First comes love

I think everybody remembers that kids rhyme. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes whoever with a baby carriage. It seems like everyone at my job is singing that song right now. We have a least 3 woman that are at least 4 months pregnant. We're all pitching in to get them baby products for their baby shower. We've been looking at lilaguide.com for gift ideas. They have local guides, stores and services. Some of my coworkers are new parents and don't know where to go for certain things. We can look at the website and find suggestions as well as reviews for those places. That's because members are encouraged to add their own reviews to assist other moms with their day to day parenting activities.

Having kids is expensive. I don't mind helping my coworkers out with baby stuff when they're pregnant. Actually I think it's kinda fun to shop for the stuff.

The Steelers looked horrible yesterday

I only watched a little bit of the game yesterday and they looked horrible at times. They have to play a whole lot better in the playoffs if they want to last beyond one game. And we have to win one game to shut the Browns fans up. Really though, who cares what they think. They had the opportunity to make the playoffs but lost to Cincinnati. So much for the "soldiers".

I missed dress down day

Today is a jeans day at work and I missed it. I have on my regular slacks, a long sleeve shirt and dress shoes. I could have worn jeans and sneakers. Usually someone sends an email around reminding everyone when to wear jeans. We didn't get one last week so I forgot. It's not a big deal though so it's a business casual environment.

Putting the pressure on

My boyfriend and I haven't been dating very long but we've known each other and been friends for quite a while. We've talked about being together in the future and possibly getting married. One thing I'm looking into now is Wedding Planning. I know weddings can get expensive so I need to know what expect. I can go online and find local vendors, get free planning tools, an online registry and a lot more.

I already found some favors and decorations that I like, but I guess I need to slow down. We aren't even engaged yet! Notice that I said yet.

My ears broke out

My earrings broke my ears out. They're silver with a stone. I got them in Mexico when I was there on my cruise. They're really cute earrings but they break me out. I can only wear gold in my ears. I was hoping that they wouldn't bother me because they're so cute and I really wanted to wear them.

Oh well I guess I'll just have to admire them from my jewelry box.

The Patriots did it

As much as I hate the Patriots you have to tip your hat to them. They went 16-0 in the regular season holding off the Giants to win 38-35. It was an exciting game. The Giants played them tough and almost pulled it out in the end. But as usual, the Pats came up big when it counted.

I'm still rooting against them though.

Cars cost too much

My friends car needs to be fixed again. They have a Civic and now they need a Honda Radiator. I know they are good cars, but they are constantly fixing this car. They can get a lifetime warranty and it's unlimited. Most companies don't do that. They also have over 60,000 different radiators and condensers. They also use computers to help ensure that you get the right product for your car.

They need all the help they can get because they're spending a lot of money for their car. At least I know that if I need to get car parts, I can get them inexpensively and from a reputable company. I just hope I don't have as many problems with my car as they have with theirs.

I hate drama

And right now I have plenty of it. The guy I'm currently seeing just broke up with his girlfriend, who he was also living with. She's one of those crazy clingy women that just won't let go. They broke up over a month ago. Every other day she asks him if he wants to work it out which he always says no.

Last night, she found out that he was over my house so she banged on my door off and on all night long. I didn't get any sleep. Then this morning she was waiting for me to confront me on my way to work. But he was there and stepped in. There was a lot more that happened but that's basically the condensed version.

This is way more than I can handle. I've never had to deal with anything like this before.

Joke of the week

How To Handle a Traffic Stop...

A police officer pulls a guy over for speeding and has the following exchange:

Officer: May I see your driver's license?

Driver: I don't have one. I had it suspended when I got my 5th DUI.

Officer: May I see the registration for this vehicle?

Driver: It's not my car. I stole it.

Officer: This car is stolen?

Driver: That's right. But come to think of it, I think I saw the owner's card in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there.

Officer: There's a gun in the glove box?

Driver: Yes sir, that's where I put it after I shot the owner of this car and stuffed his body in the
trunk.

Officer: There's a BODY in the TRUNK?!?!

Driver: Yes sir.

Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was quickly surrounded by police, and the captain approached the driver to handle the tense situation. The Captain slowly approached the driver...

Captain: Sir, can I see you license? Driver: Sure, here it is. It was valid.

Captain: Who's car is this?

Driver: It's mine, officer. Here's the registration card.

Captain: Could you slowly open the glove box so I can see if there's a gun in there?

Driver: Yes sir, but there's no gun in it.

Sure enough, there was nothing in the glove box.

Captain: Would you mind opening your trunk? I was told there was a body in it.

Driver: No problem.

The trunk is opened: no body.

Captain: I don't understand. The officer who stopped you said you told him you didn't have a license, stole the car, had a gun in the glovebox, and that there was a body in the trunk.

Driver: Yeah, and I'll bet he told you that I was speeding, too.

I needed that rest

I was home visiting family for the past 5 days. It was soooo relaxing. I didn't do anything special, just chill and hang with my mom. We did go to Atlantic City (we lost) for a day but that's about it. The weather was fairly nice during the weekend. The temperatures hovered in the low 60's except 1 day when it was in the mid 50's.

I was surprised that a bunch of people didn't come over and visit. We had some visitors but not as many as I expected. I thought some of my cousins would come over at least. But I did get to see the people that I really wanted to see so everything was cool.

Christmas gift ideas

In some respects I'm lucky when it comes to Christmas shopping. My immediate family is pretty small so I don't have a lot to buy. I give my brother money and my mom doesn't want anything this year. I get my niece a small gift or two and I'm done. A few coworker gifts and family grab bag gifts and that's about it. I spend a pittance compared to what my friends spend.

As I get older, I realize the importance of having investments. Especially with my school debacle this semester. So I've asked everyone to get me investments including silver dollars. I could ask for rare coins, but I just get dollar coins that will appreciate in the future. I referred my mom to Monaco Coin Dealers because you can rely ontheir established two-way buy-and-sell market for rare coins and precious metals products. And Monaco Rare Coin is actively involved in all aspects of the rare coin trade the wholesale market, the collector market, the international market and auctions.

