The Hodgepodger

Halloween Remembered

2011-10-28T10:19:00.002-04:00

When I was little Halloween was different that it is today. It seemed safer then and parents did not always go. You could plan to goo with a group of friends and just take off in a mob. That was fun. Costumes were not as commercial as today either. Mostly mine and my brothers were home made...what we could throw together. The few times that mom and dad dressed up, they had home made costumes too.

When I was in middle school was the first time we ever heard of anything really scary happening on Halloween. We first heard of people putting razor blades in apples. Fruit was still being given out then. For the first time parents had to worry about candy. We simply threw away any fruit we got. Back then people also used to give money. I remember many times getting lots of change in our bags instead of candy.

Even later still came things being put in candy so the first things we noticed was that hospitals were offering free xrays of Halloween candy. By this time our trick or treating habits began to change. We would still go with friends but mom and dad would inspect any candy we had for tampering. Took some of the fun out but we kids became aware that there was not just "play" evil in the world on Halloween night. There was real evil in the world.

As you can imagine times since then have gotten worst. Kids no longer go alone. Parents fo with them. Candy still has to be inspected before eaten. Parents no longer give fruit or homemade candy or treats. Everything is wrapped. No one gives out money anymore. Parents check the most recent pedophile lists to be sure they do not drive them to the wrong homes.

Halloween. Times they are a'changing!

Forgotten God

2011-10-19T10:57:00.002-04:00

This is the current book I am reading now. Forgotten God by Francis Chan. I am actually in a bible study that is using this book and workbook for the fall. Francis Chan is very moving. I do believe this was a good option for our group. Check it out. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Kindle Fire

2011-10-19T10:47:00.002-04:00

The Kindle Fire is here! I want one of these! I currently have the first edition model. This model is great with all the new features. It is almost exactly like the IPAD 2 without the cost. Being able to read in color is great and it has access to thousands of books and other Amazon features. Better to sign up now. They go on same in November! I will be adding this to my Christmas list.

A Thought!

2011-10-19T10:41:00.001-04:00

"Our spirit knows when we are on the right path. When we make a decision that we feel good about, we receive it as energy that propels us along a particular path...Our passion is the energy through which we serve our purpose. When we serve our purpose, we feel our passion. By following our passion, we will tap into the energy God gives us to serve our purpose.” ~Eadie

Blue Funk

2011-10-19T10:27:00.002-04:00

I do believe I am in a blue funk. I look around and see all the productive people and wish so hard to go back to being one of them. I am not sure what the plan for my life is right now. I have a plan of where I want it to go but so far all my efforts to go that way have not worked. Maybe I am to go in another direction. I want to know the way. When I start the day each day at 5:00 am, I want to be heading out to endure the drudgery of an office, to stand at the office water cooler and shoot the breeze about what was on tv last night. I bet most people would like to have the freedoms I have now, but I don't know...I miss the same thing, different day of it all.

I do believe I am in a blue funk. Time can make you inactive. I come now to dread each morning. I have things to do. Important things that involve my family but I want more. Everyday is new and a new start but what am I starting?

I smell the perfumes and colognes of other people as they enter the coffee shop, suited up for a day in the office. I used to be one of them. One of them for most of my life. Six months away from that seems more like a lifetime. Odd. Six months away seems harder than the 18 years of being a suit. Odd. I am in a blue funk. Waiting for it top clear. It needs to clear. I am ready for it to clear. It is about to bring me down.

Down into the depths of blue. Down into the depths of blue to maybe drown. Right now I am paddling away from the pull of blue. Its' pull is strong and at times it brings me too close to the abyss. I do believe I am in a blue funk. I need to get out. I want to know how.

Social Media

2011-10-19T10:01:00.003-04:00

Via: Wpromote

It is amazing what social media can do today. I have joined FB and Twitter. At first it was all a curiosity and to keep up with the mainstream. I did not use either for a very long time. Then I realized just how many friends of mine used FB for keeping up with everyone. A year after I joined I went back on and began to use it very regularly. Now I am hooked. It is a way to socialize, keep up and as it is now, many businesses use FB and other social media platforms for sales and marketing.

My use of twitter was a little quicker. I joined and began to use right away. Again, business and all sorts of agencies used twitter as well to promote and keep up with followers. Technology is just growing at a phenomenal pace.

It is amazing to see how these social media sites are used. There are even companies that can assist with search engine optimization . These sites can help promote brand loyalty and grow your audience which will overall inprove your authority within your field. Using multifaceted campaigns will ultimately increase rankings and the bottom line. If you are new to the area of social media, you can even request a consultation to figure out exactly the best approach for you. Will you need marketing, website development or social media?

With a team of over 60 talented staff who are eager to provide the best for their clients, you cannot go wrong. Check out the site. Call for a consultation. Regardless of how the internet, social media or technology changes, the goal of Online Marketing is the same: to help businesses succeed on line!

Spyro Gyra-Morning Dance

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-04:00

Funny for Today!

2011-10-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

Prescription Convenience

2011-10-17T10:14:00.002-04:00

Many years ago my mother was depressed. I knew what was wrong with her but she did not. As a child the only thing I could suggest was that she was having some issues, which she denied. This was many years ago. Within the past 15 years after coming back to my home state, I realized she finally did seek medical help and she was on Paxil for depression. She said it was to keep her stable. When I think back to childhood, she was on valium and belladonna for as long as I could remember. I do not think it helped much. She was very unstable when I was little.

Today the advances that have been made in medicine are remarkable. It is all due to our ever advancing technology in all fields. Now drugs like Paxil are readily available to all. In addition to getting a prescription from your doctor, you can Buy Paxil on line. If you are homebound then buying on line is the best option. With a site like the Canada Drug Center all your prescription needs can be delivered right to your front door. Via this site, you can get both generic and name brand medications at low prices. Most likely lower than your local pharmacy.

They deliver medications in their original manufacturing packaging. Let's look at an example. If you had to Buy Nexium ,the process is very easy. Simply put that drug name or any other drugs that you needed in the search box and when they come up add them to your shopping cart. When you are done checkout with your credit card. The process is one stop shopping that can be completed in a few minutes. You can even order by fax, phone and email.

The Canada Drug Center has had over 250,000 customers and is fully staffed with certified pharmacists. They have over 2200 prescription drugs available for sale. If you needed to Buy Wellbutrin you would be able to get it there. There are no hidden charges and purchases are confidential. If you did have a concern about anything there is live support available to answer questions every day of the week! Calls are returned within 24-48 hours.

With our age of technology, being able to buy things online has become 2nd nature. Being able to get medical supplies and drugs are no exception. Be sure to try the Canada Drug Center. They deliver quality brand name and generic drugs at the most economic prices possible.

Paranormal Activity

2011-10-17T10:07:00.002-04:00

What was I thinking? I was feeling quite halloweeny and checked out Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 from the library. All I need now is some popcorn for later this week. I think the best time to watch them will be right before bed. That way the full effect of the fear will kick in. Scary movies are not like the ones I grew up with. When I see them now, they seem almost hooky and B-grade. The movies of today are all about blood, gore and 3d action. Times change and the classic horror movie is no more!

Friday Musical Motivation

2011-09-23T10:52:00.001-04:00

Left Upward Turn

2011-09-23T10:33:00.003-04:00

I wonder why the world goes round when some go round they are on the bottom. I think that at times we are all on the bottom spoke as the wheel turns. I feel that is where I am now. I have been there for about a year. I am waiting for the wheel to begin that left upward turn. Any time now would be good! I am so ready. My motivation is lagging some. I enthusiasm with life is waning a little. I am tired.

With our economy in such a sad state I think the turn will be slow. My hope is that I have been on the down spoke for awhile so it must be my turn to make that left upward turn soon. I just have too. I am doing all I can to MAKE it turn but it is draining me of all energy. Some days I have to give up and refuel. I feel a little energized today. I hope it lasts for the rest of the day. I would like to get some things done!

I need that left upward turn for my family as well. We are slowly going under, one less dollar at a time. I can see why criminals think of crime and the easy way to get money. That risk seems like an easy one when your back is up against the wall. The bad thing is the punishment is not worth that insane risk!

So I struggle on. It is the only thing to do. Keep positive that the wheel will make that left upward turn and I will be on top again. Hope. It is all I have.

Fall is Here!

2011-09-23T09:56:00.002-04:00

Fall is in the air. Where I am the weather is still pretty tropical. It is that way in the sunny south for a long time after fall has arrived. But we do have some cold weather and I look forward to that. I look forward to bundling up in sweaters and coats and even fur! I am a fur person. I love fur and have some. The sad thing is, where I am it does not get cold enough very often for me to wear it. Regardless, I still wear it. When I feel it is cold enough, on it goes. I know it is not a popular thing to wear but my thoughts are, the fur I have was long dead before I bought it. The furs I have are vintage. I bought them on the secondary market...not new. Well, except for a fox fur cape I bought back in 1989.

I had the chance to visit Chicago years ago, twice, when I was sent there for a training seminar with a former job. We were there in the dead of winter...January...who knew it could ever be so cold. I saw people wearing fur on the streets of Chicago EVERY SINGLE DAY. I was in heaven! There were furs in all the stores and fur shops everywhere. I was in heaven just looking! Those days of having fur shops in multitude don't exist here in the sunny south. A few of the department stores will have a fur sale in our local malls. I have checked those out. They have some nice things but very pricey for our area. I guess they are very high priced because the demand here is small.

What is amazing is that you can find fur shopping available on line now. Back in the 80's that was not possible. Check out Marks-Lloyds Furs. They have been around since 1951 and have styles available in classic lines as well as more contemporary lines. Look at these fur vests for sale . I just love the motorcycle black fox vest as well as the bordeaux sheared beaver vest. I do not have a fur vest. My furs are more classic. These vests would go extremely well with casual wear, weather it be pants or skirts. They would even add some flash and style to simple pants or skirts!

Marks-Lloyds, located in Colorado, has a wide array of fur vests , coats, parkas and even accessories to choose from. Furs range from fox and mink to sable and chinchilla. Beaver and shearlings are also available. They have buyers that obtain selective merchandise from all over the world in order to bring fashionable furs to the consumer twenty four hours a day via on line shopping.

The autumn leaves will soon be falling and the time to consider fur is now! If you are in the local Colorado area at their store, you will be able to find fur jackets for sale right now. They are having a sidewalk sale with some items being offered at 50% off. I have always liked being able to try something on in person. That is always nice! To feel that luxurious fur!

