Speaking of school issues. I remember last year I attended a school function with my sister, her husband and my niece. It was a Christmas Chorus event and it actually was pretty good considering that it was held by middle schoolers that have just started singing in their young lives.
I remember looking at the School Lockers in the hall ways and thinking how little the Lockers have become since I was in school. They are now half the size of what they used to be, I don’t know how these kids are managing to cram everything that they need into them. During the winter months with your coats, boots, mittens, umbrellas and the like it must be a real hassle for the poor kids.
Now my Gym Locker was small, if I remember correctly it was a Wood Locker, which was a poor choice, in my opinion, since wood absorbs odors and we all know how smelly our gym clothes were back then. Now a days they don’t even make the kids take a shower after gym class, which is something that we always were made to do each and every day.
Anyway, I had a few minutes to spare last night and found myself looking at the variety of Lockers for sale on the Internet. We have come a long way baby, but I still think that they need to give today’s students bigger Lockers.
When MaryAnne was telling me that she was looking for an AbeBooks coupon code to help her save money on her college textbooks, I was reminded of how my wife managed to get her college degree. She was lucky enough to work for a large corporation that had a great tuition reimbursement benefit for their employees. If you could prove that the college courses you wanted to take were related to the job you either had or wanted to have within the company, then the company would pay for the tuition and fees for the courses. All we had to pay for were the books.
Unfortunately, this was before the Internet was available and we didn’t know how to find college textbooks anywhere other than the university’s own book store. We spent a lot of money on college textbooks. Don’t get me wrong, the education was worth the expense, but as far as I’m concerned the textbooks should be provided to the student as part of the tuition money. The book stores would tell you that they’d buy the textbooks back after the semester was over, but the money that they paid for used books was a small fraction of their original cost. And many times they would refuse to buy them back at all, saying that the books weren’t going to be used again for another class.
Sure, you could save a little bit of money by buying used textbooks, but now buying used textbooks from Abebooks over the Internet is a huge advantage to today’s students.
My wife has been telling me that we spend too much money on our entertainment. Naturally I got defensive about it, since I am the one who spends the most money on things like going to the movies and buying DVDs and CDs. What I didn’t realize at the time was that she was thinking about trying to save money by switching our television service from cable service to a local tv satellite service.
She was telling me that her friend Nancy just switched to satellite because she found a good deal on www.localtv-satellite.com, and she suggested that we check it out too. The biggest concern that I have about signing up with a service like localtv-satellite.com is regarding how many sets can be hooked up to it, and how many can watch different shows at a time. I don’t want to have to buy or rent a lot of different receiver boxes – but if they are free it wouldn’t be so bad. I just don’t to lose my favorite channels just to save a few dollars!
Last night I took my wife to a party. There was a live band (very unusual) and we danced several dances. She had more fun then I can remember seeing her. This was one of the dances we danced to. I think the song says it all. I think this is a good song to rekindle some romance!
Almost every Friday evening, a few of my friends and I get together for some good, old fashion, quality guy time.
We have the same traditions as any other group of guys–we pick up some snacks, open a couple of beers, and then relax on the couch watching the television from best choice tv together.
It may not be completely accurate to call us typical, though, because instead of lounging around watching the big game or something like that, we like to watch movies. More specifically, chick flicks. Actually, we love to watch them! You might call them a guilty pleasure.
Take my personal favorite, Never Been Kissed, as an example. We saw it recently on satellite tv.
It’s incredibly cheesy, exceedingly unrealistic, and somehow it utterly reels you in until you’re hooked and wouldn’t be able to let go if your life depended on it. The four of us might as well have been in the stadium supporting Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) on her big night, because the dog only knows that she had all of us rooting for her from the couch!
Maybe it’s because movies like Never Been Kissed can allow us to vicariously live a life we never personally knew, or perhaps we’re all just big, masculine hopeless romantics. Whatever the reason, chick flicks with the guys is evidence enough for me that all guys have a sensitive side.
If you asked me ten years ago with Mesothelioma was I wouldn’t have been able to give you even a clue. I remember a co worker talking about her uncle dealing with Mesothelioma Cancer, about ten years ago and she clued me into a good amount about this ever increasing cancer that we are seeing so much about on TV these days. There are several local attorneys that are specializing in Mesothelioma and are advertising heavily these past couple of years on the local channels on cable and satellite alike.
I’ve even seen a few daytime talk show that have discussed this as well as Surviving Mesothelioma and I always remember that particular co worker whose family was morning heavily back then and it makes me wonder what ever happened to her and/or her uncle. All I know is that he had served in the Navy and somehow was exposed to this cancer in the sub that he spend a good amount of time in. I understand that a good amount of men that served on those submarines are now suffering from this same type of Mesothelioma Cancer. That really sucks, serving your country and then dying slowly from it for years and decades long after your service time is up.
Next spring will be my father’s 70th birthday. My brothers and sisters have decided that we want to surprise him with a a special surprise party and give him a gift that he has always dreamt about – a trip to Myrthle Beach. He’s been retired for five years now, and he’s dreamt about playing on the Myrtle Beach golf courses as one of the retirement fantasies that just haven’t come to pass yet.