So I get a great gift that I really enjoy and it helps my net worth in the long run. Now that's a present!

Super busy

Work is so busy today. We are short staffed by 2 people because of the holidays so we have to cover their work. One person has a job that only comes in once or twice a week. Of course it came in today. I'm going crazy trying to keep up. But on the bright side of things, hopefully the day will go fast.

Joke of the week

Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge...

A man with a winking problem is applying for a position as a sales representative for a large firm. The interviewer looks over his papers and says, "This is phenomenal. You've graduated from the best schools; your recommendations are wonderful, and your experience is unparalleled.

"Normally, we'd hire you without a second thought. However, a sales representative has a highly visible position, and we're afraid that your constant winking will scare off potential customers. I'm sorry....we can't hire you."

"But wait," he said. "If I take two aspirin, I'll stop winking!"

"Really? Great! Show me!"

So the applicant reaches into his jacket pocket and begins pulling out all sorts of condoms: red condoms, blue condoms, ribbed condoms, flavored condoms; finally, at the bottom, he finds a packet of aspirin. He tears it open, swallows the pills, and stops winking.

"Well," said the interviewer, "that's all well and good, but this is a respectable company, and we will not have our employees womanizing all over, the country!"

"Womanizing? What do you mean? I'm a happily married man!"

"Well then, how do you explain all these condoms?"

"Oh, that," he sighed. "Have you ever walked into a pharmacy, winking, and asked for aspirin?"

I am so glad school is over

School was extra super sucky this semester. It was one of the hardest semesters I ever had and I was only taking 2 classes. I had macroeconomics and analytical methods (basically pre-calculus). One of the difficult aspects was that I was taking classes on 2 separate campuses. If I went somewhere like capella university, I would be able to study in the comfort of my own home. Of course I would study business because it pertains to what I do.

One of the biggest challenges to working age people is making the time to go to class. After work you just want to go home and not come back out. By attending school online, you can do just that. Go home, get comfy and take classes. And since the school is accredited your degree will be accepted everywhere.

I'm glad school is over until next month. I wish I could take my classes online next semester. It's going to be cold outside.
This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Delicious Stumble Fark

What?!?!? I don't even know what these sites are about. Well, actually I do. You use them to help drive more traffic to your site. I don't have time to submit each and every post or go to those sites and read what other people have submitted. I think that's the biggest reason I don't use the sites, I don't feel that I would give other people the traffic they deserve.

I'm annoyed watching the Travel Channel

They're doing a cruise special right now. They're focusing on an Alaskan cruise on the Royal Caribbean line. They're showing all of the amentities on the boat. So why am I annoyed? Because I went on a cruise this summer and it was nothing like this.

Maybe it was the cruise line I went on (Carnival) but we didn't have half of this stuff on our ship. They have over 5 cruise stores, plus a bunch of activities. I went on a RC cruise before and loved it. The CC was ok but I wish I could have picked the ship and the line.

Joke of the week

I Need A Raise...

Presented before you are two letters between an employee and his boss.

The Employee:

Dear Bo$$, A$ all of u$ have red from the new$paper$, the $ingapore economy ha$ come out of the rece$$ion. In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company. I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.

Your$ $incerely,

$teven $oh

Boss's reply:

Dear Steven,

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOw a days, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.

NOw the newspaper are saying the world's leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.

I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.

Yours truly,

NOrman NOn

Manager

I think I'm getting sick

I have what feels like an inner ear infection going on. My throat is sore and scratchy and I have a headache and I'm achy. This is soooo not good for me right now. I'm already in deep doo-doo at work and I can't afford to miss any time. I don't have any paid time off so if I miss a day, I don't get paid.

Connect with business cards and Facebook

Facebook is doing it's best to become the next myspace. Thousands of people have already signed up for their service and are posting to their hearts content. But what about offline? How do you go about connecting with people in real life. How about with 100 FREE ooprint biz cards? Would that help? You bet it would. Shipping is not included in the offer but the cards are free.

Personalize them with your name and email address. Then hand them out to friends, coworkers, or even that cutie on the bus.

Do you video blog?

I don't. To tell the truth, I don't even know how to use a video camera. Camera shy doesn't even begin to accurately describe me. More like camera loathing. I hate being photographed and especially video-taped. I never liked cameras from a early age. I don't know why. I always try to fade into the background.

Even here at work I do the same. If you get an award or a promotion, they take your picture and put it on an employee website. I let them take my picture for a group photo once. When I got my psuedo-promotion, I didn't take a picture for that.

And You-Tube, ha you will never catch me on there. Not at all. The thought of that gives me the heeby-jeebies.

What todays mail brings

We got this humongous envelope at work today. There's a winter scene on the label with your name, mail address and the words "Happy Holidays". When you open it up, it's a freaking calendar. No I'm not expecting a Christmas bonus and I knew it was something cheesy. But a freaking calendar? Are you kidding me?!?!?! What a waste. They could have kept that crap.

My widget is wonky

My Amazon widget is acting goofy. It's the exact same widget that I've had except I moved it to the top of the page instead of being at the bottom of the page. But now it takes forever to load. I leave it up because you might see something cool from Amazon like great ornaments for your tree or something.

I know when I go to other blogs and they take a long time to load, I leave the site. I hope people don't do that on my blog.

Steelers lose

Anthony Smith needs to keep his mouth shut. It's bad enough that we lost. But stupid Smith got burned for several plays. He's the one that opened his pie hole and "guaranteed" a victory against the Patriots. Tom Brady made him look like an idiot. The Pats are a good team and here you go running your mouth. What's worse than that? He didn't back it up with his play.

I bet he won't be talking before the next game.

