011-10-01T11:41:00.004-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TRESemmé for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Traveling often means you have to find ways to 'cheat' on some of your daily hair routines. Vacations mean you are out of your element. Camping means you often don't have water nearby. Busy schedules even at home often mean you adjust your priorities and hair care may fall one day lower on the list. Some people have found TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoo to be a helpful secret when time or water is lacking.

TRESemme has a complete line of dry shampoos that help you out on days you have to skip a shampoo. They are formulated to absorb excess oil and remove odor without a drop of water. With citrus extracts infused into every product, it leaves hair with a clean, fresh scent. Unlike dry shampoo's of yesterday, now you can choose the one that's right for you;

Strengthening Dry Shampoo: The formula, with B12 vitamins and keratin, helps strengthen hair and leaves it full of healthy body.
Volumizing Dry Shampoo: The formula, with mineral clay and citrus, removes oil while injecting hair with salon-gorgeous volume.
Smoothing Dry Shampoo: The formula, with Vitamin H & Silk Proteins, refreshes your straight style by removing excess oil, impurities and odor to ensure your smooth look lasts.
Moisturizing Waterless Foam Shampoo: The formula, with Witch Hazel, Citrus, and Aloe Vera, refreshes your hair by removing excess oil, impurities and odor while moisturizing hair.

New to dry shampoo and not sure how to use them?

Shake vigorously before use and in between spray bursts for best results.
Lift sections of dry hair and spray lightly at roots
Spray in short bursts, holding 8-12 inches from head (Don’t spray it like hair spray (all over and continuously)!
Leave in for 1-2 minutes.
Use fingertips or a brush to distribute product evenly

You can also check out this to teach you how to use Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. A little perk to checking out the video? You can enter to win a $500 Gift Card to Target.

He Does Love Disney More Than Any Other Place On Earth But.....

2011-10-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

This morning I had a chance to write about a travel site geared towards gay travel and immediately thought of a friend and coworker at the office and how much I would love to hear about the frequent travel he and his partner did. He loves Disney World to pieces, but he and his partner travel all over the country and are constantly on the go. He was always excited to stop in my office to show me the latest travel pictures, and I would gladly sit and look through the photos he would bring back. Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that actually likes to look at people's vacation photos!

I have have 3 friends who love to travel extensively and just happen to be gay. We laugh and joke that because none of them have kids they have the time and money to go where I never get to! Sometimes they travel to any touristy area that most people flock to, but often times they prefer to search out gay friendly or gay centered attractions. This searching made much easier by people on the internet happy to write about such areas, making it quick and easy to for my friends to make their travel plans. Check out blogs and websites to find Gay bars, Gay Friendly Hotels and Gay Beaches to find areas that love to cater to this lifestyle and where you just may make new lifelong friends.

Will I be looking for a job in the new city? Don't know yet!

2011-09-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I announced to coworkers that we would be moving I anticipated the questions; "When are you moving?" "Has your house sold yet?" and "Where are you moving!?" what I didn't anticipate was that everyone I came into contact with would ask me if I already had a job lined up in the new city and state. Heck, I haven't even BEEN to the new city yet!

Although I plan on staying home and getting our family settled into a new house at least in the beginning, I do imagine I will miss working in an office. More than likely I'll look for another position once we get relocated. One thing I will need to do is invest in new 'work clothing' as I made it a point over the last year to try not to buy anything new that was a 'career' separate because I knew my time at the office was limited and so were my funds. My plan was to wear what I had and when we moved, to donate what was still in great shape to a local charity. This means I'll be checking out places like Express for new women's suits. What I love about the suits popular today (like the women's stretch jacket pictured) is they don't have that 'stuffy' and over done look of the 90's nor the big shoulder manly look of the 80's. A nice fitted jacket that when done with work, can unbutton a notch on your blouse and head out to get a drink, run errands or just commute home in comfort.

Got a job interview? Going to a networking event? Just need a new suit? Be sure to not only check out Express but enter the Express sweepstakes. You could win $500 towards a new suit makeover. Got something to say? A comment on the site? Feel free to chat in the comments.

Coffee Helps Prevent Blood Clots

2011-09-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

Coffee for everyone! Two cups of coffee for you all. Even three if you stay long enough? Why? Because I like you! :)

Just two cups of coffee a day can significantly reduce the risk of stroke, research shows.

Experts have previously been divided over the drink, with some suggesting the beverage is a dangerous stimulant, and others that it could save lives. But a comprehensive analysis of the health benefits of coffee has confirmed it can have a powerful preventative effect against one of Britain’s biggest killers.

Those drinking two cups a day were 14 per cent less likely to suffer a clot on the brain

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, pooled results of earlier studies to find a definitive answer. They gathered statistics from eight studies surveying nearly half-a-million people, carried out from the mid 1960s to 2011.

The results, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, showed those drinking two cups a day were 14 per cent less likely to suffer a clot on the brain, while drinking three to four cups a day reduced the dangers by 17 per cent.

But consuming more than that does not necessarily boost protection, the study showed. Caffeine addicts drinking six or more cups daily see a reduction in risk of just 7 per cent.

The researchers said antioxidants in coffee may protect blood vessels in the brain from damage caused by lipoprotein, dubbed the ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Vacation to the Dells or Enter to Win

2011-09-17T03:01:00.001-05:00

This post brought to you by Kalahari® Resorts. All opinions are 100% mine.

For those that live in the Wisconsin Dells area or are close enough to travel, a vacation to the Dells might be just what your family needs to relax and have fun! My brother and his family started to visit this area a couple years ago and liked the area so much that they returned and brought extended family with them on subsequent trips.

For my own kids, fun in water is always the highlight of any getaway. Not just for kids though, this water park features a lazy river, huge slides (little slides for the little ones) and an array of splashing good water fun to keep everyone entertained, whether they are 3 or 43. If you wish you could surf but are 2000 miles from the ocean, check out their Flowrider: a 5 foot ocean wave simulator. When you're ready to slow it down, you can float down the lay river and relax. That's where you would find me. Happily content floating in an inner tube and people watching. After water fun you can enjoy the indoor/outdoor theme park, mini golf, laser tag, go-karts or play arcade games.

Affording a getaway for a family is sometimes better if you purchase a package deal. I found many specials and packages on their site including this family focused offer;

Overnight stay in a beautifully appointed African-themed lodge or Hut Room for up to 4 guests
Admission to Wisconsin's Largest Indoor Waterpark for each registered guest
4 indoor theme park ride passes
One 14" Pizza and 4 Fountain Sodas
One In-Room Movie

They also have special rates for members of the armed forces, fire and police personnel as well as many packages ranging from family's to adults visiting without children, golf packages, theater packages and even golf packages. You can stay up to date with Kalahari by checking them out on Facebook or Twitter: http://twitter.com/KalahariRes… and https://www.facebook.com/kalah…

For those who love a contest, this one is for you. You can enter to win a free stay valued at over $200 simply by leaving a comment below the post in that link about the feature or amenity you are the most excited to experience when visiting a Kalahari resort or Tweet out a message containing a link back to the contest rules and the hashtag #KalahariResorts.

Real Time Post: Watching Dawn of the Dead - 1978 version

2011-09-16T18:22:00.002-05:00

Watching Dawn of the Dead - 1978 version. The acting is bad enough but I stopped and almost laughed when I heard them say a couple of lines. They sounded so stupid! LOL.