My wife and I have been trying to review the many different Myrtle Beach golf packages on the http://www.myrtlebeachgolf.net web page to see which ones might be the best ones to get. We all agreed to split the cost equally, but we still need to keep a close eye on the cost. And we want to make sure that our mother has plenty to do while our father is out on the course.
We also need to figure out if any of us should accompany them, or if we should try to make it a romantic getaway for the two of them. After all, maybe booking some spa time for our mother while our father is out on the golf course would be the perfect touch!
One of the things that has disappointed about during the past few years is how many of my favorite restaurants no longer offer salad bars. Many of the restaurants have simply closed down. There are only two local restaurants anymore that even have salad bars, and I go to them as frequently as I can. My wife doesn’t usually eat salad; she tells me that she wants to save room for dessert! But last night we went out to eat and she decided to order the salad bar with her meal and she ordered her appetizer and dessert to go!
She certainly made up a huge salad! She ended up taking half of her entree home as a leftover, too! She said that was going to be a really good lunch for her to eat sometime in the next couple of days! I don’t think I’ve seen her so happy in a long time, bringing so much food home to eat later! She said that any time she can eat food that good without having to heat up the kitchen and wash up pots and pans is a good thing!
My wife and I like to think that we are not stupid. We’ve signed up for Online Trading for the stocks we own, and we each have IRA Accounts. We try to be conservative, however, with our Stock Trading activities. We’ve been burned a little bit a couple of times, and we really can’t afford to lose very much money.
The most confusing part about owning stocks (to me) is how to go about reporting the profits, losses, and dividends on our income taxes! I’m really glad that we have a great software program that keeps track of all of that. I’d never be able to keep it all straight if I had to keep track of it on paper! And I’m more than happy to let my wife take care of that portion of our financial life! I tell my wife that’s why I keep her around – to do the bookkeeping! (And her cooking’s pretty good too!)
My brother and his wife have decided that they want to take their kids to the beach for school starts. Apparently school starts very early down where they live. The first day of school for them is in the beginning of August, while we have always had our schools start after Labor Day which of course is always in the first week of September. So time is running out and they are running into some snags in finding a good spot to travel to.
Since BP has destroyed most of the beaches on the east coast the choices have been narrowed down considerably and the word is that folks are flocking to resorts in Myrtle Beach, which I’m sure Myrtle Beach is just loving all the money that is heading their way this year. I’ve heard that Myrtle Beach has been trying hard to get more business their way so I guess they got what they were asking for, by default.
So it looks like they have been busy using the Internet to find the best Myrtle Beach hotel that they can find in such a short time frame. They have been using sites like http://avistaresort.com to find what they are looking for. Not only do they want the whole beach experience for the kids, but they want to be able to get in a game or two of golf as well. I wish them luck and hope that they have a blast before the time runs out and it’s back to school once again.
My sister was telling me that she has several websites that are due for renewal and she is thinking about switching the web hosting service that she uses for the sites. She said that the webhosting services that she has now are too expensive and don’t give her enough storage space. I asked her how in the world does one even learn about the different web hosting services? This whole thing can get complicated!
She told me that she has found several websites that provide a variety of webhostinghub reviews that feature the pros and cons of many of the different web hosting services. She says that she is still learning the tricks of the trades, but that fortunately there is a lot of helpful information on many of the websites that are geared towards helping her make the right decision. All I know is, I’m glad I don’t have to figure all of that out! It can get confusing!
After all these years since the E-911 went on board throughout the state, I am still amazed by how many people don’t have any address signs on their houses! The law states that in order to be in compliance, so that emergency personnel can locate a victim that needs help that an address sign needs to be on the house, clearly visable from the road. If the house itself is not visable from the road, then an address plaque should be beside the driveway that leads to the house.
Too many people think that having a rural mail box with their address on it is sufficient. Which would be great reasoning except for the fact that many people’s mailbox is not even on the same side of the road as their house! And what about those mailbox groupings where six or seven of them are all sharing the same post? How is an ambulance driver supposed to find you then? People are so numb sometimes!
State Farm is really pushing their “Neighbor” campaign. It seems that at least 4 times an hour we are being told by the State Farm Rep to talk to our neighbors and see if they have State Farm. And if it isn’t State Farm, we are watching Progressive’s aggressive campaign with their dingy acting and looking female spokes person. So much insurance with so little time and/or money.
The first day of summer is also the day of the year that has the most daylight hours. I’ve always felt that the most daylight hours should be right smack dab in the middle of summer, not the first day! I find it interesting, though, that even though the first day of summer has the most daylight hours, and the daylight hours get shorter after that day, that the daylight stays later in the day. So I guess that the shortening of the daylight hours people are usually sleeping through in the morning! I can remember as a child being very angry with my parents for making us go to bed at night while it was still daylight out! Just wasn’t fair!