The service does not stop at the sale either. They offer storage and repair in case something happens to your fur. They even offer refurbishing and restyling. So, if you are far away from any type of local fur retainer based on your geographical location, consider shopping on line with Marks-Lloyds. If you have an old fur they even accept trade-ins that can be used as a credit toward a new fur. It will be evaluated and a value will be assessed. That old fur might be a handsome down payment on something new.

Fur! Nothing feels like REAL fur! Nothing wears like it either. This love of mine is not going to go away. I think I will be looking at some of my older furs. I might have to trade in for something new! It has been awhile.

Currents Run Deep!

2011-09-19T08:16:00.004-04:00

I got to Starbucks this morning around 7am. Lovely morning. It is 2011 but still old currents run deep. I was in line behind one woman with two others behind me. The woman ahead of me placed her order and she asked the 2 clerks, baristas, where Stanley Street was. They did not know. That name was very familiar to me and I know I had been on that street before so I began to run through my memory so that I could place where that street was. It was not to far away. The woman then added that she had gotten off one exit of the interstate early and was trying to find her way. I still continued to place that street.. it was within about 4 miles of where this location is.

I did not say anything to her because I was still trying to get the directions right in my mind...exactly how many lights back she needed to go. Well, her coffee was ready and she got it and immediately turned and walked to the woman standing right behind me. She asked her if she knew where the street was. That woman behind me responded and told her she had heard her ask the clerks and she did not know. This woman then went to the last women behind me and asked her the same question.

I was a bit taken aback. Why I do not know. This is the south. I guess I was because she totally looked over me like I did not exist to ask the two people behind me if they knew. By this time I figured out exactly where she needed to go. Needless to say I did not offer my assistance. It was clear she wanted no assistance from me.

Racism. Those currents still run deep. I guess I just did not expect to be totally overlooked so blatantly in this day and age. Some places and locals here in the south it is expected. I guess I did not expect it at the local Starbucks which tends to be a melting pot for all wanting coffee.

It is sad because I have raised my child to be color blind. She is now just beginning college and is trying her fledgling wings in the social world. She has just begun to go out with friends of all colors to local restaurants and other establishments without me. I am now teaching her about racism and being careful. She knows about racism but being CAREFUL is different. Not to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and to look for clues in people that things may be amiss. There are still people who commit hate crimes and they live right here in our local area. They do not need an easy target. I do not want her to be an easy target due to my failure to teach her about the horrors of racism and that it is still alive and well and looking for the unsuspecting.

Well, I hope that woman found her way. She left Starbucks without speaking to the only person who could help her. Currents still run deep.

Friday Musical Motivation

2011-09-16T09:07:00.001-04:00

Fall is in the Air

2011-09-16T08:49:00.003-04:00

Woke up this morning and it was a blustery morning. The wind was blowing, the trees were swaying and it was raining as well. The weather was no longer sweltering. Here in the very tropical south, the weather is warm and even hot into October. Today was the first day that it felt like fall was in the air. It may be short lived as tomorrow it could be back up to 98 degrees, but I will enjoy today.

The sun has finally come up and it is still breezy and cool. My outlook has not changed all that much. I am grateful for today,but still searching for my way. I know the God has a plan for me, I just do not know what it is right now. I keep trying to find it. Maybe I am trying too hard. Maybe I need to sit back for just a minute and wait to see if it will be revealed.

I have not felt this disjointed since I do not know when. Maybe back in my late 20's when I had a career change. Then I was able to take a cruise, clear my head and come back with renewed vigor and vim. I did choose a new path then.

Now stress seems to lead the way. No cruise now. I look for a little peace in the little things. Like a day at the beach and working out. That helps. I pray that my way will be soon revealed. I know that now I am doing what I need to be doing. Being there for my child. Soon I will need to shift the focus to me.

For now I sway in the wind. I go where the wind blows me. I bend and am as supple as new shoots of grass. Fall is in the air and soon the set in for the winter needs to happen. Nothing is stored for the winter. Nothing is in the larder now. All seems to come when it should. When things are needed they are there. So far there is nothing that has been for want. The universe knows and fills in what is needed.

Fall is in the air. The wind is blowing. The trees are bending and so am I.

Motivation

2011-09-14T08:26:00.002-04:00

Motivation seems to be lacking in my right about now. Not sure why....maybe it has been the months of feeling not so good. I think when you get out of a stressful situation you might not be aware of the stress you were under until it is all over. Then you feel it, get sick and have to get over it.

When I left my job in April, I was under a lot of stress. From work. Having a terrible boss will do that. He was controlling and very manipulative. He was beyond words and every single employee who has left AFTER me has told me the exact same thing..without me even broaching the subject. He goes through a lot of employees. The turnover rate is extreme but he does not care. He just chalks it up to numbers...it's all a numbers game to him to find good people. He just had not found them yet.

When I left I was having irritable bowel problems. That is something I developed due to stress some years ago. I only have a flair up when I am stressed. It takes a long time to get it under control. It is now.

Mentally I feel so much better. I never knew what a relief it was not to go to work there. I could feel the relief that first week of not having him to deal with. If the relief is coming off one in waves, that was a clue I should have left there long before that!

When I look back that has been my problem I stay in bad places too long wanting them to get better. Hoping they will get better and they never do. I am an optimist. I see the good in most things and people, even if small and hold on to that. Against my better judgement.

So now I am not motivated. I want a great position, with great coworkers. I know that position has to be out there. For now, I seek. Waiting for the perfect one. I know there is a plan for my life but right now I just do not know what that is. I have always had a plan and a direction. And knew where I was going.

For the first time now, I feel adrift. Adrift on the sea of life, with a paddle but no map. With time I will find my way. With time I will find my way.

A Look Back

2011-09-12T08:49:00.003-04:00

Where was I on September 11th? I was at work sitting at my desk. One of my co-workers who sat behind me about 4 desks away was coming back from the direction of the break room. She stopped by my desk and said that a plane just flew into one of the World Trade Center Towers. She is a jokester anyway so I just looked at her and said, "year right!" I just knew it was one of her jokes. She said she was not joking and she repeated her statement again. I looked at her and told her that could not possibly happen. She repeated it to me again and said she was serious and to come with her. She was the first one to know in our office what had happened. I was the second.

I followed her to the breakroom and sure enough, the first plane had just flown into the tower. I alerted others in the office and people began to stream one by one into the break area. We all watched as the 2nd plane flew into the 2nd tower. We were all stunned and needless to say, we were all glued to the tv for the rest of the day. Work was hard to do. Almost pointless but we tried as we all found various news cites like CNN or Fox on our work computers to keep up with the news.

I called my mother and told her to turn on the tv. She did not know. It was a day full of disbelief. Disbelief that went on for days and into weeks.

Something else I recall was the on one of the evening news shows the media interviewed the employees of the rental car company that rented them the cars that took them to the airport. The man said that all seemed okay with them, nothing out of the ordinary. They were insured with ______________________. That blank is who I worked for at the time. I picked up on that and I listened for the name again on other news reports. That was the ONLY time I heard that name. All other reports that showed this interview was cut right before the employee made that statement. I am sure our homeoffice marketing department had that squashed and rightly so.

We lost an entire office of people who worked in the World Trade Center.

I was curious to see if the news report was true. Did we insure the hijackers? They would have appeared perfectly normal to all to pull this off. I wrote down all their names from the news and when I went to work the next day I looked in our Florida database. They were all there. We had insured all their cars and their homes in Florida.

I asked others if they had heard our company name on any news reports and noone else had caught that detail. I showed a few others that we had indeed insured them. Well I guess that set off some flags somewhere. Next thing I know the main office manager called me into the office and told me to NOT go anymore into those files or look up anything else on the hijackers. The authorities were looking into everything and my tracks needed to be out of their files.

You did not have to tell me twice. I wanted not affiliation with them and surely did not want whoever....FBI, CIA affiliating me with them. It was a most curious thing.

Each year I pay homage to all the victims who died that fateful day. Last night watching all the tribute shows brought that day at work back to me like it happened yesterday. The price of freedom surely is not free!

Waiting

2011-09-10T11:22:00.003-04:00

These days I seem to spend most of my time waiting. Waiting and being a human taxi for my child. Since I am not working that has become my job. She is just now learning how to drive and is not 100% mobile yet, so the timing seems right for me to be her taxi.

Her time has come. She has begun college and I am waiting. Waiting for her to fly the coop. I know that with her it will not be sudden. She still needs me and I feel needed. I do try to push her out into the world with a little encouragement. She does not seem eager to move away too fast. That is good for me as a mom. I know it is hard when your little ones fly the coop. I still have a little time. Time to enjoy her.

She has begun just now to go out on the weekends with friends. I encourage it because she has been so very sheltered. She does need the exposure. So I ask her most Thursday what her weekend plans are. Mostly so far she has none. When she does on those few occasions, I stop whatever I may have had planned to make myself available to drive her to or pick her up from wherever it is she wants to go with her friends. It has been about 50/50 they will pick her up. It all depends on the location.

When I look back my mother did not do that for me. It was all up to my friends. I had no car so it was my friends who took me everywhere and I paid them gas. If they did not come for me I had no way to go anywhere.

So I am waiting. I know that with the new independence I am giving her, she will eventually internalize it and it will eventually become her own. Then she will be her own woman. That gives me time. Time to adjust so when she flies the coop we will both be ready. I am waiting.

Waiting on time and expose.

Time and exposure to take my child away.

Precious Black Swan

2011-09-07T09:05:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity to see Precious yesterday. I checked it out from the library. It has to be one of the most disturbing movies I have seen in quite awhile. I mean. I guess I feel a connection because I too suffered some abuse as a child for quite a while. I wonder if abuse, if portrayed on the big screen would all be so disturbing? I wonder. I suffered a lot. About half way through I was wondering if Precious would ever be able to get away. I thank god she did. Mothers. Some are just biological. They spit you out into the world with no sense of giving a baby any of the skills to survive and in fact, do all they can to thwart any upward growth. Only by change and the grace of God and the help of others do a few manage to see the light, break free and end the cycle.

Precious. She was anything but that to her mother.

Black Swan. Black Swan. What can I say. I saw this movie too. It was a movie weekend. It took me a while to realize the main actress/ballerina was mentally ill. She had to be schizophrenic and I think even had some sort of dis-associative disorder. I think she was even having some sort of personality split. The movie was well done but again....why did not that mother get that child some help? She needed some medication.

Precious black swans. May you always find the strength. Somehow.

I did.