"What it is?"
"It's a shopping center. One of those big indoor malls."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Spam..." sigh.
"Did ya bring your own can opener?"
"No."
"Then don't knock it! It's got it's own key."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Edited to add comment:

I have to admit... this 78' version was awful. LOL. I suppose it was ok in 78' but todays zombie movies are awesome.

Now, NIGHT of the Living Dead (1968 is awesome) but then the 70's and 80's got really cheesy and horrible and then horror movies got a little better by the late ninties and finally came into their own when we got around to making things like 28 Days Later and the remake of Dawn of the Dead. JMO as a zombie movie freak. :)

Look what was dropped off in my yard this morning when I wasn't looking...

2011-09-16T12:40:00.001-05:00

Apparently my real estate agent got their final signatures on the final addendum this morning. They still have to furnish us with some financial paperwork and I have to put a new roof on our house in the next couple weeks but if all goes well we should close in just over a month.

Would coffee at 7:pm be a bad idea?

2011-09-12T19:24:00.002-05:00

Wait! I have Emeril's Jazzed Up Decaf. Coffee it is.

So I was on the phone with my Dad and I looked to the backyard and saw a homeless guy standing there staring at my roof. Wait! That's no homeless guy... that must be the roofer I've been waiting since Friday for! And it was.

As he and I started talking, the potential buyer's real estate agent pulled up. Well, that was awkward. We ended up talking for about 45 minutes (which my real estate agent kind of freaked out when she found that out...).

The results are in and the ball is in their court. I should hear something tomorrow - good or bad.

PS: the results of the roof inspection are not real good. Found out one thing about the regular inspection as well. The potential owner is a blogger so she may or may not have stumbled across my website. Will try not to say much either way. But if you are reading this... I'd love to sell it to you! :)

Giving Up Control? What's That Feel Like?

2011-09-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

I took so long to get here it's ice water talking now....
I was here this morning with coffee but didn't know what to say so I just sat quietly and listened to y'all talking amongst yourselves.

I'm still in the same holding pattern since last Friday afternoon and still stuffing my face with comfort foods. I just finished off about 5 pieces of fried chicken. That's how much 'comfort' I needed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I've been keeping my eye out for the roofing specialist since last Friday but he has yet to show. I did run an errand this morning so he/she might have came during that time but I doubt it. I think I would have seen them coming or going as I wasn't gone that long. So at this point I have no updates.

I had a talk with God in the parking lot of Walmart this morning. I admitted to Him that I don't like not having control over things. (As if that surprises anyone who knows me... especially Him!)

It's partly a self preservation thing with me. I think that if I don't have control, then I'm going to get hurt and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Taking control of things means protecting myself.

Oh, I can mess up - but I'm pretty good at beating myself up and taking the responsibility of the stupid mistakes I make. It's still easier for me to beat myself up if I screw up than to give control over to anyone else and not have any control over how things are going.

It doesn't matter what it is either. Whether we are driving in a car, handling projects at the office, cooking in the kitchen, doing taxes or paying bills... anything. I need to have control over the situation or I think it won't turn out or I'm going to get hurt. Even as a child I was taking control of myself from my parents and I've never let anyone take the driver's seat since. I just don't feel safe when I try.

I'm still struggling to give up control over this whole house selling/relocation issue. I try! I really do! I know I should turn this over to God and relax a little but I'm having a tough time doing so. Even though He has shown me that he is handling things on a timeline that works out in the end. I've been trying to pray all morning for serenity and to let Him guide the inspections and the sale of the house, but....

But for someone like me who only feels safe in controlling the things in my life, it's a tough thing to do. I suck at it.

Still Grumpy....

2011-09-11T08:55:00.001-05:00

I'm still quite melancholy. I'm sipping coffee and telling myself I should find something to do today to get my mind off the house, the inspection, the roof, etc. but... I just can't. I try but it's just my makeup that I don't function like that. I get quiet. Reflective. And I don't want to talk to do things. Just sit. Think. Wait.

4 months now. I've been doing this all alone for 4 months now.

I'm emotionally and mentally tired. I can't move on until this part is over. Only then can we go on to the next step. I hate being in a holding pattern and I hate not having any control over making things happen and getting things done. I'd rather know what is being thought, said or done... even if I don't have control over it, I like knowing and preparing better than silence and waiting.

I will brew a new cup of coffee and come back in a better frame of mind. Or least fake it.

I'll return soon.

TracFones for Who Want No Contract and No Commitment

2011-09-10T19:00:00.005-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Boy Child just had his birthday this week. We were on a tight budget with the move and relocation going on, but he really needed a new cell phone and we were able to get a really great deal so he got a cell phone and a gas card as well as a gift bag filled to the top with college friendly food for any freshman; candy and Doritos!

As a Mom, a cell phone for my kiddos is not an 'option', it's a must. I want to know my college kids can get in touch with me no matter what, no matter where. Staying in touch has never been easier or more affordable even if you don't want a contract. One option for those looking for a low cost phone with a simple plan, no contract and fits in your budget might be a TracFone.

No contracts, no credit checks. No activation charges, cancelation fees or surprises. Just a brand name phone (Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia, etc.), great nationwide coverage, excellent reception and easy to understand monthly plans. So many features you'll be sure to find one that works for your family. Calling and texting capabilities for under $10.00 and great phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 player, and full QWERTY keyboard, for $29.99

Their 'Pay as you go' plans can be purchased online or with cards available at thousands of retail stores across the country so having minutes readily available is easy. “Double minutes for the life of your phone” is a feature that can be purchased separately for only$19.99, but some phones include it. Monthly plans with 200 minutes start under $30.00, and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes.
Interested in international calls? This is the only wireless service where you can call internationally, for the same price as any other call. Call over 60 international destinations directly from your TracFone at no extra cost and with the International Neighbors program, you can provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number in those countries to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S.

Real TracFone customers

and

So many features

I'm in a funk right now... which could be lifted but we'll have to wait and see

2011-09-10T11:03:00.001-05:00

I had originally thought I'd be on the road right now. I thought I'd be about 3 hours into a 15 hour drive to see my daughter and husband. Alas, I am not.

The house inspection was yesterday and we are waiting to hear the results. They could come today or it could come on Monday.

They HAVE to buy the house....

2011-09-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

They have to buy the house.
I can't show it anymore.
As I finished the last of mopping the kitchen, dining, and entryway floors, my mop broke. I was wringing it and the handle snapped right off.
That means I can't scrub my floors for any more house showings. They absolutely must buy our home.

The mop has spoken.

Hanging At the Library.... No Coffee

2011-09-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

While some libraries have free coffee and others have coffee shops attached to sell coffee, my little tiny pathetic excuse of a library has neither. Then again, I hope (?) it isn't 'my' library for long! As a matter of fact I'm hanging out at the library right now while the potential buyers and the home inspector are traipsing around my home trying to find anything and everything 'wrong' that they can.

Am I nervous? Oh yeah. Do I have reason to be? Not really. But I am.

I'm also of course hearing these little voices in my head saying;

What if they hate it now?
What if they walk in and wonder what they were thinking when they toured it the first time and hate it now and want out?
What if they find 50 things to complain or comment on now that they have spent a full 2 hours inspecting every nook and cranny?

Ahhhhh!!!

I'm driving myself crazy.

I've spent the last 2 hours doing some writing (you'll be seeing some paid posts on here obviously) but my nervous energy is getting the best of me. I'm having a hard time sitting still and I can't go home for another 45 minutes. LOL.