Getting ready for the game

Tomorrow is a big game for the Steelers. We play the 12-0 Patriots. This game isn't getting all of the hype that some of the other games the Patriots have played because the Steelers have 3 losses. Our losses are to sucky teams like the Jets and Cardinals.

Since we have such crappy weather outside right now, I plan on staying home and watching the game. I wish I had a Human Touch HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair. I have poor posture and a massage chair would be heavenly. I could also set it on a heat feature or set it to foot massage. This is a description of the chair from the advertisement: "The experience combines the sensations of hands rapidly tapping on the back, gentle rolling, alternating strokes and relieving spinal pressure, and kneading to work out knots and ease soreness. The HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair calibrates the body frame of the individual sitting in it and adjusts according to that individual’s unique physique, so each massage in the HT 7450 is perfectly focused on the right areas of the body." Tell me that doesn't sound awesome.

But I probably should be happy I don't have the chair right now. I would be so relaxed that I would fall asleep. And this is one game that I don't want to miss.

Another date night canceled

Ok this is getting old really fast. Tonight he just couldn't get out. Right now we're nothing more than friends but I don't like being put on the back burner. It's a really complicated situation that I really can't get into. I'm not happy with the situation though.

Something has to change and I mean quick.

Joke of the week

I work at a company whose logo is the spartan man head...when my daughter was 8 she went to a doctor's appointment and needed a prescription filled. We went to the local CVS drug store and went to the pharmacy counter. They were quite busy. While standing in line my 8 yr old was directly in front of the waist to floor rack of condoms. She saw the trojan brand with the same spartan guy head and yelled, "hey mom dont you need these for work?"

Needless to say i turned a shade of red there is no color name for.

Compare and contrast

If you're looking for a credit card, it's in your best interest to compare features. Say you're just looking for a Average Credit Credit Cards, there is a search engine that breaks cards down by credit types. So people with average credit wouldn't look to get the same cards that people with bad credit would get.

Everyone from businesses to students to everyday consumers can use creditcardsearchengine.com to compare rates and rewards. You can also compare annual fees which can range from $0 to over $100 annually. Comparing can save you money in the long run and you might even get rewards which you can turn into gift cards. Now that's what I'm talking about, gifts for shopping.

I guess I'm not going out

I was supposed to go out to dinner with a friend of mine today. It's kind of a date but not really. It's more to "celebrate" the fact that he's moving out of town. I put celebrate in quotations because I am not happy at all about it and I damn sure don't want to celebrate.

Anyway it's snowing like crazy right now. There's already an inch or two on the ground and the snow is steadily coming down. I doubt if we go anywhere tonight.

Have you ever used HotelReservations.com?

I've finally convinced my friend to go somewhere other than The Bahamas in 2008. I say finally because we've gone there for 6 out of the past 8 years. It's not that I don't love it in The Bahamas because I do. I just want to experience a different vacation destination.

We're comparing prices on the internet and one of the reasons we're looking at making out Hotel Reservations with this company is because of their $100 guarantee. If they don't offer the lowest price on our vacation, they will give us that money as a bonus.

I don't think they realize they've just issued us a serious challenge. We are extreme bargain hunters. Our trips are generally less than $600 per person. We've got our minds set on getting that bonus money.

I do my own thing at work

My job is business casual. I usually wear dress slacks and a button up shirt. Sometimes I'll get really casual and wear a collared shirt. Today when I went to leave out of the house I noticed that it was snowing. I went back into the house and threw my sneakers on. I put my flats in my bag to change once I got to work. Pffft I never did change my shoes.

I did notice a few people look down at my feet but nobody said anything so I never changed. I won't press my luck by trying it again tomorrow though.

My friend John is funny

I'm watching the Steelers game and I just thought about something funny that John said. He's the one that's in Denver for a job interview and looking for an apartment. Anyway the Broncos played at Oakland today. He made the comment that he hadn't seen any die-hard Broncos fans. I said nobody was out because the team was away. Then he said "Yeah but, Steelers fans represent everyday. Even in the summer everybody is still rockin' their Steelers gear. The Steelers are like a religion here in Pittsburgh."

It's funny because it's true.

Giving gifts

My neighbor went out of town for the weekend. He will be moving permanently in about 3 weeks. I want to send him fruit gift baskets as his welcome home gift in his new city. There are two reasons for this. One because it's the Christmas season and they're appropriate. The second reason is just as a gift.

What's better than a gift basket? And there are special baskets that are just made for Men. I can get him a chocolate gift basket, a sweets gift basket or even a snack gift basket. The company ships FedEx so I know he will receive the basket very quickly. They also use air bags instead of those nasty popcorn package wrappers.

I know he will appreciate the gift. I wish I could give it to him now. Then I would order the chocolate lovers basket and help him eat it.

Changing weather

This weather sucks. It was warm and sunny this afternoon. Now this evening there's snow and ice. I was almost home when it started. When I was a block away I could feel myself sliding on the ice. I hate this weather. I can't wait until I'm done with school because I'm moving to a warm weather climate.

Get off yer high horse

People amaze me. They always want to call someone out for doing something. Yet it's ok for them to do the exact same thing. Oh but they can justify what they're doing. No, you can't it's hypocritical and makes you look like an ass. I'm just disgusted by what's going on.

Ok now that I've ranted, here's a little background info. A supposedly A-list blogger is attacking a lot of "Mommy" bloggers and people who work for pay to blog companies. He went so far as to call one person pathetic, mentally-ill and actually laugh that she has trouble making ends meet. Now this same person also writes paid reviews and has a ton of sponsors but for him it's ok? I think not. He's a jerk.

I do understand that some people don't get the pay to blog movement or don't agree with it. And that's fine. You don't have to understand it or like it. I just don't think you need to go around name calling those people who do partake in it.

Whew rant ova!

Grow your business with Webloyalty

If you like to be rewarded from shopping you should try webloyalty. They were founded in 1999 and have grown to over 2 million subscribers who enjoy savings with Webloyalty's services.