Studio Center

2011-09-07T08:38:00.002-04:00

Locally one of our local radio announcers has been mentioning on her morning radio show that she has recentlyhad the opportunity to do some voice over work. She is already in the industry but I wonder how hard it would be for the "diamond" in the rough to be discovered. If businesses or projects in the media are in need of voice actors there is a site that is easy to find with people who are looking for work in that field. There are tons of "voice over talent" available on Studio Center. It seems to be the one stop shop for union and non union talent. There is even foreign talent available. They literally have over 1000 voice actors.

The site is easy to use with a search feature that allows you to look by sex and even age or typecast. If you want to work in television production and think you may need a little training, there is even a Voice Over Academy that you can sign up for. Training is provided by an experienced actor with curriculum that will get you ready for the market today. It even includes live studio training. Classes are small and you will be guaranteed an audition for the Studio Center roster.

Studio Center does more than just provide the voice talent. They can even help with casting, video production, motion graphics and music clearance. They can do just about anything to meet your production needs. So don't get bogged down with the details of tv commercial production . If you need any expert help, Studio Center has a team of over 700 specialists to assist you. From the conception of your idea to the finished product ready for airing, they can do it all. Give them a call. OR....sign up for a class and submit your audition tape. I think I will be looking into this!

Chocolate: It Does A Body Good!

2011-09-02T10:54:00.001-04:00

See, I always knew chocolate was a vegetable!

Runner

2011-09-02T10:31:00.002-04:00

Runner!

Post contributed by Leonard Phelps

There’s nothing like the feeling of sun on your face and that’s why I like to run…no seriously! It’s great exercise, obviously, and it keeps my body in shape but it really is just nice to be outside and it’s a great way for me to clear my head and really carve out time to think. I recently started training for my first marathon so I’m out running hours a day so I went to TOTALALARMSYSTEMS.com to look into alarms for the house for when I’m gone. I have been talking to some running buddies about getting a trainer who can work with me to make the race less daunting but that’s expensive so I think for now I’m going to try to go it on my own. Whatever the case if I can finish the marathon at all without stopping I’ll be really, really proud of myself since just a few years ago it would have been beyond belief for me to run more than a mile at a time!

Catherine Becker 'drugged husband cuts off his penis and throws it in garbage' | Mail Online

2011-07-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

Catherine Becker 'drugged husband cuts off his penis and throws it in garbage' | Mail Online

This has to be the worst story of the day. What a horror. No man is worth this. Now she is in jail. I know I would have left LONG before anything ever got to this point. Sad!

Whose Cat Is It?

2011-07-12T22:20:00.004-04:00

My daughter was given a cat for her graduation. A gift from her employer...a veterinarian office. She came with gifts and lots of free things to get her started expense free. Well, animals are fickle creatures. She seems to be a bit more taken with me than with my daughter. It is only because I am at home with the car more. She likes to follow people everywhere and generally walks all over me. You know how animals tend to take over your life and home within a few days.

Well, now my child has declared her as mine and now she wants a dog. One free pet is enough. I made her turn down eight prior animals...both cats and dogs alike. This sweet cat was a surprise! I guess her co-workers knew that would be the only way it would come home.

I do not regret her at all. She was a stray and would have been put to sleep. So we saved a life. All prior animals we have had over the years have been shelter animals as well. So we now have a cat which I believe will end up being mine. So, again I ask....whose cat is it?

The Library Is Not What It Used To Be

2011-06-23T15:32:00.005-04:00

The library is not what it used to be. When I was little, it was the most quiet of places with stoic librarians who would give evil looks and shush you with a finger if you began to look like you were about to utter a sound. Today it is a noisy place that has lost is hallowed silence. People talk in their outside voices with no pretense of a whisper. I feel some people do not even know how to whisper from the looks of them.

And it is a sick place as well. More people disturb what little silence there is with coughs, colds, nasty clearing of throats and just being plain noisy. Do they have to drop all they have and then proceed to sit with THAT much noise! GEE! People are like busy hamsters in the library. No soft, gentle, quiet moves.

Kids! Parents to not teach their kids to be quiet in the library. Little elementary kids laugh with wild abandon and talk to their siblings like they are at home. Stay at home moms bring in crying infants and stay at least for 30-40 minutes worth of crying.

No! The library is not what it used to be and I do not see any way for it to go back. It is a social place now. Its' quiet reverence lost never to be regained.

A Night Out

2011-06-23T14:47:00.003-04:00

The last time I recall going to an actual concert was several years ago and it was to see Yanni Live at my local coliseum. It was a fantastic concert and one that my child's teacher recommended that the entire class go to see. She was able to get some extra credit if she did. It was a fabulous concert. Yanni...who I love was just wonderful. In addition he wore those uber-sexy black leather pants!! I was in love. Yeah I know..Yanni. That long hair and those pants did it for me.

I often go to the Spoleto Festival and other performances that are held in my town each year and normally I ALWAYS get the highest priced tickets because I want to be right up front, in a good seat and with an excellent view. In addition I normally have my child with me and I want her to be able to have a memorable experience. so normally price is no object. I have paid up to $150 apiece for a ticket.

Times have changed and the economy has put a damper on my luxury spending. I still go to performances but I do look for the bargain...great price and with a great seat. There are many to find and it does not have to be at the most highest ticket prices for a particular show. Thank goodness for A Cheap Seat.com. They are a site that provides premium seating without a wait at a variety of prices. They even allow access to seats that normally do not become available to the general public. Sweet! For example, Taylor Swift Tickets and Katie Perry Tickets are available for their upcoming concerts in June and July of this year. The site is user friendly. Select the venue you want and available seats and prices come up. Select the tickets you want and pay with credit card. No waiting and with the ease of being at home.

It works the same for the theater. Jersey Boy Tickets can also be obtained via A Cheap Seat. Because A Cheap Seat is a professional ticket broker, they are able to negotiate premium seats at great prices. Those great savings are passed on to us which creates loyal, repeat customers. These tickets can be purchased on line or via phone where a professional agent will take care of your ticket needs.

In the event that you want to attend a show that may be sold out, like the Bon Jovi Tickets , you can complete an event notification request form and when more tickets become available, you will be notified by email so that you can make a purchase. Backstreet Boys Tickets are still available for the upcoming tour dates. A Cheap Seat is the way to go. With personalized service form their sale agents, you are given choices of varying seating and prices.

In some cases events can cell out in a matter of minutes and with this site you will have a chance to get premium tickets. In the case of some sporting events the only way to get tickets is via a ticket broker as they never to on sale to the public. The site is available Monday- Friday, a half day on Saturday and closed on Sunday. For the hottest shows on broadway, the most exciting sporting events and concerts, A Cheap Seat is the way to go! They offer variety in seating and pricing!

Potato chips are piling on the pounds, study finds | ajc.com

2011-06-23T14:45:00.000-04:00

Potato chips are piling on the pounds, study finds | ajc.com

Now I always knew that chips were so bad, but they taste so good! This is an interesting story!

New Look

2011-06-09T14:06:00.001-04:00

For quite a while I had been away because I could not figure out how the spammers from India got access to this blog. Finally figured it out! So annoying. Do people in India now know they can creat a blogger blog too and post! Just saying! Damned spammers!

Ready for a zombie apocalypse? CDC has advice

2011-05-19T21:00:00.000-04:00

Ready for a zombie apocalypse? CDC has advice - CNN.com

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a big, serious government agency with a big, serious job: protecting public health from threats ranging from hurricanes to bird flu.

So when the good doctors of Atlanta warned people this week about how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse, the world took notice.

"That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e," Dr. Ali S. Khan wrote on the CDC website this week, adding casually that "Resident Evil" is his "personal favorite" zombie movie.

As it happens, Khan, one of the nation's top-ranking public health professionals (he's a rear admiral and an assistant surgeon general), doesn't actually believe the living dead are about to claw their way out of graves and start chewing on your brain.

But, he and his communications team recently noticed, what they'd want you to do if the world really did suddenly go "Night of the Living Dead" is pretty much the same thing they'd want you to do in case of a hurricane or a major pandemic.

Radiolab: War of the World

2011-04-02T09:48:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings. check out this radiolab regarding War of the World. Very interesting.

Between a Hard Place and a Hard Place

2011-04-02T09:27:00.001-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings. I have been working at a place for the last 4 years. Not a good place but it is /was a job. Based on sales and at the whim of the economy. Now in the last week it has been restructured and just about phased out. I no longr go to the office exccept for 2 days and just for a few hours. I am essentially gone. Instead of an hourly pay that was semi regular along with bonuses, it is just pay based on commission. Not so good. Dire is my situation now. I am looking for work and have had a few interviews but it is scary...how are these April bills going to get paid. Life is hard right now. Sometimes I do feel like giving up...if it was just me....maybe so. But. Kids. You have to keep going for them. So plod on I will. Hope a great job will materialize very soon!

Blue Sky

2011-03-24T16:14:00.004-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings. Last summer my child began a part time job at the local vet clinic after school and she had to wear scrubs to work. So, suddenly we were in the market for medical uniforms . She was very excited as we went looking. There were not a lot of options. We had several full price uniform shops that were kind of pricey and had lots of brand names. I wanted to find a local outlet store and finally found the one in our area. They did have lots of uniforms of varying prices and some were even designer. After about four hours of looking and trying on we did finally purchase 4 complete uniforms for her. I did not even think to try anything online. Little did I know that Blue Sky had nursing scrubs on sale! They have scrubs for every size and in just about every color that a person, provider or a hospital could need. The thing that sets these scrubs apart from all others is the styling. The tops are tapered so they are not baggy or boxy. The pants have two rear pockets that complete the design. The fit is slimming and compliments every figure. So... gone are the days of the nurse or medical person in a stark white uniform. They even have all the accessories like scrub hats, jackets and lab coats. They even have sales so I know they have affordable, cheap scrub uniforms. Yeah! It has been 6 months since my child began to work and those original scrubs are looking a little faded and worn. Blue Sky Scrubs is not just limited to women. They have a complete collection for men and even children. Something also great is the free shipping for orders of $155.00 or more. There is free returns and exchanges on all orders as well. What more could you ask for? So if you are in the market for scrubs be sure to check out Blue Sky Scrubs. I had a chance to read how the company began and it has an interesting story. The line was developed by a young woman who wanted something practical yet fashionable to wear as to scrub hats. From something so small, the company is now selling products on a global level. I am going to be showing these links to my daughter. I know she will be glad to order some new scrubs for work very soon!

Books About Zombies

2011-03-08T11:46:00.001-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Guest post written by Fred Miller

I love to read all kinds of books. I actually read at least one book a week and even three if it's a really good week. I don't watch that much TV, but I love how I can just take a book to read out anywhere. I go through phases of what kinds of books I like to read. Like I'll read all Jane Austen and then Charles Dickens ones and then modern chick lit.