Going to Paris? Don't Forget to Purchase Passes Ahead of Time

2011-09-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

Paris was on the agenda for not just one but two people close to me this summer. Our oldest daughter was in Europe in May with her college group and just a few weeks later our son's girlfriend also found herself in Paris on a Senior trip through her high school. When I had a chance to write about Paris today I knew it would be a good fit since my daughter had just returned.

If you are traveling to France and plan a 'paris visite' don't forget to look into travel options to help you get around like paris passes or paris metro tickets. I found when I was traveling in Europe a few years ago that purchasing passes and packages ahead of time (our tour did this for us) made not only getting around the cities easier, but seeing the sights! We were able to bypass the long lines and often times got in immediately while others waited for tickets and then again to enter the museum.

City packages often include your admission as well as travel passes. For example, one of the city packages available that I found today included;

Free admission to over 60 museums and monuments to choose from
No waiting in ticket lines
Unlimited Metro, Bus and RER Usage
Restaurant savings
Boat Tour on the Seine and
A free ticket and wine at the famous Musee du Vin

Personally, I don't foresee a trip to France in my future, but my oldest daughter seems to have the travel bug and loves Europe. Lucky for me she not only has a good head on her shoulder, but is frugal as well and knows how to look for these deals.

Gorgeous Autumn Like Morning.. Caramel Vanilla Coffee!

2011-09-09T07:36:00.000-05:00

For about the past month I've been craving something from my childhood. Warm, freshly made butterscotch pudding. Unfortunately no one else in my family likes it so it's one of those things I never make, never buy. Usually don't think about... but lately? I have. But no time to make any so I just forget about it again.

Well, this morning I'm sipping a sample I got in my last Keurig coffee order; Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Creme. With just a tiny smidgen of Splenda, the aroma rising from my mug is of warm butterscotch pudding.

I smile.

Today is the home inspection!!!!!

I can't really 'do' anything to get ready for the inspection as it's things like the foundation, attic, gutters, roof, windows, etc. but what I can do is make sure the grass is mowed and the house is clean. A full 'show' cleaning as I want them to walk in and say; "This homeowner really takes care of their house, I'm sure the inspection will be quick and easy!"

This inspection is one of the contingencies on the sale. Previously I'm trying to remember what issues came up during our other home inspections and what we had to dicker back and forth over before the sale. The only thing I really remember is from our very first house - which we had to give them money to replace or repair a panel on the garage door that rain had started to bubble. For the life of me I can't remember any of the things from the other homes we've sold. I don't think there was anything at all on our last home. Let's hope this one is the same!

I'm off to water my baby grass now... I've got about 50% of the fertilizer burn and hot sun patches filled in with new grass already and baby grass is growing in about 80% of the rest. There is just a couple spots that are taking longer to fix as they are in the hot sun all day long with no shade. I'm off to do my best!

Autumn: When Scouting Begins Again

2011-09-08T16:00:00.001-05:00

This post brought to you by Boy Scouts of America. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last night while mowing the yard I saw my teenage neighbor drive his truck into the driveway and proceed to unload a lawnmower from the back. It looks like he's taken up mowing lawns as a way to earn extra income. He is saving up for a special trip to a camp held literally out in the ocean through his connection with Boy Scouts of America. He attended this camp last year and loved it and I knew he wanted to return again this year.

When I was growing up, our family was also very involved in Boy Scouts. My three brothers were all Boy Scouts and as a matter of fact my Mom was a Den Mother and then moved up to hold active positions in our local pack. We held the meetings in our home and as the oldest child I not only attended the meetings, but was a helper to her. I could recite the pledge and tie knots with the best of them! We also helped the boys to earn their badges, took part in team building exercises, played games and activities and did crafts. The meetings were a mixture of boys from 3 different schools and was a way for them to branch out to make friendships outside of their own classrooms or circles. Everyone felt included and part of a larger group.

In part, this is why almost two decades later I continued to pass along the leadership by being a Girl Scout Leader for my oldest daughter's troop when she started Kindergarten.

If you haven't thought about scouting but you have young children, give it a moment of thought!

As school starts up around the country so are the local meetings. Scouting can often supplement a boy’s education and improve both his confidence and comfort level with other students. Getting your son active in scouting means they are offered activities that help kids stay in shape. Scouting has come farther than just tying knots and camping. It’s also introducing young boys to todays technology. There is a new curriculum with emphasis on STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math. The Robotics merit badge, the most recent of the 31 STEM-related merit badges, is helping Scouts develop critical skills that are relevant in today’s world.

Out of my three brothers, two really enjoyed scouting and stayed with it longer than the youngest who had gone on to other interests by the time he was in 4th grade. Our family always made sure the choice was there and the choice was theirs. What about your son? Have you asked, "Would you like to Be A Scout?"

Thursday... Coffee's On! Finding my old moving binder

2011-09-08T11:06:00.000-05:00

Originally I thought I'd be leaving for Alabama today to visit my family. That of course was before we got an offer on the house and scheduled the inspection. Instead, I am currently on my third cup of coffee and trying to get some freelance writing done while enjoying a truly beautiful late summer morning.

Yesterday I was thinking about what I needed to prepare for before the inspection. Overall there isn't much for me to do except I'll do a 'show' cleaning tomorrow before they all come but it's my personality to try to prepare for everything so I decided to search through an old file in storage to find the permits we got when we were going to finish the basement. Just in case it comes up. Tucked into that file I found something that made me smile; my "Moving Bible" from our last move.

You see, I've learned over the past few relocation's to start a 'moving bible' as soon as we know about the move. This is a notebook or binder in which EVERYTHING goes related to the move. Whether it's business cards, names, phone numbers, dates, scheduled showings or notes I've jotted down during every single phone call or conversation related to the move, it goes in this 'bible' so I'm never left searching for a scrap of paper I wrote something on, or trying to recall what it was we discussed or when a conversation or showing happened. At the time I called it "Mom's Moving Bible" and wrote it in a big fat marker on the front because the kids were young and known to scribble and doodle on notebooks or papers they found and I knew they would respect the use of the word "BIBLE" in the title and not scribble inside Mom's notebook this way.

This time around I've graduated to a 3 ring binder with dividers and a wire notebook inside as well as pockets for moving quotes, real estate agent cards, post-its and more. I've also graduated to calling it a Moving Binder since we have no little ones left in the house that feel the need to draw fields of flowers inside my notebooks.

Finding the moving bible from 2004 was fun but also intimidating! As I flipped through it I was reminded of all the work ahead of me to make this relocation happen. From getting all the quotes for options to move (movers, u-haul, hertz, u-pack options, PODS, etc.) to finding real estate agents to interview in Alabama, to quotes for insurance and finding insurance agents and doctors, the utilities to have turned off, the utilities to have turned on, the paperwork needed to pre-qualify for our next mortgage, the bank information, account information, the change of address lists that was 2 pages long... wow.

It's kind of like labor. You forget the pain until you are in the middle of it again!

Teaching Fellowships Available for Those Interested in Returning to School

2011-09-08T09:49:00.000-05:00

One of the big catch phrases in education lately is STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math... in other words; the future of our tomorrow. Kids in urban and rural schools often aren't getting the model of teacher excellence they need, the family support they need or taking the initiative they need to learn these important skills. The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship wants to help.

Have you or someone you know with a career in science, technology, engineering or math ever considered going back to school for your master's in teaching?