Tutor Vista has come to the aid of my kid cousin who is hopefully going to graduate from high school next year. He has had problems with math since day one in first grade and now that he is in high school he has been struggling with Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 issues. I remember the days when I was able to help him once in a while with his home work assignments, but those days have come and went when it comes to numbers. I do come in handy once in a while with a project for Science or History but that is a rarity this past year or so. Hard to believe that he will be graduating and moving on in just over a year!
Anyway, it seems that Tutor Vista offers world class online tutoring, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week for less than $100 a month. He started out with their free demo that they offer their first timers and was impressed right off with their services. He gets the same tutor every time, homework help any time he needs it, he receives detailed assessment tests that follow his state curriculum. He is even utilizing their ‘Get Ahead, Summer Program” in an effort to keep his mind sharp and ready for the start of the next year that is only two months away.
I’m glad that he is receiving good quality assistance with his Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 problems. It would be awesome to see this kid make something out of his life. There is still a possibility that he will even go on with his education and take some college courses after surviving and graduating high school in June of 2011.
I have a few buddies that are serving our country and have found themselves doing there time in Iraq. I’m so grateful for the Internet, it has made such a big difference to our military to be able to communicate with friends and family during their time in Hell. It’s too bad that they didn’t have email back in the day of our involvement in Vietnam. It could be that more time could have been spent on the computer instead of doing all the drugs that they so many are so well known to have done.
Anyway, I try and keep up with sending them letters and emails, it is the least that I can do for them while they are doing their part in protecting us from the bad guys. One pal, who is a US Marine sent me this YouTube video along with his latest email. It is too funny and I wanted to post it here for you to enjoy as well.
I keep dropping hints around the house that I want gift cards from Lowe’s or Home Depot for Father’s Day. I plan to be spending a lot of time this summer working on various household projects and I’ve been window shopping for the various hand tools that I’m going to want to be using. My cordless power drills have just about lived their life expectancy, and I’d like to buy a new one.
My wife has been suggesting that should consider buying a pneumatic nail gun, too. I’ve never used one before, but I have to admit that I’d get the work done a lot faster if I had one! I’m also going to be taking a look at the new saws on the market. I have to admit that I’m a total tool junkie!
One of the things that I’ve noticed lately is that we seem to have bins full of tote bags and backpacks and a variety of purses in our basement, and in our bedroom closet. Not a gift giving occasion goes by when someone doesn’t give us some kind of tote bag, saying “everyone can use another tote bag.” And my wife seems to be on the constant look-out for the perfect purse.
Her favorite everyday purse is actually a very small backpack. It has a loop on the top that can used as a purse handle, and detachable shoulder straps that can be manipulated to turn the bag into a fanny pack or a backpack. I have to admit that it is a very clever design and I can understand why she likes it – when she gets tired of carrying it one way she can change the straps around and carry it a different way. She was lamenting to me earlier tonight that the stores no longer sell her purse – she hasn’t been able to buy a new one like it in over two years. I don’t know what she is going to do when this one finally falls apart!
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed professional translation services? My wife tells me that back around 1978, when she was working for the telephone company as a service representative there were several times that she had to deal with people who only spoke French or Russian and she had a difficult time finding any place or any one that would provide her with the translation services that she needed in order to communicate with her customers.
Now, with the modern Information Age of the Internet, it is easy to find a service de traduction (translation service) with just a few clicks of the mouse you can find a translation website, or a service that will help via telephone. I think that this kind of progress is wonderful! We all need to be able to communicate with each other.
When my hubby was injured in my car accident in 2007, I tried to get my mortage company for our house in New England that we were trying to sell to grant me a hardship forebearance. Since he wasn’t able to work due to my injuries, I was hopeful to get some empathy from the company. Boy, was I wrong!
Long story short, the mortgage company has dropped the ball and tossed me around from department to department, where I have been met with gross incompetence at every turn.
After over two years, even though we FINALLY did a deed-in-lieu with the company last November, and the deed to the house was transferred into their name in December the company is continuing to send me notices that I owe them the money and the company is still sending notices to the credit agencies that the mortgage is overdue. This is resulting in credit card companies closing my credit cards or lowering my credit limits.
Every time I call Bank of America I am shuttled around from department to department, and told the matter will be escalated and someone will call me back within the next week. That never happens. I have called them about once every two weeks, and nothing is resolved. I have sent them letters, and I get replies that someone will contact me within 20 days, and that never happens either! I got collection calls several times a day for years on end until I finally blocked their telephone number!
As of today, I have been on the phone with Bank of America for the past four hours, being shuttled around from department to department, trying to find some help. I’m on hold at the moment, waiting for a supervisor to talk to me. The lady I just spoke with said that my account was in the process of being assigned to someone in the home retention department!
I have contacted my state senator Mark Warner’s office, asking for help a couple of weeks ago. Haven’t heard back from them yet.
Anyone know a good lawyer that would like to sue this company on my behalf to get this resolved and maybe some punitive damages for emotional distress it is causing? I had hired a lawyer that I was told is an agressive lawyer that loves to sue people, but for some reason he just doesn’t seem to be in the mood to take this on! If you know of a class-action suit going on for people in situations like this, or know a good lawyer that could/would help me, please post comment to this blog and I’ll get the information!