Companies can increase their revenue while offering the companies' customers a range of valuable benefits packages. Their online marketing services companies provide customized programs in travel, e-commerce, and other fee-based businesses. It's a win-win situation. They employ over 300 people in their San Francisco offices as well as their Norwalk CT headquarters.

As part of their expansion plans, they've made a strategic alliance with General Atlantic LLC. General Atlantic provides capital for growth companies focusing on information technology and intellectual property. As part of this alliance, Webloyalty is poised for growth in the coming years.

Joke of the week

Pigs Are Mothers, Too...

After three crop failures in a row farmer Jones could not pay his loan at the bank. "Give me one more chance he pleaded. Don't take my farm, we'll be broke and homeless."

The bank manager comes up with an idea. "OK, one more chance but not with crops. No one fails at pig farming so we'll finance the purchase of five sows to start you off. Your neighbor down the road has a boar pig and you'll have to take your sows to him so the boar can service them. In a few months you should have a bunch of little piglets all ready for market.

Farmer Jones collects the five sows, loads them into his pickup truck, drives to his neighbor and unloads the five sows into the boar's pen. They then go back to the farm house and have a couple of beers.

When enough time has passed they go back to the boar's pen and load five happy sows into the pickup. Farmer Jones asks, "What if it didn't take?"

"That never happens with my boar," replies the neighbor.

"But how can I tell for sure?"

"Look, tomorrow morning observe your sows. If they're rolling in the mud, it took, if they're on the grass, call me."

The following morning farmer Jones observed his sows strolling on the grass. He calls his neighbor who instructs him to bring them back. He rounds them up, loads them into the pickup and drives to the boar's pen where the whole process is repeated.

Unlucky farmer Jones has to load them in the pickup and take them back four times. On the fifth morning he is so worried he can't look. He stalls for half an hour then asks his wife to look. "I hope they're not on the grass, dear."

"Well they're not," says his wife.

"Oh finally, then they're rolling in the mud!" exclaimed the farmer.

"No..."

"Well what are those fool sows doing?

"Well, four are trying to climb into the pickup and the fifth managed to climb into the cab and is trying to honk the horn!!!"

Last week was busy

It was actually super busy with Thanksgiving, shopping for the upcoming holidays, work, school. Whew, I'm getting tired just writing all of that. I missed the joke of the week last week because I wasn't really online as much as I usually am. I would just get on, write a quick post or two then log off.

I'll try to find a really good joke today.

Dinner and a movie with Johnny Depp

Yeah I'm supposed to have dinner and a movie but not with Johnny Depp. But we will go see Johnny Depp in his new movie. I always loved Johnny Depp since I saw him in Edward Scissorhands. He was so vulnerable that he made me fall in love.

I've always liked his movies but Pirates of the Caribbean was one of my favorites. When he looked at Kira Knightley and shook the rum bottles while saying "Welcome to the Caribbean". Classic. I just loved that line. That movie was weird but I loved it. That's my favorite movie so far.

Now I'm excited about the new movie Sweeney Todd. I can learn more about the movie when I visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site. He's hooked up with Lance Burton who is directing him in yet another movie. These two work so well together so you just know the movie will be good.

You can also visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace to find out what the movie is about. Or I can give you a brief synopsis. Sweeney goes to jail unjustly. Getting out he vows revenge and opens a deadly barber shop. Hey, guess who else is in the movie? Sasha Baron Cohen as a rival barber. That is too funny.

I can't wait to see it. It's the last time I'll get to hang out with my friend before he leaves town. So I get to hang with my favorite friend and see one of my favorite actors. Good times man.

I need new shoes

And I can't find one stinking pair that I like. I've already been to two stores and I'm going to another store either tonight after work or on Friday after work. I'm just looking for a pair of everyday flats to wear. I have a pair of pumps and a pair of shoe boots with a heel. I need flat shoes now.

If I don't find anything I like, I'll try to find a pair of shoe boots with a small heel. Who knew shopping could be annoying?

I need a vacation

Seriously. I am so depressed right now. I have a lot going on some positive and some negative. The negative is very personal though and it's hard to deal with. I've been trying to soldier forward as best as I can but it's really hard right now.

My travel agent is suggesting that I go to Key West. I'm scared to go there though. That long bridge that you have to drive over would kill me. I'm afraid of bridges and that one is so close to the water that I know I would have an anxiety attack.

She also told me about Trusted Tours and Attractions because they have a contest running right now. If you sign up for their newsletter you can win 4 tickets for a tour in one of 21 cities. I would choose San Diego. Not only could I go to the area attractions, I could hit a Chargers game. I could also skip on over to Mexico and visit for a day. Of course, I would have to make sure to pack my passport. I do not want to get stuck in Mexico without proper id.

I just wish I had more vacation time at work so I could skip out of town for a few days. I'll work something out though. I'm about to lose my mind.

Stupid music club

First they charged me for a cd that I never ordered or received. When I emailed them about it, they said I hadn't responded to my featured selection. It was over 3 months old so I had deleted that notification. They did take the charge off.

Today I went to order a cd to fulfill my commitment and they wanted me to pay for it upfront. I really don't have a problem with that because you have to pay for most things beforehand. But on this site, it's only certain cds. If you order one of the more popular cds, you have to pay upfront. Otherwise you can pay later.

It makes no sense to me. Just have 1 set of rules for every cd. I plan on just ordering a cd and cancelling. This club is more hassle than it's worth.

Finding a man where you can

Where did you find your partner? Did you find them in a bar, at the grocery store or in the free personals sites online? I have found a man at the grocery store before. So I know that's not a myth. That particular relationship didn't work out so take that advice for what it's worth.

I've been browsing around DateHookup.com to see who's out there. There are actually a lot of people from my area. I like the message board feature of the site. You can learn a lot about a person by what they post on forums. For instance, if a argument breaks out, can they walk away? Or do they hold a grudge against the person? You also get them in a group environment which is always very interesting.