Recent college graduates and people in the STEM fields looking to change their careers are being offered teacher fellowships with a $30,000 stipend to complete an intensive master's degree program. This fellowship program is available through a variety of universities across Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. This isn't a one-size-fits all program. Each program is unique and has been selected by the Foundation for its potential to create a model of teacher education excellence.

Of the 17 approved programs, there are certain components that follow across all the Woodrow Wilson university programs:

Teacher certification obtained at the end of summer 2013 in either Indiana, Ohio, or Michigan.
A focus on students in high-poverty urban or rural schools.
A $30,000 stipend to help offset the cost of the full-time pre-service Master's year.
A full-time academic, pre-service year of Master's coursework spent in a high need classroom alongside experienced teacher leaders.
Twenty (20) Fellows on each campus.
A master's study year divided equally between coursework and demanding immersive "clinical" experiences in schools, observing and working in urban or rural schools three to five days per week.
Upon starting a three-year commitment as salaried teachers working for school districts, Fellows also receive three years of mentoring from veteran teacher.

Many university partners offer additional financial aid incentives, tuition reductions, and scholarships to Fellows.

Random and Odd - Hitting "PLAY" on my music player and sharing what comes - whatever it may be

2011-09-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

My choice in music is so completely random and odd that if I were to hit "play" and let you listen, I think some of you would start looking at me suspiciously from the corner of your eye. LOL.

Seriously, I will hit play right now and honest-to-God type out the first dozen songs in the play list. :)

Currently Playing: Torn Between Two Lovers (Mary MacGregor)
Mama's Song (Carrie Underwood)
Redneck Woman (Gretchen Wilson)
Dream a Little Dream of Me (The Mama's and the Papa's)
Santa Baby (Ally McBeal's version)
Daddy's Little Girl (Michael Buble's version)
Big Bad John (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
According to You (Orianthi)
Sunrise Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof)
F*ck this World (Slipknot)
(Number 10 doesn't count - it went to chapter 10 of the Story of Helen Keller, which I have on audio book so I'm disqualifying that because it's not a song and hitting 'next' to see what pops up)
Breathing Slowly (Crossfade) (Which I don't even like anymore... and can't listen to it, LOL sooo, next?)

Love She Can't Live Without (Clint Black)
Material Girl (Madonna)
and incidentally, just for kicks I hit 'next' one more time because I don't want to listen to Material Girl, and it was "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" by Danny Elfman for "Nightmare Before Christmas" - AWESOME movie.

Oh gosh... while I typed this it went to the next song... "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" - Air Supply. Bah Ha Ha Ha.

And now... Johnny Cash - Would you Lay With Me?

The Ongoing Saga With my Best Friends: Wells Fargo (Updated to shorten it. Apparently it was just the coffee talking again...)

2011-09-07T13:33:00.003-05:00

Fifteen years ago we opened our first checking account with Wells Fargo. When we moved to a different city 4 years later we opened a new checking account and a savings - but we kept the original checking account as a back up 'vacation' account. It's a free checking account and it was nice to have two accounts so we could use one for traveling (gas, hotels, etc.) which was not a credit card but not attached to our main checking. (Just in case the number was ever compromised).

You ALL know the hell that Wells Fargo has been over the past few years and especially in the past month as they f*cked my son over. At one point we had 8 accounts with them.

They pissed me off about 3 years ago so we closed the kids savings accounts. Then they screwed my son over so we closed all his accounts (and when they lied to him and DIDN'T close them, he went back to a different branch last week and closed the last one they lied about.)

We were down to just 3 accounts. Main checking, 2nd checking and savings.

So now what does Wells Fargo do?

They take away Free Checking.

Yes, the secondary account - the account we've had for over 15 years now is going to automatically turn over to a "personal" account in 5 days. It will now be charged $7 a month just to have it.

So today I called up to chat with them.

I wanted to know what we could do to keep this account. Can it be grandfathered in or something? Being that we are long term customers since 1996, in great standing and have had a billion accounts with them over the years (including 1 or 2 mortgages)...

I'll spare you the details but I had to interrupt her sales schpeel twice to point out that she was avoiding my question.

It ends up my only choice to ditch the pay-for-this-account checking was going to be to open to another new savings account that would be connected to this account. I told her I would think about it and call her back to let her know if we were going to do that to keep this account or if I was going to close it.

And when I called back to close the account I got her machine... LOL.

Calling back now to close that account.

Went from 8 accounts down to 2 and those two will be on their way out as well as soon as we get relocated in a few weeks. Goodbye Wells Fargo... and good riddance.

UPDATE: Bah ha. She was avoiding my call.

Called and got straight to voice mail. Figured she was at lunch. Called 30 minutes later. Straight to voicemail. Called back 5 minutes later. Voicemail. Hit 0 to get an operator and transfer to anyone else - someone picked up - I said what I needed to do - they told me I had to go a local branch to close it. I said I talked to someone this morning that said I could do it on the phone. Who was that? I told her the name and she says; "Oh, well here, let me transfer you to her." SHE WAS THERE! ha. After she was tricked into having to talk to me I said what I was calling for and she said, "Ok." "Goodbye." and I said, "Wait! So... it's done then? The account is closed? We're all good?" Very tersely; "Yes." "Ok great. Thanks!"

Unexpected Walk Down Memory Lane Thanks to Back Up Disks

2011-09-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke early and was ready to start my day. I got my coffee and was determined to get some writing done, update websites, etc. Then I remembered that yesterday, while looking for a computer disk, I found a bunch of old 'back up' disks with music on them in storage. I wanted to transfer some of the songs so I grabbed a couple of them and popped them into the laptop.

Oh wow.

Not only did I have backups of some music files, but old documents, images and bookmarks. The bookmarks had me intrigued. These were sites bookmarked from 2001 - 2004. I couldn't resist. As the music files transferred, I checked out who I was checking out back then. One had been taken over by adult links and the rest were either rolling over to a blog rolling page or just sitting there, forgotten since their last posts in 2005, 2007 and 2009. Not many were still active. But it was wonderful to think of 'friends' that I chatted with back then - some of which I'm still in touch with today even though they don't have blogs anymore. Some of whom I wish I was still in touch with but I lost touch when I had to take down all my blogs in March of 2009. Anyway! I got lost for about 1 1/2 hours in memories. Unfortunately by the time I stopped I didn't feel like writing anymore! Ooops.

~ ~ ~

My thoughts are all over the place right now.
Perhaps the 4 cups of coffee I've had has something to do with that.
I need to go get dressed for the day.
And unpack and hang up my 'Fall' clothes I got out of storage this week.
Will be back soon!

It's just the Sam's Club Diet Cola Talking!

2011-09-06T17:52:00.000-05:00

Where do the hours go!???

It's been 1 week since I quit working at the office and I cannot believe how busy I am. The days fly by until about 8:30 pm when they come to a screeching halt. I admit the evenings are longer and the house is far too quiet come 9:pm but the days are just filled with projects, tasks, lists to accomplish, people to talk to and things to get done. It think that is good though! I feel so productive and it's my nature to want to keep busy. I don't still still well. Ok... I don't sit still at all.

Today is a glorious Fall/Summer day out. I went to Wal-mart and got some degreaser cleaner, pruning shears, weed killer and 2 kinds of grass seed. Came home and got busy mixing the two seeds together in the wheel barrow and patched and seed the lawn, pruned the tree overhanging the deck, watered the lawn and killed off a few dandelions. I cleaned up and came in for the afternoon just in time to get a phone call from our real estate agent with an update.