But right now the kind of fiction that I'm obsessed with is zombie fiction. When I was online looking up some new titles to read and check out from the library, I ran across the website www.clearwirewimax4g.com and after I looked through it a little bit I showed it to my roommates and decided to switch over our internet service to the provider.

I'm really excited to get started on the follow-up to The Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z. It's like accounts of people who survived the pretend zombie world war, which should be pretty interesting because I liked the first book.

Thought for Today

2011-02-23T07:24:00.000-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

“If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Conan is the MAN!

2011-02-23T07:01:00.001-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I love him!!!!

Insanity

2011-02-23T06:45:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

You know it really is true that if you keep doing the same things and expecting different results that is insanity. The thing is though most people do not KNOW they are doing the same thing over and over. Not really. Not at first. They truely believe that they are doing all sorts efforts, tried and attempts at improving things. It takes a long time of being in the abyss to realize that.

Some never get out of the abyss because they have been dragged down for too long. Some realize and are thrown a life rope right at the end. Just before they have taken their last breath of air. The thing is that you can get out, get back in and do it all over again.

I do not know if we really can keep insanity at bay . It is always there lurking. Waiting. Watching. It does not have to be yours. It can be someone elses and they drag you in to it! When I look back I can see that in my life at times. I bet we all can. The best thing to do is when you see it. REALLY see it. Stop, drop, roll and head in another direction.

FAST!

Total Production

2011-02-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

You know it is very funny that this is a post for me to research and write about! I have been looking for a way to get into voice over work. I have a great voice. I really do. Smooth and very articulate! Everyone thinks and tells me that I should be on TV or radio due to my voice. I just want a way to break in! What a find to come across Studio Center! It is the fast growing production company of its kind in the country! They actually have clients in all 50 states and even in other countries around the world. They have worked on some of the biggest award shows we have today in the entertainment industry.

One of the areas they work in is in video production. They really do total production and are not limited to just voice. They have a team of people who can handle video editing and post production facilities that can easily handle TV commercials, corporate videos and even movies. Music production is another facet of the production world that Studio Center deals with. I think that music makes the world go round. I cannot tell you how many soundtrack CD's I have purchased after seeing a movie. Music in a movie or a commercial is key to brand recognition. Studio Center can help compose original music for a jingle or a movie that will have the emotion impact needed to make an impression on your client or target population.

Next is my favorite are....voice work. Not only do they work on radio spots but they also do audio production. Radio spots are just the tip of the iceberg. Studio Center does work on audio books, soundtracks, post audio production work for movies and even narrations. If you are in need of a voice actor, Studio Center will be your one stop shop for it. They have a complete inventory of voices ranging from sexy, adults, kids and mature to animated, announcing and foreign voices! Everything in once place!

Finding voice actors is easy too! Their website has an easy to use page to find the exact voice you are looking for. You can search by word or being more specific with filters--like male, female and the typecast you need. To assist with casting you can do an online search and even listen to demo voices. In some cases you can even request a live on the phone audition. There are even opportunities open for anyone to audition to become a voice talent. The only thing is you do have to live within 45 miles of their studios. Bummer for me!

Just having the talent is once part of what Studio Center does. They are able to come in and act as your video production company on sets. If you need it they can supply you with directors, editors, grippes, producers and even tele prompters. In order to provide the best service to their clients they have over 700 full and part time employees who strive to make your experience great! They are focused on delivering the perfect production product. They even go so far as to have the motto of : "Strive for perfection, settle for excellence!"

Grace

2011-01-25T14:54:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I think grace is a hard thing to accept. To accept the help of others who are willing to do just about anything and you do not have to ask. I find myself in that position now and that God I know people who are willing to give openly. It was most hard to accept but I realized that it was my only saving and it was being done with only help in mind. I am most grateful and thankful that I have a church family like the one I do. They gave me a lifeline when I was drowning.

Phone Issues!

2010-12-06T12:49:00.001-05:00

Okay! I have a touch screen phone and it seems to now be on the blink! It is working some of the time! I have hooked up my palm pilot to the phone and am using it as a dialer! I have yet to figure out how to connect the SMS for the text messages I can only sometimes retrieve on the phone because the touch screen scroll is not working. This is the 2nd time that this has happened. The first time I had to get a brand new phone shipped to me! I guess I will have to do that again! The next phone I get I do not think it will be a touch screen. They are too delicate! I think a crackberry is the way to go!

Tis' The Season

2010-12-06T12:25:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I know the season is here but I cannot quite get ready. I feel motivated to put up my tree and get all into it. Then I think of all the things I need or have to do and get overwhelmed and think that is the last thing I need to be doing. So far my tree is not up! I think I will bite the bullet and get it up this week!

Satellite TV: Tv with a Kick!

2010-11-13T19:23:00.005-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

My TV at home is just regular TV. I do not have cable. I got rid of that years ago because with our busy schedules that cable was going to waste. Do not get me wrong. I loved it when I had it and loved the variety of all the shows. With the change recently to digital, I just bought the converter hd antenna and that is what we have.

When I go to my mom's house(when she is being friendly) my daughter and I do love to watch her TV. She has Direct TV and has what seems like a 1000 channels. Her www.localtv-satellite.com is definitely the bomb! It makes me think I need to break down and get satellite TV. There are a lot of shows I am most definitely missing out on. I mean what is not to like? Every 8 seconds someone decides to get Direct tv and they are the number one satellite provider in the country! Holding that title is no small feat.

They offer 160 channels in high definition and local tv satellite in 95% of the local markets, wherever you live. I got that for christmas we would have all the movies we could possible watch, sci-fi channel and I could catch up on some of those reality shows and dramas that are on the cable and satellite channels. I know my child would be happy!

Right now for the holidays there are web specials that offer 130 channels for only $29.99 per month with free Showtime, free HD and a freeHD DVR upgrade! Wow! Checking out the prices and getting a quote online is easy. Just follow the links and make the selections you may want and a quote will be given on the site. You can even order on line!

I do believe that localtv-satellite.com is the way to go. The stats speak for themselves. Compared with Comcast customers, Direct TV customers expressed higher customer service satisfaction for the past 9 years in a row. The company is determined to bring the best in satellite TV quality that technology has to offer. I am thinking about it! Christmas is coming. Ordering Direct Tv would be a great gift that all in the household would love!

Girl dancing to nelly !

2010-11-13T19:20:00.001-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Okay. I had to repost this. One of my friends had this on her facebook page. This is teen with a camera gone wrong! It is very funny! Harmless but funny!

Snake Wines

2010-11-13T19:03:00.005-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I was watching Globe Trekker last night on ETV. I love that show and it was one about the orient. The girl who was doing the traveling had the opportunity to drink snake bile, urine, poison and blood. How do you choose? She chose bile. After thinking about it I would too. It wouldl be the most familiar. She said it was just like if we had thrown up and you have that bitter taste in your throat. I think I could live with that. She only took a sip and that was enough.

I decided to google snake wines and I found out how and why it is done there. Large, poisonous snakes are put into rice wine to steep. Aparently the alcohol renders the poison inactive and the flavor of the whole snake is seeped into the wine.

Ido not know about you but that does not sound good to me! The article indicates that as far as the other bodily fluids, they have to come from a snake that is just killed and the fluids put ina shot of alcohol. It needs to be drunk immediately. I wonder if it would be toxic if you waited! The man at the asian market on the show explained that snake wines and fluids were good for the health. Yikes! I just do not know. I am all for trying new foods and things in a foreign country but some things seem like you are flirty with getting sick. I mean supposed you drank the poison and had an allergic reaction to that??? Then what?

Unanswered Ring

2010-11-13T18:52:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The phone rang today and I looked at it and guess who it was? The old fiance of seven years! I wanted to pick up so bad and confront him about the grocery store but no! I did not. I just looked at it and it rang and finally it stopped. He did not leave a voice mail. Normally he does. Well I just checked my phone and he did leave a voicemail. He asked me to call him. I think I will wait awhile.

I just do not know what to think at this point? It is very odd. time will tell. I still feel like the song...one is the loneliest number!

Paint and Polish

2010-11-12T17:51:00.009-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Every since I was a teen I have worn makeup. Very different than my mother because she wore very little. Said she could not find the right shades or colors. Still can't. When I was a teen I thank goodness for my girlfriends who love to go to the make up counters at the major department stores. That was how I learned about the right way to wear it and skin care as well.

I started out with Charles of the Ritz in college and loved it. There were not a lot of colors for women of color except for Fashion Fair. Unfortunately that brand did not work for me. It was way too oily. In college and beyond I graduated to Estee Lauder and even worked for tthen for many years as a beauty consultant. I just love there make up and it was a good thing that we were able to get it free since we worked for them. It sure is pricy and today I cannot afford it. I used too until about 3 years ago. I love the line but it just costs too much now. I have move on to MAC now and I do like that line very much. I have been using it for the past 2 years.

Now I find out that there is something that I need to look into and it is called NARS cosmetics. I have not heard of the brand before. Nars was developed by Francois Nars, a makeup artist and photographer. The line has been used by many in the fashion and entertainment world. When I look at my makeup table I find I have lots of lipstick. I am always looking for the perfect shade and texture of lipstick. Lipstick by NARS comes in a multitude of shades and in three basic formulas. They are satin, sheer and semi matte. I am a semi matte person myself. I tend to be oily and will shine at the slightest thing so matte in lipstick is great. One less things to shine when the nose is shining! ! They are long wearing, moisturising and all at a cost of only $24.00. Compared to other major lines the cost is in line with them.

At night and for going out I do like to shine just a little so in the past I have used lip shines and even some lip lacquer. Lip lacquer by NARS can be used day or night and are available in sheer colors that can be worn alone or over other lipstick or liners. 11 shades are available and they are even good for the lips as they contain vitamins and oils. After checking out all the shades, Diablo would be the shade I want! Pretty, pretty!

When I was much younger and first thinking about wearing makeup as a teen I wore lip gloss thinking that lipstick was too heavy. I have followed thru with this belief to my child. I have a teen and for now she only wears lip gloss and loves it. It is all she needs. The NARS lip gloss is made in creamy, sheer and semi sheer formulas. It too, can be worn alone or with other lip products. I see about four shades that I know she would love.

Christmas is right around the corner and I have learned that to avoid the holiday rush, on line shopping is the painless way to go. Something new would be to try the NARS line for Christmas for both me and my daughter. I would like lipstick and that gold single eye shadow that is part of the holiday collection. I know my child would like the lip gloss! I am writing it on my list!

Behind!