So what about you? Would you find a mate online. Sometimes I don't think I can do much worse than I am right now.

Widget problems

Something is wrong with some of my widgets. You look at them and they will show what they're supposed to. Then you look again, and it shows up as a blank space. I don't know if it's my blog or if it's the widgets.

I need to look around and add some different widgets to my blog. I want a variety of widgets so people can have different stuff to look at.

My neighbors are annoying me

My neighbors used to be cool. They were quiet and respectful. Now they're super ghetto. I know we have some newer people that just moved in, but the majority of noise makers are the people that have lived here the longest.

Right now it's close to 1am est and I can hear their music and them talking really loudly. I just wanna go knock on their door and tell them to shut up!

Losing weight

Two years ago one of my friends had lapband surgery. That's different than other weight-loss surgery options because you get a small band positioned around your stomach. The gastric band is inflatable and adjustable. This is in contrast to getting cut, stapled, or having your stomach and/or intestines rerouted.

Since her stomach was smaller, she ate less and felt full faster. It helped to lose the weight on her own. The procedure was done in a day and she wasn't in a lot of pain. Like I said, it's been two years and she's kept the weight off. I would consider that over conventional stomach stapling. That just sounds painful.

When running multiple blogs sucks!

When you write a post that's supposed to go on one blog and realize that you've put it on the wrong blog. Then you have to delete one and put it on the right blog. That gets annoying. Especially when you have to figure out different topics for several blogs.

Oh well, such is the life of a blogger.

Monday football hangover

The Steelers lost yesterday to the Jets 19-16 in overtime. To make matters worse the Browns beat the Ravens. The Steelers are 7-3 and the Browns are 6-4. We have a 1 game lead because of the tie-breaker (we beat them head-to-head twice).

People are calling the Browns the Cinderella team to make the playoffs. There is the distinct possibility that they could challenge for the division. But they're the Browns, I'm sure they'll screw it up somehow.

Numastics anyone?

Most people don't even know what numismatics are. Numastics refers to coin collectors. A lot of people thinks that means the change that people throw in change jars at home but it's not. Coin collectors pay big money for the coins that they have. You can buy coins from the mint or a company like Monaco. You also want to use a professional company to make sure you get the highest-grade coins possible.

Rare coins can be expensive to collect but it can also be very fun to chase those rare coins. It also helps diversify your portfolio and hedge against inflation. Coins are a portable and liquid investment to keep around.

Ok I'm seriously hungry right now

I'm watching Sunday Night Football, the Patriots vs. the Bills. I don't care about the game at all. I just have it on for noise more than anything. Anyway, whatever city they go to, they show what food they're serving the announcers and/or crowd just before halftime. They're in Buffalo so of course the dish is buffalo wings.

Oh man they looked soooo good. They deep fry them then coat them with the buffalo sauce. Yummo! I am getting so hungry right now. I guess I'll have some tortilla chips since I don't have any buffalo wings.

Find a date online and get lucky?

That was seriously a article on the internet talking about this. It said that one-third of woman that meet their date online, have sex on the first date. One of the reasons is because they say they feel like they "know" their date because they take so much time to get to know them online.

What do you think? Would you try one of the online Dating Sites? I know several people who have successful relationships that started online. I know one person that had a really horrible one but I think it's really the luck of the draw. If you go to the link above, you can compare the many dating sites that are out there.

They compare things like whether you're looking for a serious relationship or just to date, does the site charge or not, does the site target a particular type of single - like Christian sites or minority sites. Or you can review a particular site. There are sites like Match.com and Lavalife.com and quite a few others. So if you're not sure what you're looking for, read the review of each site to determine if it's right for you.

Who knows maybe you can find true love. Or at least get lucky.

Start another blog?

I don't know if I want to or not. It would be a travel themed blog. I already have 1 here on blogger but I would move it to it's own domain. It would only be updated 2x a month just like the one I have. I'm just contemplating moving off of blogger totally.

I need to take some time to think about this.

Joke of the week

You Can't Handle The Truth!

The following quotations are taken from official court records across the nation, showing how funny and embarrassing it is for recorders to operate at all times in courts of law.

* Lawyer: "Was that the same nose you broke as a child?"
* Witness: "I only have one, you know."

* Lawyer: "Now, Mrs. Johnson, how was your first marriage terminated?"
* Witness: "By death."
* Lawyer: "And by whose death was it terminated?"

* Accused, Defending His Own Case: "Did you get a good look at my face when I took your purse?"
The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in jail.

* Lawyer: "What is your date of birth?"
* Witness: "July 15th."
* Lawyer: "What year?"
* Witness: "Every year."

* Lawyer: "Can you tell us what was stolen from your house?"
* Witness: "There was a rifle that belonged to my father that was stolen from the hall closet."
* Lawyer: "Can you identify the rifle?"
* Witness: "Yes. There was something written on the side of it." * Lawyer: "And what did the writing say?"
* Witness: "'Winchester'!"

* Lawyer: "What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?"
* Witness: "Gucci sweats and Reeboks."

* Lawyer: "Can you describe what the person who attacked you looked like?"
* Witness: "No. He was wearing a mask."
* Lawyer: "What was he wearing under the mask?"
* Witness: "Er...his face."

* Lawyer: "This myasthenia gravis -- does it affect your memory at all?"
* Witness: "Yes."
* Lawyer: "And in what ways does it affect your memory?"
* Witness: "I forget."
* Lawyer: "You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?"

* Lawyer: "How old is your son, the one living with you?"
* Witness: "Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which."
* Lawyer: "How long has he lived with you?"
* Witness: "Forty-five years."

* Lawyer: "What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?"
* Witness: "He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'"
* Lawyer: "And why did that upset you?"
* Witness: "My name is Susan."

* Lawyer: "Sir, what is your IQ?"
* Witness: "Well, I can see pretty well, I think."