The offer stands and the sale is pending. There were some changes on the offer so all parties have to re-initial. The next step? Sale is pending inspection and pest inspection. So... I guess at this point I wait to hear from the two companies to schedule the inspections. I can't believe this might really go through... I hope and pray it does. Literally. Please, if you may, continue prayers for us.

Off to do some freelance writing and maybe hula hoop off some nervous energy regarding the offer on the house! LOL.

Awww, you guys made me ink!

2011-09-05T07:59:00.000-05:00

I was starting to write; Aww, you guys made me tear up! But Finding Nemo came to mind and I laughed out loud and decided to entitle it this instead. Cuter. :)

I am so thankful for the prayers that you guys offered up for me! Thank You so much!

I will update when the buyer's have signed the final counter offer and things start to proceed forward. Hopefully the buyer's will sign the final counter offer today - but since it's a holiday I've heard from their camp that they might have a hard time meeting up today. Last night our realtor had my husband and I sign electronically - I'm not sure why the other realtor doesn't consider that route but as long as they sign today I don't care how. I'm cautiously optimistic but a lot of things need to fall into place yet. The fact that I have friends from all over the globe (some that have never met me) saying prayers for me is an amazing feeling. Again, thank you so very much.

The day is starting off a little better than I anticipated (**updated)

2011-09-04T11:38:00.002-05:00

When I woke this morning, I rolled over, looked at the clock and groaned. I slowly sat up and stared absently down at my thighs, but not moving. I had no plans for the day and as I sat on the side of the bed I said out loud, "Well God, it's another day." I sighed, got up and proceeded to make the bed and came downstairs for some coffee.

It's a beautiful holiday weekend but that means little when your husband is in retail management and works every holiday except Christmas day and your family is split about 1000 miles apart. My only plans? Celebrating the Boy Childs birthday later tonight.

I settled down with my coffee and proceeded to read the news and look for writing opportunities for my websites.

Just as I finished my first cup, the phone rang. On a Sunday morning? It was my realtor. She was with a couple from out of state and they were going to be busy looking at homes all morning but she had just checked her work emails and saw an offer came in last night at 10:00. She hadn't had a chance to look over it, but had forwarded it to me with the email that it came in from their realtor.

Wow. What a different kind of day it ended up to be.

I'm meeting with my realtor at 2:00 today during one of her open houses and we'll go over the offer. My realtor said she thinks it's a doable offer with some simple countering. In the meantime she is going to call the realtor of the people that showed some interest last week (that are from out of state) and let them know we have an offer in the works if her clients are still considering our home.

We are supposed to respond to the offer by 5:pm today so I guess I'll update later tonight!

_^ _^ _^ _^ _^ _^ _^ _

Ok internet friends it's time to ask for prayers! :)

We had an offer.

Please, if you would, send your prayers for us? To sell in this horrible housing market is a miracle in and of itself but please, please send a little prayer that the paperwork, offers and subsequent inspections go through and go well!

T H A N K Y O U !

Leave to ME....

2011-09-03T13:38:00.002-05:00

to be stalked by a rabid skunk.
Can NOTHING go as planned?

Today I'm Going to Be a POD Person. That's It for Holiday Plans.

2011-09-03T07:51:00.002-05:00

My coffee order arrived yesterday afternoon so this morning I tried the Wolfgang Puck French Roast. I have to be honest... I'm going to have to get used to it. It is ok and I can drink it, but it's not enjoyable. It also has an odd aftertaste in my mouth that is reminiscent of a light citrus taste that interestingly enough, reminds me of a household cleaner. Like a little bit of lemony kitchen cleaner misted into my coffee. (Which it didn't... I haven't cleaned anything this morning. Just woke up and made coffee.) I'm going to have the Caribou Columbian next... which I already know I love.

This morning I have two guys sleeping in my basement. Yes, the boy child is home for the weekend and brought an old friend with him. I haven't seen the friend since he was in 3rd grade and he is now a Freshman in college! I feel like it was about 6 months ago that we lived in Northern Minnesota (where this friend is from) and the boys were laughing and running around at my sons 9th birthday party. In reality I guess it's been about 9 years since I last saw him. We moved when they were in 3rd grade but Facebook connected them a couple years ago and my son has been back 'up north' to visit all his old classmates a few times. The friend is now going to college about 2 1/2 hours from my sons college so they've spent the last couple weekends together.

We'll be celebrating the boy child's birthday this weekend. With my husband and daughter in Alabama and my other daughter away at college we are currently checking our Sunday schedules to see when everyone would available at the same time to Skype. LOL.

Aren't our lives today crazy? But it will allow all of us to celebrate and sing happy birthday to him together even though we are thousands of miles away. My husband does not use electronic technology well so this will be his first time to Skype us. Let's hope he makes it to the Birthday party. Ha ha. (He will, he has our 15 year old daughter to help him!)

Today... the big 'holiday weekend' plans are: to visit our POD storage. Woohoo. Kat needs her fall and winter clothes out, the Boy Child needs the Halloween box for his apartment (don't ask) and I need fall clothes as well as seeing what I can pack away from the house. That's it for my big Labor Day Weekend plans. I'm such a party animal.

Singing Dog Vanilla Coffee and Canceled House Showings....

2011-09-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

I'm on my third cup of the morning and since I already used 2 Emeril's Bold k-cups I saw a bag of Singing Dog Vanilla Coffee in my cupboard and brewed a cup. I know at least one my readers who knows my coffee habit fairly well is saying to himself; "Hmmm she doesn't care for flavored coffees except in the middle of a cold, snowy day!" True! Except I will also drink flavored when I make "iced coffee" on a hot day AND if it's a cloudy, rainy day... and when I'm out of regular coffee because I just drank the last of the Emeril's and I have no other bold, black coffee! HA. Truth be told. I'm now out of coffee k-cups and I could get a better price by ordering online than I could at our local grocery store or Super Wal-mart so I ordered it and it hasn't been delivered yet.

Last night I was in a pretty heavy funk. Earlier this week I had a realtor call me to ask if my house was still on the market, if we had any offers pending and if I would be able to give up possession by the end of September if need be. This was for the same couple who had previously asked about the ability to install a bathroom in the basement and turn the living room into an office. She called back the next day and set up a showing for today (Friday) at 3:pm. She didn't say if it was for the same couple that wanted to know about a September closing; but it was the same realtor.

Hey! Potential Buyers!

Last night the realtor called. She said she was sorry but her clients had taken my home off the list of houses to view today. She said they were going to concentrate on the suburb next to us instead of our city and that they really want a bathroom in the lower level but don't want to give up storage space to do so.

We hung up.

I was bummed at the canceled showing... but confused and wondering if this is the same couple that asked about the bathroom on the lower level earlier this week and questioned the availability of a September closing. It's the same realtor and they both mentioned the lack of bathroom in the lower level, but I don't know if it's the same couple. If so, I'm sad. Because that seemed like a pretty strong lead when they wanted to know if we could be out by the end of September.

I'm just.......... happy

2011-09-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

My third day since quitting the office and I can't stop smiling.

As much as I loved where I worked and felt I was doing a great job juggling full time work as well as everything involved in putting our home on the market and selling it myself as well as trying to handle the details in running two households a thousand miles apart and getting two kids off to college... I have been able to do so MUCH in the last two days, I'm amazed at myself.

I had no idea how much harder I was making it on myself by staying at my job as long as I did while trying to sell the house and do everything else on top of it. We desperately need my income... I won't lie. We are struggling and juggling now and I don't know how long we can exist this way even without the paltry little amount they paid me. But it's not all about money.