2010-11-12T17:48:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

NaNoWriMo is into the 2nd week about to go into the third and I am behind. about 3 days. I am desperately trying to catch up and I think I will. those 1666 words per day are looming over my head. Worst than any haunted numbers on Lost. I want to finish this year because I could not last year. I am determined.

This morning before I went to work I did write some and broke the 10,000 mark. I need to upload that now. Somehow, someway. I will get it done!

All Wistful and Melancholy!

2010-11-12T17:14:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Last night I was in the grocery store... just making a quick run in for frozen chicken tenders to go with the potatoes I had at home and from a distance I saw my old fiance who I was engaged to for seven years. We have had some contact in the past year. He claims to still have feelings for me and says that he is sorry that we did not work out. To me he seems stuck in the past and I keep telling him to come into the year 2010. 1977-1985 are long gone.

Well last December I saw a girl from high school who was a year ahead of me working at kinkos and we began talking about different people just trying to catch up. She mentions him and tells me that he is seeing her sister. Well I believe her because her sister is fast and loose and just has the look he would like. Well in all these months I never mention to him that I know this. The only thing I did about a month ago was ask him if he was seeing anyone because he keeps aksing me to go out with him and I always decline. The answer is no.. he is not seeing anyone. Liar!

Well I say nothing. Last night who is he in the store with? Her! The sister of my friend. I see them from afar and immediately go to the check out. I want to get out before they see me. Failure! They get to the other check out about 4 minutes after me but my person is so slow we are all side by side. I pretend to be engrossed in counting out my money. I never look up and as we are leaving the store who comes literally running over to me...the sister.

She and I have been friends and worked together for 3 years in the past so I have no beef with her. I know the type of person she is. My old fiance..she points out...you remember Peter. Yes and I wave and smile. So does he! Loser! I was tempted to call him because he calls me all the time. I did not. I will not. I will let that go. People are in your past for a reason. I must remember that because I thought that there maybe a future somewhere for us. Finding long lost love again! All last night I felt left of center and off and sad and wistful and alone. I have no one really right now and seems like everyone I know has someone!

The Twinkie Diet!

2010-11-08T12:59:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.
His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.
The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months. Full story here!

I think this story has some merit but please do not tell my child about this diet!

MS Education

2010-11-06T18:23:00.006-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Multiple Sclerosis was something I knew very little about when I was in college. I was a member of a fraternity...Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Long ago they used to have little sisters called the Little Sisters of Minerva. I was a little sister of that fraternity for all four years that I was in college. There was a girl who was also a member who had MS. It has been so long that I do not recall her name. I just remember what she looked like. She was thin and a pretty brunette. She would be out of college for awhile and then back in and she told us vaguely that she had had a flareup of her MS. I did not want to ask her what it meant and at that time did not think of looking it up myself.

One day when she and I were alone talking in the fraternity house I asked how she was feeling and how the MS affected her when she was out. She said it was pretty random, at least for her and that it could affect her in any part of her body. She said it had recently affected her legs and she could hardly walk and in the past it had affected her eyes and she could not see. I was still mystified by it.

As an adult I am glad to know I have educated myself a little better now and hopefully the information here will help others(me included). MS affectes about 4% of the worlds' population and worldwide 2.5 million people have the disease. What I learned at the link in this entry is that it seems to affect people who live furthur away from the equator. The furthur away the more likely to get the disease. How? Vitamin D of the lack of it. People who live furthur away from the equator has less vitamin D in their bodies. It is a disease of the central nervous system so ultimately if will affect functioning.

MS treatment means really just managing the symptoms. They can range from depression, tremors and pain to sexual, bowel and vision disfucntion. After reading up on each symptom, they need to be treated individually in order to reduce that symptom. Excersize though, was and still is being debated. Some say it can increase weakness and others say it can help if done under the correct supervision. Ultimately the person being affected by the disease will need to develop some coping skills to deal with their change in family position, health and work abilities.

Ms Diet is something that also needs to be considered in an attempt to reduce syptoms. It has been shown that antioxidants, vitamins C and E, selenium, beta-carotene, and vitamin B12 are good for peopl e with MS. Vitamin D is also very important and should be given to children and youth to prevent the illness later on in life. After reviewing this it does go right back to the things we eat. We need to be preventative and treat out bodies like a temple in order to ward off illnesses. We never know what is going to happen but if we eat right, exercise and do things that are preventative, it goes a long way to keeping us well and healthy. This makes me think back to something my mother always used to say....an apple a day keeps the doctor away. She was trying to tell us as kids we needed to eat healthy.

Right now there is no cure for MS but research is being done. Breakthroughs are being made and there is hope for patients with MS that include better quality of lifestyle and reduction of symptoms. For even more information anyone can contact the National MS Society to find out how to get involved or even donate.

Third Eye Clarity

2010-11-06T18:04:00.001-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

With my third eye I see what I am today.
Today I am a wagon wheel.
I am in the inner spoke.
I am the center hub.
Radiating out from me are jagged, crooked paths.

A woman with her third eye open is a woman who can see.
A woman with a third eye open can be all that she can be.
A third eye makes reflection the order of the day.
Reflection on those jagged spokes, the pathways to who I am today.

I have the time cause it is nearly noon.
And I have all afternoon.
I sit in front of the big wide ocean and face all there is to face.
I lay to rest and put behind and burrow deep within my chest.
I hurl to the bottom of the great abyss, things never to surface again.

My two eyes are getting clear again,
The scales are falling away.
I owe it all to my third eye.
Third eye clarity.
It is the only way.

127 Hours

2010-11-06T11:21:00.001-04:00

Travers: '127 Hours' Is One of the Year's Best -- RollingStone.com

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I remember when this happened and when Aron Ralston was rescued. I know there was a special on him after the was rescued because I watched it. It was quite a story to hear then. Now it is coming to the big screen. I do want to see this. I saw on the news last night that a woman in another city saw it and had a seizure. There is speculation it was caused by the movie but seems unlikely. She must have a medical problem like epilepsy. The story is an amzing one of survival. I wonder if many of us would have the faith or ability to cut off our own arm in order to survive?

Why we can't kill bedbugs

2010-11-06T11:10:00.001-04:00

Why we can't kill bedbugs is really an enlightenting story! It seems these things are immortal and can live for years without dying. I knock on wood have never encountered any and I hope I never do. I wonder if just because I voice this I jinx myself! I have traveled all over the states and all over the world and overseas have stayed in places with no running water while on mission trips. The beds and accomodations were sketchy! So far nothing.

Just hearing about then infiltrating the US hotels and homes is scary. They look ugly too. Wonder why they look like little roaches. You know I have heard a few of my friends say that if there ever is a nuclear war the roaches would survive. I think I would have to add bedbugs to that list! YIKES!

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

TV at the Eats!

2010-11-06T10:28:00.008-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Whenever Iam at home it seems like the tv is on. Even at times when we are having dinner. On the weekends we even eat dinner in front of the tv. Just more casual on the weekends. It is not ALWAYS on but it is on alot. We do listen to music quite often as well. When we eat out, most of the time it is not at a place where there is a tv in the restaurant. I have always wondered about that. There is tv in my local Applebees and we may go there about 4 times a year.

When I go there are about 4 tv's there all on different channels. Of couse with the noise of people talking and dishes clacking you cannot hear. Plus can you imagine? 4 tv's going would be a din of sound! This is simply direct sat commercial direct tv. The captions are normally on so we can read what is happening on the shows. Normally three are sports and 1 is on a channel like E! Luckily I have always been seated near that one and not the sports ones. Direct sat commercial direct tv adds to the atmosphere of the place. In addition to that if there is along wait for food, we have something to watch. We can watch tv, talk to our friends, watch some more and before you know it we do not know how long the wait is. Time is passing and instead of angry patrons, we have something to help us pass the time. I cannot imagine that it is very expensive as Direct TV has affordable pricing that will accomodate the budgets of small as well as big businesses.

I do see the marketing benefits of having commercial satellite tv. Just think. When the big sports events are happening like the Superbowl or the World Series, bars and restaurants can become the "place to go" if they order up stations like the NFL Sunday ticket, the NBA League Pass and the MLB Extra Innings. I am sure there is opportunities for golfing events also. Of course to qualify no admission could be charged and the main source of revenue for the bar would have to be the food and drink.

Dish business is a growing as there are many appications from bars to hotels to doctor offices and lobbys of all types. There is even digital signage as well as other business offerings. So if you have a business and need something to add to the atmosphere and/or keep patrols occupied or need tv for that special event, consider commercial satellite tv. Competitive prices, quality service and dedicated satellites are offered to meet all your commercial satellite tv needs.

Jalopy Down!

2010-11-05T07:06:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

It is a very bad and inconvenient thing to have a broken car. Mine has been out of commission since yesterday and acting under the weather for 3 days prior. Now I have gotten a ride to work very early. I am at the mercy of the schedule of others. I am grateful I have a ride. I just do not have a ride home today. So that is what I must work on. I know my car is getting old. That is what my mechanic says. It is a 2002 model. But I had hoped to keep it running on a little longer. I am grateful to have his as well. He is the one that can keep it running. I need to get it fixed by the weekend so that I can have it back by Monday.

Into every life a little rain must and does fall. My car now is a small economy car but one day I will have my dream car. It is not even a very expensive car but one that I have always wanted. It is the Landrover! I want a Landrover! That is my dream car! One day....I keep wishing!

Halloween Blah!

2010-10-30T16:50:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Today I have several options but I think I will be staying home. I have a costumed party to go to and I have been working part of the day and just want to go home. I do not feel like being social today. It has been a very odd week. Normally I would never give up an opportunity to dress up but I think I will today. I still have another party to go to tomorrow. I will most likely go to that.

I even have my zombie costume all ready. I guess the zombie in me in a zombie!

Michael Jackson - Thriller

2010-10-30T16:49:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

2010-10-30T16:49:00.000-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

My Life in a Coffee Shop

2010-10-29T22:31:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

It seems I live at the local Barnes and Noble and I am not sure it is such a good thing. I think I have no social life except for me and the web. It seems to be my most consistent friend. I have many other friends but I think that the web had infiltrated and become in intergral part of me. I think I actually get withdrawals if I cannot get to it at least once a week.

What does that say about our world. I have also plugged into Facebook and Twitter. Even moreso that my child! So I spend my free time drinking coffee and eating the occassional brownie or cookie while I surf, blog, twitter and facebook. I know there are things I could be doing at home like cleaning and organizing closets, but what is the fun in that?

Generous

2010-10-29T22:19:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Definition: GENEROUS--willing to give money, help, or time freely.