* Lawyer: "Did you blow your horn or anything?"
* Witness: "After the accident?"
* Lawyer: "Before the accident."
* Witness: "Sure, I played for ten years. I even went to school for it."

* Lawyer: "Trooper, when you stopped the defendant, were your red and blue lights flashing?"
* Witness: "Yes."
* Lawyer: "Did the defendant say anything when she got out of her car?"
* Witness: "Yes, sir."
* Lawyer: "What did she say?"
* Witness: "'What disco am I at?'"

* Lawyer: "Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?"
* Witness: "No."
* Lawyer: "Did you check for blood pressure?"
* Witness: "No."
* Lawyer: "Did you check for breathing?"
* Witness: "No."
* Lawyer: "So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?"
* Witness: "No."
* Lawyer: "How can you be so sure, Doctor?"
* Witness: "Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar."
* Lawyer: "But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?"
* Witness: "Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere."

* Lawyer: "How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?"

* Lawyer: "And you check your radar unit frequently?"
* Officer: "Yes, I do."
* Lawyer: "And was your radar unit functioning correctly at the time you had the plaintiff on radar?"
* Officer: "Yes, it was malfunctioning correctly."

* Lawyer: "What happened then?"
* Witness: "He told me, he says, 'I have to kill you because you can identify me.'"
* Lawyer: "Did he kill you?"
* Witness: "No."

* Lawyer: "Now sir, I'm sure you are an intelligent and honest man--"
* Witness: "Thank you. If I weren't under oath, I'd return the compliment."

* Lawyer: "You were there until the time you left, is that true?"

* Lawyer: "So you were gone until you returned?"

* Lawyer: "The youngest son, the 20 year old, how old is he?"

* Lawyer: "Were you alone or by yourself?"

* Lawyer: "How long have you been a French Canadian?"

* Witness: "He was about medium height and had a beard."
* Lawyer: "Was this a male or a female?"
* Lawyer: "Mr. Slatery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?"
* Witness: "I went to Europe, sir."
* Lawyer: "And you took your new wife?"
* Lawyer: "I show you Exhibit 3 and ask you if you recognize that picture."
* Witness: "That's me."
* Lawyer: "Were you present when that picture was taken?"

* Lawyer: "Were you present in court this morning when you were sworn in?"

Getting my travel plans ready

For the holiday season that is. I don't want to wait until the last minute to make plans because I don't want all of the seats to get taken. I would usually try to wait until the last minute to get a cheaper airfare but because it's the holidays, I think it would be in my best interest to get the ticket early.

I don't want to get stuck with a crappy flight time either.

It's the holiday season and I need a drink already

Does your family drive you crazy? Mine does. It helps that I live 300 miles away from my nearest relatives but they can easily find ways to get under my skin. I told my mom that I was coming home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas but not both. The reason is that I can't get the days off. I don't have seniority at this job so I can only get 1 day off instead of 2.

She's mad because she wants to go shopping so she can cook her big meals. She cooks like she has a army platoon coming instead of 4-5 people. She already has her Eclectrics® Mixer out so she can make her meals. As long as she makes her sweet potato pie I don't care what else she makes. Her pies are soo good. She uses her Hamilton Beach® Mixer to mash up the sweet potatoes. She probably makes 3 or 4 pies. I get one, my step-dad gets one and everybody else shares whatever is left. Yeah me and my step-dad get our own pie. lolol. We're greedy like that. No seriously, I get a pie so I can bring it home.

I think my mom wants a new Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer as her Christmas gift. She uses her mixer so much that it's starting to clunk out. And I know she hates trying to mix all of that stuff by hand. Just in case you're wondering about her pie recipe, I've included it below. Be sure to have vanilla ice-cream to top it off. Talk about heavenly!

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup light whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, combine potatoes and margarine. Stir eggs, sugar, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon juice and cream into potato mixture. Beat until smooth; pour into pie shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Grieving Vikings player to get check

Todd Williamson of the Minnesota Vikings took off extra time to attend the funeral of his maternal grandmother. In doing so, he got docked his game check by head coach Brad Childress.

After meeting with veteran team members, coach Childress had a change of heart saying: "I think the important thing is everybody grieves differently," Childress said. "That's the thing that I learned, or we learned, in this. In the end, it's not important to be right, but to get it right."

Todd has said that he will donate the entire check to charity in honor of his grandmother. He also thanked everyone for their support during his trying time. I'm glad he was able to grieve and move on. I'm also glad the coach did the right thing.

Joke of the week

You vs. Your Boss...

When you take a long time, you're slow.
When your boss takes a long time, he's thorough.

When you don't do it, you're lazy.
When your boss doesn't do it, he's too busy.

When you make a mistake, you're an idiot.
When your boss makes a mistake, he's only human.

When doing something without being told, you're overstepping your authority.
When your boss does the same thing, that's initiative.

When you take a stand, you're being bull-headed.
When your boss does it, he's being firm.

When you overlooked a rule of etiquette, you're being rude.
When your boss skips a few rules, he's being original.

When you please your boss, you're apple polishing.
When your boss pleases his boss, he's being co-operative.

When you're out of the office, you're wandering around.
When your boss is out of the office, he's on business.

When you're on a day off sick, you're always sick.
When your boss is a day off sick, he must be very ill.

When you apply for leave, you must be going for an interview.
When your boss applies for leave, it's because he's overworked.

I hate putting pictures in posts

I hate adding my own pictures to my posts. If I can get a picture from somewhere on the internet that's cool. But when I have to take my own picture and post it, it's a pain. My digital camera doesn't work right so I have to use my camera on my phone. Then I have to dig out the cord to transfer files and it just becomes a mess.

I wish people would supply the pictures instead of making us take them. Some people like pictures. I'm not one of them.

Visiting NYC with the New York CityPass

My friend went to New York this summer and she had a ball. I plan on going over the Christmas holidays while I'm home visiting my family. It's not even far from my mom, it's less than a 2 hour drive.