I find myself grinning when I accomplish one of the small tasks that I hadn't 'gotten around to' over the past 3 months because my time was spread so thin I was always prioritizing. Obviously the bigger projects always won out.

I am relaxed, even in the midst of all this chaos.

I am... happy.

I want to slap these idiots up side the head...

2011-08-31T10:19:00.001-05:00

It's been a nice and busy morning around the Coffee Haus on the 2nd day of my self-imposed unemployment to concentrate on getting this house sold. I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee (Emeril's is being served this morning) and after some busy-work I sat down to read some quick news before starting on the next task.

That would be when I read a story that frankly? Just pissed me off. The audacity of these good-for-nothing snot nose brats!

Steven and Kathryn Miner, both in their 20s, sued their mother, Kimberly Garrity, for bad parenting during their formative years, the case has been dismissed. The $500,000 lawsuit accused 55-year-old Garrity of causing her adult kids emotional distress.

So... was she a meth head? Did she burn them with cigarettes, keep them from school, not feed them or keep their clothing clean or keep a disgusting house filled with cat feces and litter? Did she beat them? What caused their emotional distress that was so horrible they felt the need to sue her as soon as they reached the age of 21?

Their claims about their poor upbringing had more to do with what mom didn't do, than what she did. For starters: she didn't send her son college care packages, or buy her daughter the homecoming dress she wanted. And their birthday cards? No cash or checks, just Hallmark sentiments.

The Chicago Tribune reports Exhibit A in the case was a check-free birthday card for Steven, now 23.

"The card pictured tomatoes on a table with one tomato that had googly eyes. Inside the card read: 'Son I got you this Birthday card because it's just like you...different from all the rest! Have a great day! Love & Hugs, Mom xoxoxo.'"

An Illinois court of appeals judge decided this card, and other evidence of Garrity's proposed "bad mothering", weren't grounds for punishment.

The Miners were raised in an affluent Chicago suburb which may account for some lack of understanding of normal privileges outside of their luxury bubble. But there's more to the story than just a couple of spoiled adult kids. One of the Miner siblings' three lawyers is their father, Garrity's ex-husband, also named Steven Miner. When the couple divorced in 1995, the kids moved in with their dad.

Garrity's attorney claims the lawsuit was her ex-husband's attempt at the "ultimate revenge"; however, the senior Steven Miner says he tried to talk his kids out the lawsuit before representing them. Other claims against Garrity's mothering ability filed in the case, include threatening to call the police if her son didn't wear his seatbelt and forcing her daughter to come home from a homecoming party at midnight. The most serious accusation claimed Garrity once slapped her son upside the head, causing him what he alleges are chronic headaches, according to ABC News.

The judge called the claims "petty grievances of parental attention or inadequacy."

Father-slash-attorney Steven Miner told the court his kids weren't out to get back at their mom, they just wanted her to assume some accountability. "Everyone makes mistakes, but … there must be accountability for actions," he wrote in a statement for the court. "Parenting is no different."

I was both speechless AND had a million comments running through my head when I read this. And slapping that miserable son up side the head that one time and causing him 'chronic headaches'? From the sound of it these two should have been slapped up side the head a FEW times in their upbringing. Now, unfortunately they are adults and are let loose in our world with that you-owe-me attitude. These two are probably going to become ambulance-chasing lawyers. I'll wait and see....

Reading Robopocolypse on a rainy unemployed day

2011-08-30T18:32:00.000-05:00

Spent my first day of unemployment listening to the rain, figuring out some financing issues, waxing my eyebrows, packing up Direct TV receivers to return and reading Robopocolypse while munching on almonds and fresh sweet cherries.

What an odd day.

I got an email from the accounting dept. at my office telling me if I wanted to get some hours and income in I could work from home even without a remote connection - I could do the state compliance things with the database and an excel. I'm mulling it over. Lord knows I could use the income, but working at home on my own schedule would be great too. I may have to stop in the office later this week to ask for more details.

Being at home in a silent house all day as really brought home the fact that I have 2 kids off to college and my 'baby' living with my husband in the relocation city & state. It's been almost 21 years since I've been home alone and the quiet of the house, while nice, is also a bit unsettling. It's instinctive in me as a busy Mom of three to always have kids, cats and chaos underfoot. This quiet, clean home is a strange chapter in my life. One I hope doesn't last too long.

I'm hoping for a trip to the new relo-city to visit and stay with my husband and daughter but the last time I attempted this some potential buyers and realtors broke our back door, the psycho stalker fake buyer's agent visited our home and went through my drawers, bills, photo albums and more while another showing left lights on. I just don't trust my house left to the whims of Real Estate agents while I'm gone. I'll have to ponder this one.

Staycation Idea for the Whole Family

2011-08-30T17:16:00.003-05:00

Next weekend is a holiday here in the US. Many people have Friday off and most people (not in retail) have Monday off as well. In a previous chapter of my life I would have been looking for something fun to do with the kids over a nice long 3 day weekend. Now that I have 2/3 of my kids off in college it changes the structure of our weekends and some of our holidays.

One of the fun activities for kids we've always enjoyed in the past was finding an indoor Water Park to visit and stay at for a night or two. Some of you might remember one of our last trips to one of the largest Indoor Water parks when I was blogging about my attempts to order a pizza online from the lobby of the hotel while my family swam. Kids will love the themed suites, kids activities, game rooms and kids spa while Mom and Dad might enjoy the prospect of the fitness center, spa, shopping and dining options.

With locations all over the country as well as one just over the Canadian border, there is a good chance you have a Great Wolf Lodge within driving distance of your home that might make a great staycation;

Charlotte/Concord, NC
Cincinnati/Mason, OH
Grand Mound, WA
Grapevine, TX
Kansas City, KS
Niagara Falls, Canada
Pocono Mountains, PA
Sandusky, OH
Traverse City, MI
Williamsburg, VA
Wisconsin Dells, WI

They have some great affordable deals on their specials page; not only for the month of September, but meal plans, accommodation specials and even deals throughout the month of November.

Is She or Isn't She?

2011-08-30T08:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the table! Coffee's on!
This morning is Emeril's (Big, Easy Bold style).

Right about now is when I start glancing at the clock to see if I need to run upstairs and get dressed. But today? I'm not. Although the ties are not severed, they are thin. I trained 'my' replacement all last week and yesterday I trained in the new Director - who also inherits my office, my desk, my computer and my phone. Although many options for me staying on were discussed, my Executive Director didn't have a plan. Yesterday I announced that I was basically displaced and with no phone, computer or desk, I'd consider yesterday my last day. The HR person said "no!" and that he/she could use me for some state compliance work they were working on but we never really discussed any details and when I left the office last night they were in a closed door financial meeting so we never talked.

Going on the assumption that yesterday could be my official last day, I passed around 'goodbye' cards to my coworkers desks and left the office.

That officially means this morning I'm not really required to report anywhere. Although I still have access to my work email and have promised to continue to check it to answer any of the questions the two new hires have, to continue to monitor the progress of a major event I'm handing over to my new replacement and to deal with any important emails that come to my box that I can forward on to my replacement or my Director.

But I am not going into the office today that I know of.

Does this mean I have leaped into 'full time housewife' status as of today? I have no idea. LOL.