I have come to really thing about this word recently. I had an encounter with a family member who told me there were generous and when they died, God would look at all the things they did and KNOW that they were generous and that would get them into heaven.

I beg to differ because the meaning of the word GENEROUS means willing to give money or help or time freely. To me the key words are willing and freely. If you have to go to this party for help you MAY get it but it is not willing or freely. It is given in such a way that everyone just dreads to even approach this person for any kind of help. You have to give up a pound of flesh in order to get that help.

Lectures and criticism and critiques of your life no matter how offbase and wrong will be given and finally after about 45 minutes of verbal torture and a lecture on how generous they are at th end, the help is given. That is not generous. Not once has the word or the tone been, you need help? What do you need? Okay here it is. Then silence. No. Generous the party is not and the fact that they think that they are is totally delusional! I think that someone needs to take a gander at the dictionary!

Men love to play with kitchen utensils

2010-10-27T20:38:00.000-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.
Men love to play with kitchen utensils

Hodgepodgery Missed

2010-10-25T21:14:00.001-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have so missed blogging. I have really missed the creativity of it all. Granted for the most part it was just for me. It was something I really enjoyed doing. So I am going to make a blog comeback. I feel called to do that.

Dreams

2010-10-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Dreams. Recently, I would say for the past 2 weeks my dreams have been the stuff of novels. So real and so lifelike. I keep thinking I need to write them all down as soon as I wake up for use. I feel my muse is coming to me in my sleep these days. It is the only place where worry seems to fade away. Sleep, blessed sleep seems very good to have these says.

I have several journals that are not completely filled. I use one for writing and I think I will use that as a dream journal. I am thinking of things for future. I feel that I must move to writing. That is my passion. Now I just need to give up this day job.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Bojangles

2010-10-05T18:46:00.004-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I was in the line at Bojangles today and it has been about 6 months or so since I have been there. Well. The woman who took my order took it and when she was giving it to me said that all the people here knew my voice and that I had not been there in a long time. She then went on to say that I was known as that "woman who sounds like a white woman." I just laughed. Can we say don't hate because I have good diction?!! How about go back to school and learn the correct pronounciation of words. Then you too can sound like you have some education! People please!

Really? The US is Sorry? Please

2010-10-02T15:37:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

From 1946 to 1948, American public health doctors deliberately infected nearly 700 Guatemalans — prison inmates, mental patients and soldiers — with venereal diseasesin what was meant as an effort to test the effectiveness of penicillin. More here

This is so typical. People who are less fortunate being used as lab experiments. The public health doctor who led the experiment in Guatemala, John C. Cutler, would later have an important role in the Tuskegee study in which black American men with syphilis were deliberately left untreated for decades.

Sad!

Well...Time Changes All Things

2010-10-02T15:31:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Time passes and things do change. Small changes. Big changes we have to make ourselves. Life is a struggle now. We are in need of many things. We are making it but we are like many others. Day by day hanging on by the fingernails can get tiring. But i will march on to another day!

YEAR OF THE BLOG COMEBACK!

2009-12-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

I think this year will be year of the blog comeback. I miss blogging and will be doing int more in 2010. For the past year my blogs have been neglected in a way, but still being found and read on the web by some! I have not had an outlet and I feel the need to type! Blog! So...here I am again! BACK!

Evan Chandler Admits Lies About MIchael Jackson

2009-07-12T00:47:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The truth suddenly comes out!

After the sudden death of Michael Jackson Evan Chandler tells the truth.

Evan- "Now for the first time i can't bare to lie anymore. Michael Jackson didn't do anything to me, all of this was my father lies to escape from being poor."

In 1993, Chandler told a psychiatrist and police that he and Jackson had engaged in sexual acts that included oral sex, the boy gave detailed description of Jackson's genitals. The case was settled out of court for a reported $22 million, but the strain led Jackson to begin taking painkillers. Eventually he became addicted.

Now maybe for the remorse of his death Chandler decides to tell us the truth. " I never meant to lie and destroy Michael Jackson but my father made me to tell only lies. Now i can't tell Michael how much i'm sorry and if he will forgive me ".Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...

Under the influence of a controversial father (Jordan Chandler) told his son to tell that Jackson had touched his penis.Jordan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.

" Now for the first time i can't bare to lie anymore. Michael Jackson didn't do anything to me, all was my father lies to escape from being poor."

No Call, No Think

2009-01-15T13:01:00.001-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

He has not called. Thursday was our day. It does seem easier. Just a little. Anyway.
Today I will have a meeting to go to. My mind will be occupied. For awhile.

He has not called today.

Thursday was our day.

Bewilderment!

2009-01-14T13:10:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Why does it happen when the heart gets a jolt?

I am in bewilderment.

After 12 years he has gone. Snap!

Just like that!

Weeping and wailing and pining away.

That is how I spend my days.

Bewilderment.

I am being swept away.

I want to call.

I watch the phone.

I want to love.

Maybe.

Just maybe, my bewilderment will be over by May.

I Will Get The Tree Up....I Will!!!!

2008-12-15T09:08:00.004-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Okay. It is the 15th and still no tree up. I promise each day to myself it will go up today. And the days go by. I am determined to put it up tonight regardless of how late I go to bed. We must have Christmas come. We need some cheer! Tonight after dinner....it goes up! It must. I did put a wreath on the door about 2 weeks ago. I want to see the Christmas magic of lights when I come home each night. I will have to break out the holiday tapes and cd's as well. I promise. My elf hat is going on tonight!

New Each Day

2008-12-12T13:19:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The new year is coming and my things seem old.
I want a new beginnning, if the truth be told.
How do I get that?
I am in the same old rut.
I wonder how to do things different,
I am ready for a change.
The same, the same, the same.
My routine seems set for SAME.
I feel a breakout coming.
I just wonder how.
I want a needed breakout and I want it NOW!

The new year is dawning.
We are in it's eve.
The new year is dawning.
A new beginning is about to come.
I want a new beginning with some excitement and dash.
I want a new beginning.
Let's go...I want to dash!

Web Hosting Geeks!

2008-12-07T23:54:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have always been pretty happy with my blogger blogs, but they do have some limitations. I have toyed with the idea of paying to have my blog hosted so I could actually have my own domain name. There are so many hosting companies to choose from it is hard to determine who has the best options, price and services. I did take a gander at Web Hosting Geeks. They have quite a few web host options.

The best thing of all is the compilation of the top ten web hosting companies that will allow you to compare prices and services. Most of them are very economical. Their cost is under $10 per month and include at least one free domain name. If after the first 30 days you are not happy, you can get a refund of your monies. For me, since I will need a little instruction in understanding how the hosting works, a quick look at the Web hosting instruction page offers a wealth of information for the person seeking web hosting for the first time. That link is not the only resource. There are lots of links providing information and education about choosing the best web hosting site. I think this is a good deal too good to let slip by.

Another great feature of the site are the reviews. They are independent--totally done by users and they have the good, the bad and the ugly posted in regard to services and the different companies. I still have my homework cut out for me. I need to read and do the comparisons and then make the decision as to what web hosting company I may use. Listed are the ten top companies as well as the ten last reviews done by users.

My site just needs a little sprucing up and having it hosted will definitely be to my advantage. If you are in the market for hosting your own site, please check out Web Hosting Geeks. They have the information needed to help you make the right decision about web hosting.

Disclosure

Morning Stress

2008-12-03T09:08:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Stress is not how one is supposed to start the day. It all began when I went outside and saw all the frost on the car. I had allotted myself just about the exact time to the second to get to work. That was until I saw the frost. I would have to scrape!!! That will eat into my time. And could I even find the scraper? NO!!!! I had seen that thing on and off all summer. Now it was no where to be found from the trunk to the floors to the side door pockets. No scraper. Well. Where was the purse? Heaved over into the back seat. After fishing it out I found a credit card to use as a scraper. I scraped just enought to see and got in the car and flew down the road. I lost five minutes so I arrived five minutes late...at 8:35. My saving grace? My supervisor arrived at 8:45. She was late so all my pounding on the locked door did not good. Noone was in any of the other departments to let me in. So I was first. I arrived on time at 8:30 AM and am currently snubbing my nose at everyone else. Yes, the ice scraping gods answered my prayers today!

Presents from the Cats!

2008-12-02T00:16:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...

Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Click picture to see more photos!

Black Friday Craziness

2008-11-29T23:22:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I stayed out the fray this year. I wanted to jump in but was just too tired to do so. I am glad I did as after hearing the local news over the weekend, all sorts of things have happened locally and in other places. Just crazy! In the news were the following things:

Locks of stores were super glued shut so that they could not open on Friday morning! 71 stores were glued shut! That was a lot of superglue!
The Dollar General was robbed at 8:00 tonight...scary.
A man was trampled at Walmart by shoppers on yesterday. The shopper broke thru the doors! Nuts! He died and others were taken to the hospital.

You know, if you have to do all of that it is not worth it! Really!

Moody

2008-11-29T23:10:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

My child has been in a funk today. Why? No reason. Just because. I tried all I could to get her out of it, but to no avail. I tried trips to the mall, playing board games, movies on DVD. She literally woke up in a foul mood. Finally after not wanting to get up at 10:00 AM, I advised her to get herself together. After almost dropping her dresser drawer on her foot, she got up took a shower and cooked breakfast for the two of us. She even did a little work but after that...back to the room and listening to the IPOD.

I got her to come out and watch a little tv and a movie. Then when it was late..too late to go out at 7:30 to the mall. I had no interest in going then....guess what? She wants to go to the mall. NO! Well, there was more moodiness and finally I suggested she go to bed. What fun is it to watch tv in the same room with someone and they do not want to talk to you? NONE! Moody teens...what to do? What to do? Lets hope tomorrow is a better day! I wonder what goes on in the brain of a teen at times. I do not recall I was ever this moody!

Gifts for Hunters

2008-11-29T22:37:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

When I was small, I lived in the south and the south was all about guns and hunting. Camo was often seem on the weekends. Still is today. Well, with all the sales for Black Friday, there are bargains to be had for the hunter in your family. Check out the Nikon Black Friday Promo!. For the four days of this fierce shopping weekend you can buy the Long Range Shooting System for the hunter in your family. The benefits? Increasing long range shooting skills. (I wonder if Sara Palin has one of these already...for the moose she kills?!)

The system is made up of several things that you would normally have to purchase separately at a much greater price. For a savings of $144.90 you get the DVD, a gift card, the laser rangefinder and the case and last, but not least, the rifle scope. Normally you would have to pay about $450 for all separately. This weekend take advantage of the system on sale.