There is so much to do in New York as well. There are plays to go to and shopping to get done. I can even visit talk shows and be a part of the audience watching them tape live. I can buy a New York CityPass for $65 and save 50% on admission prices. It also lets me skip to the front of the line. Now that's what I'm talking about, preferential treatment.

As far as the activities that it includes there is a Circle Line Sightseeing Tour, and tickets to several museums including the Guggenheim Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. We can also take a trip to the top of the Empire State Building.

Me and my mom try to do something different every year for the holidays. We're both pretty excited about going to New York. It's awesome there at holiday time. Especially with the tree and ice-skating in Rockefeller Center. I just hope it doesn't snow. I don't care as much about the cold, in fact I welcome it. I have a lot of cute winter clothes to wear.

Steelers on Monday Night Football

Oh man I wish I could have gone to this game. The Steelers honored their 75th all Steelers team. There were some great players there. People like Bradshaw, Stallworth, Swann, Harris, Bleier, Woodson and so many others. I was really surprised to see Greg Lloyd.

But the game? Holy heck, it's the start of the 4th quarter and the Steelers are crushing the Ravens 38-7. Ben got temporarily knocked out of the game. He's back up and throwing but he probably won't come back into the game.

And James Harrison!!!!!!!!! Deebo is killing it today. He already has 3.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and 9 tackles. And it's the start of the 4th quarter. I know he's gonna be the player of the game.

They're really showing the all time team something. You gotta impress the all time greats!

Biotene - A Review

I tried Biotene toothpaste for tooth sensitivity. My teeth are very sensitive. I don't even chew food normally. I chew it on the sides of my very back teeth. Anything too hot or too cold really bothers me. I didn't know what to expect from Biotene but I was pleasantly surprised.

I guess I should say that this was a free sample which is why I tried it. I probably wouldn't have thought to buy it on my own. I tried a different toothpaste that's supposed to be "sensitive" and I didn't like it at all. It was really thick and it didn't feel like my teeth were clean.

The first thing I noticed when I tried the Biotene was the taste. I usually use minty toothpastes so this was definitely something different. It tastes like candy. It's also a low foaming sensitive toothpaste. I don't like that very much because I love when my mouth is all foamed up, I know the toothpaste is working. It felt really mild on my teeth and once I was done brushing my teeth felt really clean. My teeth felt really smooth which I liked.

All in all, I really like Biotene and will continue to use it. Now I hope I can find a coupon for it. It's really hard to pay for a product after you get a free sample!

Blog maintenance

Today is blog maintenance day. I need to go in and clean up old links. I have tracking images that need to be removed because they are over 60 days old. I also have pictures that aren't showing up correctly so they are being removed.

I'm pretty bummed about that because one picture was of the Phillies in suits and boy did they look good. Maybe I'll have to troll around and find that picture again.

Registration is starting

I've been trying to register for school for the past 2 weeks. I should have gone to capella university instead of my school. It's a online school so I would have had an easier time registering for new classes. I also would be able to take the classes I really wanted to take.

It's an accredited university so my degree would mean something and it wouldn't just be a piece of paper. I could also get my Masters degree online. That would save me so much time and be super convenient.

It's not too late for me to make that move.

Torre to L.A.

Well it's official. Joe Torre is the new coach of the L.A. Dodgers. Don Mattingly is also expected to follow him as the new bench coach. An interesting aside, Mattingly's son is in the Dodgers minor league farm system.

I'm not looking to see Alyssa Milano's face all over. I like her and all, but she's the Dodger spokesperson. Yeah, I don't know why either.

Joke of the week

A minister told his congregation, "Next week I plan to
preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my
sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17."

The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon,
the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know
how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister
smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will
now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."

I don't like fall

It's already getting cold outside. It's in the low 50's. It might snow next week. Just flurries but still are you kidding me? I can't take this already. I want it to be in the 70's year round. Yeah I know I live in the wrong city. Hopefully, I'll be able to remedy that in the next 18 months.

Moving to a warm weather location

First let me say that I hate winter. I've always hated winter. I hate the cold and especially the snow. I've considered moving to Florida for 2 or 3 years now. As I get closer to fulfilling my commitments in the city I live in now, it's becoming more of a reality to move.

I don't want to buy a house because that's too much work. I would consider buying a W South Beach Condo. First of all, it's right in the middle of South Beach, which is the hottest part of Miami. It's close to shopping, the airports and marinas. The property is set up as one of the most exclusive condominium developments in South Beach. There are on-site spas, business centers and best of all, a private beach and private cabanas. That should be expected in Miami right?

I just need to make it through at least 1 more winter.

Greg Oden's commercial

It's for ESPN The Magazine and it's pretty funny. His commercial is letting advertisers know why they should hire him to represent their product brands. He has 3 ads with 3 seperate pictures, but his facial expression in all 3 pictures is exactly the same. And it's a goofy looking face.

The commercial is funny.

I'm thinking of starting another blog

This one would be a community blog. The problem is I need at least 2 other people. One of my friends is game, but I could see her only blogging once or twice a week. If I do a community blog, I want it updated at least daily if not twice a day. So I need someone else who is willing to blog 4 or 5 days. 3 additional people would be perfect.

If anyone out there runs a community blog and has any advice, I'm all ears.

I hate when the phone rings

Mainly because it's loud. It's not like my cell phone that I can put on vibrate. I also hate when I get cold calls trying to get me to buy stuff. Which is kinda ironic since I'm trying to get a job where I'll be talking on the phone. When companies pay for Travel leads, they get the names of customers and their past buying habits. This is important because it helps predict their potential buying habits. That's important because companies can invest their time on people who are likely to give them a higher response rate.

Eh, as long as they don't wake me up in the morning I don't care.

Colts vs Patriots

Ok this game is gonna drive me crazy. We're gonna hear about this all week. Now everyone is complaining because the Pats are favored over the home team Colts. Who cares? All players and coaches know that those spreads mean nothing. What counts is game day and which team leaves it all on the field.