~ ~ ~ ~

Blue Stains are Not Better Than Tan Stains (updated after coffee)

2011-08-29T07:21:00.003-05:00

Crap.
The stupid carpet bugged me so much that I mixed up Oxy Clean last night and was going to spot treat it. Except when you add the powder to the hot water it... foams. And expands. Which I was not expecting and my container only had about 1/2 cup space at the top, so as it expanded I had to put it down and run to get another bigger bowl. I put it on the spot so the cleaning solution would at least foam and run on the right place, right?
Wrong.
For whatever reason, it turned the area blue.
Yep. Blue.
Grrrreat.

So this morning I have a blue stain instead of beige.

~ ~ ~ ~

I'm back! After 2 cups of coffee I heated up a mug of water in the microwave.

Then I burned 3 of my fingers when I picked it up because apparently it's a cheap mug. It was about 300 degrees when I grabbed it and I now have 3 burnt fingers, one of them with a blister but anyway, back to the update.

I took a white towel and worked on the 'blue' stain with plain water, hoping to dilute it. I saturated the spot and blotted it. The blue is lighter. I'm going to let it dry today and after work see if it needs another dose of diluted water. This is my 'frugal' fix so perhaps I don't have to spend $100 on carpet cleaning or buying a steam vac.

Note to Self.... with my ears ringing

2011-08-27T08:25:00.000-05:00

Note to Self:

Do not set the main security alarm at night anymore.
You are not used to it and will set off every alarm in the house and wake the neighbors when you open the patio door to enjoy the morning breeze with your coffee.

In Which My Neighbor Asks Me If Any of My Photos Are Missing... Thanks. I didn't think about THAT.

2011-08-26T05:15:00.001-05:00

Coffee was early this morning. I've been sitting here at the kitchen table since around 4:am. I just used my last Dark Magic k-cup though and now I'm out of coffee (unless I want to drink either Mudslide or Island Coconut, which I don't of course.)

Last night I was working in the yard and one of my neighbors stopped by while she walking her dog. Of course she asked how the house-selling was going which led to a discussion about showings and of course my weirdo 'Buyer's Agent' that went through my things, looked through my photo albums and scrapbooks and went through my bills and other paperwork and took their daily constitutional in my personal bathroom.

When she heard about the photo albums she said she just got goosebumps and asked; "Did they take any!? Are any missing!?"

Oh grrrrreat.
I didn't even think about that.

I honestly hadn't looked. It never occurred to me that someone would take a photo. But her first thought was if they had gone through my drawers, my bills and then the photo albums, that perhaps I'd end up with a stalker and I'd better check if any photos were missing.

Last night I decided to start setting the security alarm even while I'm home, which I never got in the habit of doing because with all five of us (and three being teenagers) we always were coming and going and the kids would be coming in at midnight or later.

I didn't sleep well and had odd dreams and when I woke at one point, rolled over to look at the time on the digital clock and... it was blinking. At some point during the night our power had went out. There were no storms, no power surges due to heat as it's not that hot right now and it was the middle of the night, and there was no reason for the power to go out. Great. LOL.

My creative mind started to think about my weirdo potential stalker agent. Started to wonder about how the security system is wired and what kind of battery backup it has. Of COURSE I ended up being wide awake, tossing and turning in bed and finally decided to get up, have my coffee and call it 'morning'.

So... good morning!

My Own Company

2011-08-26T04:55:00.002-05:00

My Own Company
Contribution by Kennith Griffin

I’ve always had it in my head that I would own my own business and when I got laid off at the bank last year it just seemed like the perfect time to start thinking about it again. I didn’t like being gone 9 hours a day anyway since the baby was so young so it made sense to talk to my husband about opening a home day care. We’re lucky because our house is in the right type of zoning area and there weren’t too many things we needed to change to get it up to code. We did add a big playground set in the back and some additional AC vents in the basement (we went to Http://www.TexasElectricityProviders.Com/ to make sure the bills didn’t get out of control) and by the time we opened I’d already lined up 5 clients which was the max! I love staying at home and getting to bring in extra income, too, and I think this was the perfect career change for me!

The next person who uses our toilet should buy our house

2011-08-24T07:56:00.000-05:00

Good Morning!

Coffee is on, the patio door is open to the morning dew and the sun is shining.

We had another house showing yesterday and I usually get feedback from my realtor within a day of each showing. They looked around 5:pm last night so I'm expecting and hoping to hear this morning what they thought. Of course I'd love to get a good offer on the house, but we have another showing scheduled for Thursday so at least we are still getting traffic, which is more than most of the homes on the market in our area can say.

Here is the funny thing about yesterdays showing... they ALSO used my toilet!

Knowing that humans prefer to use a toilet area that is clean and comfortable; my house must be mighty 'comfortable' to these people! At least this one didn't leave err... evidence like the 2 guys did. They also used the guest toilet on the main floor and not my personal bathroom up in the master bedroom!

But sure enough, last night when I arrived home from work I noted the toilet lid was up so I went to put it down (assuming they raised it to flush and check water pressure) then noted the toilet paper in a different position than I leave it for showings, turned to see water droplets in the sink and a crumpled hanging hand towels.

Bah ha.

Come on people... if you are comfortable enough to use the restroom in my house, be comfortable enough to make an offer and buy it!

Never try to convince a tv programming guy you don't watch tv. It's a waste of time.

2011-08-22T19:45:00.001-05:00

Today I called to cancel our Direct TV account.
The guy on the other end of the phone couldn't comprehend that I didn't watch tv.
When he asked why I was canceling today he answered his own question before I could even get a word in. He said, "So is it because you don't watch much or you're trying to cut expenses?"
"Both. I don't watch tv and yeah, I'd like to save money too."
"Well, if you don't watch much tv we have some other programming options that can save you money."
"No. My child just went off to college and I don't watch tv so I want to cancel."
"You mean you don't watch much tv, right?"
"No. None."
"Ok, but you watch the news right?"
Sigh. "No. I don't. watch. tv. I haven't since September of 1998."
Crickets.
Crickets.
"Well... what do you do in your spare time? Read?"
"Yes. I read."
"What do you read? What do you like?"
"Almost anything. Everything."
"Everything?"
"Yeah. Pretty much."
"Ok!"
(I'm wondering why he is starting to venture into the pick up line realm.... geeze, get back on topic!)
So... I can go ahead and cancel that for you. So... tell me, what do you plan to do for TV then?"
"I told you. No. TV. I don't plan to have one."

He tried this not twice, but three times. He just couldn't comprehend I wasn't going to have tv reception in my home. LOL.

Updated for the comments:
".... I was on the internet, reading or out singing." Me too! LOL. Although I do my singing in the kitchen. :)

Coffee Break: Rentals in Calgary

2011-08-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

Many of my readers are from Alberta, so when I had a chance to write about rentals in the Calgary area I knew I had a following in that area and agreed it would fit. I happen to be knee deep in the middle of relocating across the country so we just went through looking for a place to rent in our new city. Because we were looking specifically at school districts more than any other qualifying factor, it was rather difficult and time consuming. Luckily most people are only only interested in the general area, bedrooms or amenities.

Rent Calgary has not only apartments, town homes and rental houses listed but makes the search easy to find. You can search and sort by price, square footage, number of bedrooms or even number of bathrooms. Just click on the area of Calgary you want to move to and view pictures, descriptions, and prices of the rentals in that area.

We are currently 1 month into our 6 month lease (and hope our home sells before we have to renew!) I'm wishing my readers luck in finding their perfect rental as well.