In addition, you may need to get a pair of binoculars to help see your prey. They are on sale too. You can get an extra $20 off on Nikon Action Extreme binoculars. The gift card program has also been extended and several other rifle scopes are priced at bargain prices. The weekend is almost over!. Do not miss out on these great Black Friday deals! Hunters need nice Christmas gifts too!

Disclosure

Blessings!

2008-11-29T16:47:00.001-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

This was my Thanksgiving gift!
We saw white squirrels at my cousins house.
They were running all over their yard.
They had a colony living in the trees around their house.
I had heard of them but never seen one!

Comparisons

2008-11-29T16:30:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Last year: Thanksgiving in North Carolina
This Year: Thanksgiving at home with local relatives

Last year: 9 hours in the car
This Year: 25 minutes in the car

Last year: Listening to a vile spew of evil from my mothers mouth for 18 hours
This Year: She knew better or there would be hell to pay

Last year: Turkey and all the fixings
This Year: No turkey..lamb and chicken instead

Last year: traveling with the dog
This Year: watching albino white squirrels from my cousins window

Last year: living with mom
This Year: living in my own place again

Last year: can't stand to be in the same room with my mother
This Year: can't stand to be in the same room with my mother

Last year: mothers' evil out in the open
This Year: mothers' evil hidden in plain site

Last year: child unhappy
This Year: child happier

Last year: me..unhappy
This Year: me..happy!

Last year: holiday with mother
This Year: holiday with mother

Next Year: Thanksgiving with friends in another state or at home...no mother!

Holiday Eyeglass Frames

2008-11-29T15:55:00.003-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I looked at my glasses and those of my child and we are in need of new glasses...both of us. Seriously. I have a lens that keeps popping out. At least once a week, I have to put in a new screw. It drives me crazy. My child is missing one of the nose pads on hers and she never told me. I just noticed a dark spot on her skin and I asked her what that was. I thought she had a cut. It was from the nose pad not being there. The metal had rubbed her skin. I am thinking that when I get my Christmas bonus check I will get us both a pair of new glasses. While we both have doctors that cost a fortune, I wonder about glasses on line being more economical.

When I see all the Holiday frames that Zenni Optical carries, I know we can get a better price that what I had paid before. Check out the site. There are frames of all styles from metal to plastic to titanium. They can even handle our prescriptions. Look at the prices. They have glasses that start as low as eight dollars. Who can beat that! No doctor around here can. The lowest I have seenlocally is $99.00. The reason why the prices are so low is beccause they make their own glasses. There is no middleman or maketing to pay for. We get the glasses at just about cost to make. With the variety involved, there is no way you cannot find a pair. Look what I found! I really like these!

The design on the temple is cute! Ordering is easy. Just fill out the form with your prescription information and once the order is received, their technicians check what you submit to be sure it is accurate. To help you figure out what needs to be on the order form , there are even pages to help explain your prescription and a page on medical terms. Even with that, if you still don't understand something, you can call the company and speak to a technician who can help. The glasses are made and shipped to you. Your glasses, depending on what you ordered, will be ready within ten days to three weeks. Sales are final but if there is a problem they can be returned for a partial refund.

If you are in the market for new glasses, be sure to check out Zenni Optical. They have a multitude of colors and designs to choose from, all at an economical price. Shipping? All shipping is $4.95, even if there are multiple pairs. You cannot go wrong with that!

disclosure

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Well. I did not EVEN have turkey on Thanksgiving...just lamb and baked beef. I went to some families house for dinner and that is what they served along with baked chicken and fish. Where was the turkey????? Because I was going out, I did not buy a personal turkey. So no turkey this year. Seems most odd. I have also had a few days off and of course the germs that have I have been eluding, have jumped on me. I feel sick today. Scratchy throat and some coughing. I feel a rough night is ahead. I have eaten all I think I can today.

I have tried to get rest and I do feel better. Not so sleep deprived. I have watched a few movies this weekend. The best was Wall-E. That was a very cute movie. Check it out if you have not seen it. I bought it from Target last week to save for Thanksgiving night. It was worth it! I even cried. But is not that what most Disney movies do? Wall-E was very cute!

Today I cooked lunch/dinner early. Roasted pork, rice with gravy and mushrooms, wilted spinach and peach cobbler. Now I about to pop! I feel today like I should have felt on Thanksgiving but did not....full and about to pop! It was so good. Well. See ya later. Going to rest.

Lindsay Lohan Gay!

2008-09-25T06:44:00.005-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Who would have thought? That was a shock to me. I knew about Clay Aiken. Who did not know about him. That hairdo said it all. Those perfect clothes. He had the look. A baby for him? Wrong! That child will be confused. Having 2 daddies and a mommie.

Lindsay? Kind of a surprise. Maybe because I did not really follow her in the news. She has had a troubled teen life. This may pass we well. She may just be experimenting. Who knows? Look at Anne Heche. She has now gone back to men. It is sad that the people who have all the money and fame are so twisted. They certainly are not role models for the young girls out there. I guess we will all just have to wait and see what Hanna Montana does with her teen years.

Thought Police

2008-09-22T10:42:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The thought police just walked in about 10 minutes ago. When then the big boss is out, he sends in his wife who walks in like she has worked everyday in the office. Last week she caused a ruckus. We had not seen her in months and boom, in she comes. Making requests and making work requests. She policed how many people take cigarette breaks, counting butts in the outside ashtray and keeping track of how many times people laugh. She thought we were laughing too much as we worked. She wants it morgue like and in a state of deadly silence. Everyone was up in arms. Especially the smokers with all that butt counting.

All suddenly has gotten quieter. The thought police are here.

Friends in Debt

2008-09-22T01:27:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

About 6 months ago a friend of mine and a former co-worker just walked off the job one afternoon. She told me she was leaving and just left. Gone. She was tired of the job. It is a very strange job that we have. Odd. About a month after she left she called me in tears needing money. She was just a co-worker. Not a friend. She had a son who was 8 and after speaking to her I decided that I had a little money I could part with, so I decided to loan---really that means give her $150.00. Only because of her child. He might be in need.

After I gave it to her I found out that she had gotten rid of her perfectly good car and traded it for a very expensive BIG truck. Okay. I figured that I would never hear from her again and I have not. It was like she racked up all these big debts and she had no job. Her boyfriend did not have a stable job either. I know they are in need of being able to consolidate debt. They lived in drama mode 24/7. Always a crisis. Always about money.

There are ways now to help with personal debt. I tried recently to reach this woman and her phone was turned off. I wonder it they still have that truck or was it repossessed? If you or I am in trouble there is now help with consolidating debt. Bills.com is the way to go. With so many options from credit counseling to debt settlement to refinancing of a mortgage, there is a way out. There is a debt relief glossary to help you understand what each option entails so that you can make the decision about what to do. They even have a debt relief bootcamp. I know we have all be in touch with what has been happening in the financial world in the past 2 weeks. Things are falling apart! Saving money is a vital necessity we all must strive to do.

When I think of my former co-worker I think the best option for her would be the credit counseling. An expensive truck with no job to pay for it does no good, just because you MAY have had the good credit to get it at that time. That good credit of hers is most likely gone now. She needs to live within her budget and money or lackof money coming in. She has a child to think about. He does not need to be all caught up in her bad financial decisions and drama.

Bill.com has something for everyone. It is a resource to help us find, learn and save. It is a way for us to have a better understanding about money and provide a ways to save for a rainy day. With all the financial bad buzz out now, I would recommend that everyone take a gander. We all may be in dire straights given the economy.

disclosure

Survivor Gabon

2008-09-22T01:12:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I am a great fan of this show. I have seen every season of Survivor! I applied once about 3 years ago. I am going to apply again in the very near future. I really want to go on this show or The Amazing Race. I have applied for that one as well. A girl friend of mine from high school and college is my race partner. We applied live and in person when the CBS producers were in our area. These are about the only two shows I watch on tv...well those and BBC television. Dr. Who, Torchwood, Masterpiece Theatre, Nova and other PBS specials are always good.

I can't wait!

Spring Cleaning

2008-09-22T00:40:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

About a month ago, my mother finally decided to clear out the back garage. We moved into that house when I was in the 4th grade, so they literally had things from back then packed up. We went thru it and just put gobs and gobs of things out on the street. I had things there from college days.

All these things used to be treasures. Once we put them out, all the ebayers and garage sale hunters came to scavenge through it. They came with cars and trucks and just loaded up all sorts of stuff. For years I had been telling my mom to let me help her with a garage sale or sell on ebay. Now it is all gone. For the best I say. Some of it was now so old that it was no good.

In the above picture I see one skate from my disco days. See it?! Just one. I paid $100 for those white leather skates and so did many friends of mine. We skated in the local disco bars when that was big back in the 1980's. Those were the days. I wanted to keep them but my brother convinced me to let them go. What would I do these days on those skates? Fall down and most likely bust my butt!! I still have the memories. Disco is not dead! It lives in me!

Wordless Thursday: Floating On the Amazon River

2008-09-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Looking for Love on the Dark Side

2008-09-17T05:37:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The world of dating has been transformed by the internet. It seemed to start out small with just a few large dating sites that anyone could join. Now dating sites are very specialized with them being catogorized by race, gender, religion, fitness and even hobbies. People have the chance to narrow the dating field to just the type of people they are interested in. How's that for giving yourself the very best opportunity to find your Mr. of Mrs. Right?

That is even true for young people today who are on the dark side. There is even a Goth Dating site. Membership is absolutely free and once you join you have the chance to set up your free profile, add a picture and begin your search for other goth singles in your area or not! There is even a picture gallery so you can begin looking for other goths who have the same interests as you. A nice feature of the site is the search box. It allows you to put in who ou are looking for and it will bring back all the search results of people meeting your criteria. Dating has never been easier. Living on the dark side? Looking for dark love? Then be sure to check out GothScene.com!

Disclosure

Bookmania! Again!

2008-09-16T23:25:00.007-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have bought quite a collection of books to read in the past 3 months. I have not had the time to read all of them. They are just collecting in my room and den and still I buy more. Here are just a FEW of the books I have to crack open or, if they are cracked open, I need to finish. Can you read 4 books at once? I am. Will I ever finish one of them? Maybe. In 2010!

Here is my current reading list. Check some of them out! Enjoy!

What's so Amazing About Grace
The Shack
The Idiot
The Power of Now
The Mind of the Soul
When the Ground Turns in it's Sleep
American Visa
2012
How To Seduce a Ghost
A Billion Bootstraps
The Prince and Other Writings
There's a Business in Every Woman

The above list is in no way inclusive of all that I have recently bought. I just thought I would stop here. If you can get through all of those any time soon, it will be a miracle. Happy Reading!

AHHHHH! Freedom!

2008-09-16T22:48:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

It is a good thing to feel free to be yourself again! In the year and a half since my father passed away, my very light social drinking has been limited. When I lived on my own before I moved into my mother's house I would drink wine or beer occasionally. I even would have a drink, mixed with a friend. Once my father died I had to limit any type of social drinking as my mother would not approve. So. What did that mean? I had about 8 bottles of wine in a wine rack, Absolute vodka in the freezer, tequila...just a very little left, a new bottle of Courvoisier, a new bottle of Canadian Club and a bottle of Vermouth. I had just discovered Martinis. Well. I was not about to throw away my bar supplies. I packed them all in boxes and they lived in the trunk of my car for the past year and a half. Unused. Finally I unpacked it all last week. I just knew that the wine had all turned to vinegar having to withstand the cold of 2 winters and the extreem heat of a 100+ degree summer. All was well. I am sipping on some now. boy it is good to be back to my old freedoms. I will never give it up again! Never!

Dating Scene

2008-09-16T00:43:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The dating scene is not what it used to be. I grew up with dating meaning visiting at someone's home with parents accompanying me on dates. Can you imagine? I can't now. With the dawning of the internet, there are now dating sites all over the web. I am looking for a date but have not quite become brave enough to put my info online yet. There are many other girls who have. Check out Black Girls. After looking at some of the profiles, I know I COULD do it...but, I guess I will have to think about it a little more. It is a free singles site for African Americans. You can even do a search for dates right in your local areas. The site also features a chat room for networking and talking. Check it out. It is free, has thousands of members and pictures to browse. Who knows! True love might be just around the corner!

Disclosure

Palin Got A Baby Daddy!

2008-09-16T00:30:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I was listening to the radio and the local announcers made uop a parody song about Palin having a baby daddy. Sad. The young man who is the fatherhad on his face book site that he wanted no kids. Imagine the pressure. Now he has to get married and you know he really does now want to. I so not predict that marrage lasting at all! He has a giant shotgun pointed at his head. Palin got a baby daddy!

My Happy Place!

2008-09-06T23:53:00.004-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

The stress of the last year and 3 months will soon be relieved almost 100%. After moving in with my mother to help her, I have moved out. You can pick your friends but we are all stuck with our relatives. We can't pick them...if only we could. I have decided that I can't help her. She has too many issues that go too far back and have nothing to do with me. Out of her hell-hole and into my bliss and happy place. What a difference a little piece of mind makes! Never will I do that again. Never. We all need to have a happy place to go to. If you do not have that, life will be just miserable. Home. Don't ever take home for granted.

Web Hosting....Maybe Soon!

2008-08-27T23:52:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Often I think that I need to move from blogger and have my site hosted. I do love blogger but when I look at opportunities on the web, web hosting would open that up for me. It is something I have been debating for the past year. It is still under review. It is something I know I will eventually get around to doing. There are so many hosting sites that you really do need to do the homework to figure it all out. I know I will need to do mine. With the help of web hosting rating you can compare and study the different hositng sites out there. This site is great because it allows you to do an easy comparison of sites all in one place. Prices are there as well as the features that each offers.

Another great feature of the site is that it is an independent site providing the rating for the top 10 hosting companies on the web. There are even customer reviews from real people telling what they like about each service. Even what they dislike about the service. They look at standings in customer service, technical support and reliability, just to name a few. It will make the decision about what hosting company to use much easier. You do not have to search the web for each company and do your own comparison.

If just doing a comparison of different companies is not enough and you really need more indepth information, there are articles and tutorials to help with your basic understanding of the whole "hosting" concept. This is where I am in my decision. I need to read all about it and see exactly how it all works. Check out this article section for a wealth of information. I really liked this post on tips for choosing a domain name. I have already looked and some versions of "hodgepodger" are already taken. Just a few months ago they were still open so some others have beat me to the punch. Maybe if I had seen these comparisons sooner I might have been able to finalize my decision to host or not to host.

So, if you are thinking about web hosting, check out this site first. It will clear the web hosting fog and make things crystal clear! Web Hosting Rating has been around since 2002 providing this service to the web.

Dinner is Served!

2008-08-27T23:40:00.003-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Now this is an interesting piece of news. I saw where rat meat is now in serious demand in some Asian places like Vietman and Thailand. They have always been eating rats there but now due to inflation, the demand is increasing and the price is going higher for it. Here is a short clip from the article:

The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials said on Wednesday.
With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel (69 pence) from 1,200 riel last year.

Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg.

Full story. I do not think I could eat a rat or a mouse. It is because when I was in elementary, middle and high school, I had these animals as pets. My mother was a teacher and had hampsters and mice in her classroom as pets. During the summer all these animals came home and we kept them as pets. We had gerbils and ginny pigs also. Small rodents as food? I could never eat them. They are pets to me. Sacred. Pets....not to be eaten. If I were in a desperate, survival situation, it might be a different story. But trust me. It would be the ultimate, very last resort.

Streaming

2008-08-27T01:26:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

My toe hurts. Why?
Sleep. I need more but can't sleep. Why can't I just go to bed. That seems so hard now.
My toe hurts. Like someone is sticking a pin in the skin next to my big toe. Left foot.
Why am I hungry and thinking of food at 1:29 AM?
Look. Here is a big bowl of butter beans and smoked turkey wings at 1:29 AM.
It is hot and that fan is not doing anything.
Butterflies.
My lower back just cracked. That has been doing that recently. I wonder why.
Do I now need to go to the bathroom. That necessary evil. Gets old quick.
Yawn.
Harry Chrishna...Harry Chrishna.
The dog looks so cute.
Fold up like a bat and sleep.

5 Comes Early

2008-08-27T01:12:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

Five comes early.
Five comes early when you can't sleep.
Why? Just anxious about the day or stressed about bills to pay.
Sleep is always just out of reach, sitting over there having a cup of tea.
It looks at me from time to time, looking at it's watch......waiting for five.
Five comes early.

Five comes early when it is three and sleep finally decides to get into bed with you.
Tea? It has had enough tea. It wants to sleep.
Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
It wants to sleep and sleep past five.
Five comes early when you go to sleep at three.
Sleep fights at five. Why?
Because.
Five comes early.

Five comes early as you roll out of bed wondering if you ever really slept.
Dreamless, haunted and lifeless, the day begins.
Sleep taunts you all throughout the day.
It snubs it's nose at five. It wants to stay and stay it does. All day.
Five comes.
Five comes early.

Five.
Comes.
Early.

Christmas IS Coming!

2008-08-25T00:43:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I have been in several stores recently and since July I have seen Halloween decorations out. In August the Christmas ornaments and decorations have been out. I think that in recent years it has become common place for Halloween and Christmas "retail thoughts" to be placed in the forefront of our minds as early as July. Seems a bit early, but that is the way of our retail economy these days. For me the shopping season really does not begin until the day after Thanksgiving....Black Friday. In past years I have been that shopper who arrived at the mall at 4:00 AM with my lawn chair and thermos of coffee. That was great fun! Last Thanksgiving, I was in the great throng of people at one of my local outlet malls that opened at midnight, Thanskgiving night. It was me and about 3,000 other people standing in line at the Coach store for an hour in line, just to get at those sales. That was great fun too.

It has not always been great fun shopping in the rush and crowds on Black Friday. I do recall a few years when I was not into shopping at all. What will black friday 2008 be for me? I plan to be out there this year with lawn chair and coffee! If you are not into all that shopping frenzy, there is now a way to avoid all the hassle and shop from home with just a click of your mouse. You will still be able to get the deals without going to the malls. How? IBlackFriday. They actually have the ads and deals from the retail stores posted on line before anyone else, so you get the benefit of the special deals, just like everyone else. They even have exclusive online coupons that will allow for bigger savings via ecouponcodes.com.

I am a big fan of Costco. They are just one of the many merchants with a listing of all the specials that will be available on Black Friday 2008. Just look at the specials coming up for this year. Be sure to check out the coupon tab as well. There are special percentage off coupons that will make your dollar stretch just a little furthur this year. Yeah! I am getting ready. I might just do some online shopping myself this year. I could do both. If my online savings will be greater that stalking out stores in the mall, I know what I will have to do. Christmas IS coming! So get ready....pack that lawn chair and thermos of coffee in the car. 5 AM on Black Friday is just around the corner. If your alarm does not go off...you have not missed out. Just log on and shop till you drop on IBlackFriday. There are great deals to be had there as well.

Disclosure

Close to Home

2008-08-24T01:08:00.002-04:00

Snapshots In My Time...
Of My Time.....Hauntings.

I was listening to the news tonight and I heard some alarming news about a business about 5 minutes away from me, right near our local mall. There is a woman, from Romania or Bulgaria or Hungary or some place near those countries who has had a business as a fortune teller about 5 minutes away near our local mall. Apparently 2 males went into her business about 8:30 Saturday night demanding money. The woman resisted and was shot in the face. No word on if she lived or died. The 2 men got away.

Now, I do not know this woman personally. I just know of her. I used to work at the mall back in 1994-1996 and that was when I became aware of who she was. I worked in the fragrance and cosmetic section and she was always in there shopping and RETURNING many things she bought. She was scary and looked like a gypsy...dark clothes, accent and very mysterious. When ever she came to my counter, I helped her but I was always wigged out by her. I think she knew it because she always gave me very strange looks. By strange looks I mean STRANGE!!!

She would complete her shopping and leave by the mall entrance. When she got about 2 stores away she would stop in her tracks, turn around and look at me. It was weird because I may have been with another customer, cleaning, whatever...I would just have the urge to look up and out into the mall and she would be there, standing, looking straight at me. FREAKY! Since that time I have seen her on and off in the malls or the grocery store or the outlet stores. I would go the other way. She still freaked me out after all this time.

I just saw her twice this week. I saw her in the grocery store on Monday night and on Wednesday I saw her shopping in the outlet store standing within 2 feet of me. Now I hear this tonight and it is alarming. I hope she will be alright. Given my interaction with her in the past during returns when I was working in the mall in the 1990's, I can see her resisting. These days with kids, it is not the best option. They have no regard for life. I live in the suburbs and where her business and home was is also in the suburbs in a nice area. The mall is in a nice area also, so this is crime that is too close to home.

The problem is that people from the poorest parts of town have discovered this area of the suburbs. They have discovered the mall that for the most part was tucked away, safe in the suburbs. Some of them have actually moved here due to the addition of free housing now allowed in some apartment complexes. Crime is creeping into my neck of the woods.