Fresh Coffee For All

2011-08-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the kitchen table! I've been here off and on for a couple hours already but so many things to do this morning I've been pulled this way and that. I'm preparing to go get ready for work actually but will be back later. Just wanted to wave to everyone, offer fresh coffee and tea around the table and tell you I'm around but on the go. Will be back later this morning!

The teller can't count. We said close 2 accounts. He closed 3.

2011-08-20T06:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my son went to the bank and was going to close 2 accounts.

These are the two he didn't want to open in the first place (if you've been reading posts this week). He had the checking account booklet and the savings account booklet. He handed them to the (male) teller and said he wanted to close these two accounts.

The teller said he would have to withdrawal funds to bring them to a zero balance then they could be closed. He handed my son the money from the two accounts and it was about $100 more than he thought he had, but since the (female) teller had not wrote his balances on the new account registers she gave him, he wasn't sure what his balance had been.

Last night I logged into my bank account and was surprised to see my joint savings account with our son's name on it was gone. Gone!

Apparently they closed out THREE accounts.

He asked to close 2 accounts.
He gave them the two registers and checkbooks so he had the exact account numbers.
And yet the teller closed three accounts; including one with my name on it.

Gah.

The only blessing I guess is that the third savings account they canceled was his college fund account. And ironically I had just made a transfer of funds out of the account that morning; about 2 hours before my son went to the bank. In anticipation of moving him to college today - which includes registration and payment on his student account, I had removed almost all the money out of the account and into my checkings so I could write a check to the college. Since I only left $125 in the account that is why he was given about $100 more than he expected.

But seriously? He said close THESE TWO ACCOUNTS and gave them the booklets with the exact account numbers. And they closed THREE accounts - one that was a teen joint account with his Mom and Dad.

Not Just Coffee Talk This Morning

2011-08-18T04:01:00.003-05:00

This post brought to you by Diageo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Even though it's usually the coffee talking... let's talk rum. Let's talk premium dark rum.

My brother that just returned from Afghanistan has a hobby of studying and brewing home beers and wines. When he isn't stationed overseas he travels a lot and enjoys touring various distilleries, wineries and breweries all over the world. He always has interesting stories as to the history of various drinks. I thought of him this morning when I had a chance to learn about Zacapa premium rum.

History: In eastern Guatemala, near the town of Zacapa, the terrain is perfectly suited to the cultivation of quality sugar cane. In fact, nowhere in the world could be better suited. Here in the rolling uplands of this green fertile landscape, acidic soils and prolonged periods of golden sunlight are the order of the day. The cane is grown here in volcanic soil, no less. Here is where the town of Zacapa starts the process of making their premium rum. Unlike most rums which use molasses (a by-product of the sugar making process) as their base, Zacapa uses only the concentrated first press of sugar cane, known as virgin sugar cane honey.

The ageing process takes place high up in the beautiful Quetzaltenango highlands, 2,300 meters above sea level, where the cool mountain air slows the ageing process, creating a unique complexity of flavor. The House Above the Clouds is actually one of the world’s highest ageing facilities, and the process employed here, a unique Sistema Solera, is based on a process originally devised by the Spaniards 500 years ago to age sherry. It involves each drop of Zacapa rum passing through several casks that previously housed American whiskey, Oloroso sherry and Pedro Ximenez wines. So each of these large vessels imparts its own inimitable character that helps give Zacapa its distinctive taste.
I know many of my readers (Washington, I'm giving you a shout out!) also enjoy learning about the history and would enjoy this background. Interest piqued? Think about becoming a member of the Zacapa Society. Members of the Zacapa Society will not only learn exclusive details about this brand, but will also have the opportunity to enjoy remarkable gifts and prizes along the way. You can register your interest at http://bit.ly/pvKdC9.

Fly Away: A great film that made me think

2011-08-13T08:16:00.001-05:00

Beautiful morning! Fall is right around the corner. I can feel it. I can smell it.

This morning I was out setting up the sprinklers to water the grass and turned my head into the breeze, lifted my face to the morning sun and just stood there smiling.

At this moment I don't have a lot to smile about. The house on the market with no foreseeable offers in the near future, double living expenses for dh and I as we had to set up housing in two different states during the transition of this relocation, living apart from my family and missing so much of 15 year old daughter's life this summer, almost $3,000 due at registration next Saturday for my son when we arrive at his college (don't have it... I'm working on that now) and many other things I won't go into here or now. But? Ah, life is good. Beautiful. And yes, as my head was turned towards the sky with a smile, I thanked God for such a perfect day.

Last night before bed I scoured the internet for something to watch. I stumbled upon a link to watch a movie I had never heard of, never knew existed, but loved so much as it made me think and gave me a glimpse into the lives of two of my friends. Although neither of these friends have children with this form of autism, their special needs kids are still quite similar to the teenage character in this film; Fly Away and although I know what their lives are like on the surface, and had shared 'bits and pieces' with me, I got a more in depth look at the decisions they faced as their daughter's grew to be teens. There were a couple parts of the movie I felt were a little idealized or not true to what the teen daughter's character would have been capable of doing (like the part when she asked about getting older and getting married) but then again, it's a film and I know the point they were making. The moment when the parent and/or disabled teen realizes that their future doesn't hold the same hopes and dreams as someone without the disability. And the end? Yes, a little too 'sweet' and 'perfect' but then again they had to wrap up the movie some how right?

It gave me much to think about and I find myself thinking about it even more this morning.

I like films that do that.

Starting Schools a Thousand Miles Away

2011-08-12T10:34:00.002-05:00

This post brought to you by Bealls. All opinions are 100% mine.

In June of this year the temperatures went up to unseasonably warm and stayed there throughout not only June but July and into August. It was only this week that I walked out of the office after work and literally stopped in my tracks; having noticed the temperature a fell a bit, the sky had taken on the color of blue that only August and September know and the breeze had picked up with a hint of 'back-to-school' on it. The feeling was there. It was that time of year.

Over the years the kids and I had our rituals. Shopping was always done with all three and all at once. Arriving home with supplies, new backpacks, clothing and shoes, they would excitedly sit in a circle on the floor and pile their loot in front of them. I would write their names on their things with a Sharpie market and they would delight in putting everything in it's place inside pencil cases and backpacks. New shoes were tried on and clothing modeled. Now? Two of those kids are heading off to college and one is over 800 miles away, having already relocated to the new city and state with her Dad while I stay to sell the house. Boy have things changed this year!

My oldest daughter and my son have their own sense of style and while they don't care about the brand name, they love to save money. My youngest is a brand-shopper and her jeans must say "Miss Me" on the tag and her shoes must be a brand that make others turn their heads. Luckily she also knows the value of a dollar and worked 2 part time jobs this summer to purchase her own jeans as she knows Mom isn't going to pay $110 for them! When it comes to saving money on clothes I shop clearance racks, shop for deals online, use coupon codes, frequent buyer cards and mix and match affordable tee's and tanks with a name brand jacket or jeans to give the allusion of having spent far more than I did! Smart Mom's know how to save a dollar, even if your kids attend private school or schools with uniforms or dress codes. Even so, check out Bealls and other online merchants to save money over buying straight from the school at full price.)

This year I'll be moving our oldest into her college dorm almost 1000 miles away from her sister who will be heading off to her first day of high school in Alabama at the same time. What a difference a year makes.

2011-08-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

Currently;

Drinking - ice water
Watching - (on YouTube) Aftermath: Population Zero
In about 45 minutes I'll be in bed reading - The Wilding (just finished Excavation)