My poor Steelers are playing the Ravens on Monday night and nobody will even talk about that game until Sunday night after the Colts win. lolol. Me no like the Pats.

Blogger is ticking me off

And since it's owned by Google, I'm really ticked off. Blogger is acting hinky right now and won't pull up my site at all. It will load, then give me a "we can't load this site right now" message and pull up a blank page. What?!?!?! Grrrrr. Now I can't even read my own site or have anybody else read it.

The only reason I knew it was acting up is because my cousin tried to read my page and called me. Darn Blogger/Google evil company.

The whole apartment building is getting updated

And boy do we need it. I wrote the other day about my apartment getting new carpeting, and blinds. Well, my apartment is not the only one. Several of my neighbors are getting that stuff too.

What I'm most excited about is the fact that we're getting new LG Washing Machines. That's awesome. We only have 2 washers and two dryers for 20 apartments. So the new washers will come in handy.

I think I'm rubbing off on my management company. They said they went online to find information about the products. I love it. I talk about researching stuff online so much that they did the same thing. And they were able to get the company they bought the stuff from to match the online price which was much cheaper. It doesn't get much better than that.

I had to open my windows

My apartment is so stuffy. It's so hot and muggy in here. Plus the air is stagnant as there is no circulation. I have two regular fans and 1 ceiling fan. But it's cold outside so I don't want air flowing around like that. Opening the windows seems to help.

I had fried rice for dinner tonight and the last thing I want is for that smell to stay in here.

My apartment is getting updated

It's about time, some of the stuff in my apartment is so old. I've lived here for almost 6 years and I think some of the stuff was here for 5 before that. I'm getting new carpet in my living room and new tile in the kitchen. They asked me if I wanted metal cabinets in the kitchen but I said no. I like the wood grain ones that I have now. Plus I already bumped my head on the old cabinets. I don't wanna take the chance of that happening on metal.

I'm just happy I'm finally getting new furniture.

Supermarkets sell everything now

I wrote a post the other day about needing a new printer cartridge. My local supermarket has one of those filling stations where you can get your cartridge refilled for a cheaper price than buying a new one.

That store has everything. A movie rental place, a kids center, dry cleaning and a mini bank branch. I don't think there's anything else that they could possible put in there. But I'm sure they'll think of something. If it's a money maker, they're dead on it.

Joke of the week

The Psychiatrist and Proctologist...

Two doctors, a psychiatrist and a proctologist, opened an office in a small town and put up a sign reading: "Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones: Hysterias and Posteriors."

The town council was not happy with the sign, so the doctors changed it to read, "Schizoids and Hemorrhoids."

This was not acceptable either, so in an effort to satisfy the council, they changed the sign to "Catatonics and High Colonics." No go.

Next, they tried "Manic Depressives and Anal Retentives." Thumbs down again.

Then came "Minds and Behinds." Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in "Lost Souls and Butt Holes." Unacceptable again!

So they tried "Analysis and Anal Cysts." Not a chance.

"Nuts and Butts?" No way.

"Freaks and Cheeks?" Still no go.

"Loons and Moons?" Forget it.

Almost at their wit's end, the doctors finally came up with: "Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, Odds and Ends."

Everyone loved it.

MVP of game 1

Of course it was Beckett. I forgot to add that in my last post. They're saying the Rockies night is tomorrow night. Riiiight! Not if they play the way they played tonight! Especially with Schilling on the mound.

Damn, I just realized that I have school tomorrow so I'm gonna miss game 2. Boo school!

Red Sox crush the Rockies!

The Sox spanked the Rockies 13-1 tonight. I thought the Sox would win, but man the Rockies barely put up a fight. It's especially surprising considering the way the Rockies rolled over all of their competition during their run to get to the World Series.

I guess that just goes to show that the AL is the league to beat.

I don't like Ashanti

In case you don't know who she is, she's a R&B singer. I use the term singer very loosely. Anyway, she just performed during the World Series wearing a Red Sox jacket. Fake broad! She's usually rockin' Yankees gear since she's with Murder Inc. and they're all Yankees fans.

So is she really a Sox fan or is about the money and trying to shill her new album? My vote goes to the money. I never liked her, she can harmonize, but she can't sing. Not in the true sense of the word anyway.

I need ink for my printer

My printer is still fairly new, I just got it in May. But I'm already out of ink! When you buy a printer, they give you two cartridges. However that ink never lasts very long. I don't even use my printer that often. I went to print out my homework assignment and it only printed half and the other half was basically blank. I'll use Cartridge Finder to help me find the cheapest ink. They compare prices across stores for me so I get the best deal.

I just hope I don't have any more homework before I get my new cartridges.

I can't believe it's already basketball season

I don't even like basketball. I'm a football and baseball kinda girl. But I was surprised when I was watching the news and I saw basketball scores streaming by on the bottom of the screen.

The only time I pay attention to basketball is in May because it's the playoffs and I'm usually on vacation.

Should I buy a car or truck?

My last car was a suv and I spent a lot of money on truck accessories. I always bought things like new carpet mats, and a new wheel cover. I had a plain one, but I replaced it with a Steelers logo cover. I never spent as much on my cars as I spent on my truck. I don't know if it's me or not, but I never really got into my cars and what they looked like. But my truck? I was always buying stuff for that.

Buying truck accessories can be expensive that's why I like to go on the internet and compare prices.

Posts in draft

Today I published a post that had been in draft forever. I wrote the post back in February but it never seemed like the right time to publish it. I guess today was that day. lolol. No the post is not on this blog, it's on one of the other blogs that I have.

I need to go through my dashboard and get all of those old posts out of there.

I hate awards shows!

The BET Awards are on, again. They'll show them over and over again. I hate watching awards shows. I turned the show on and most of the people had on jeans and t-shirts! I don't expect everybody to show up like it's the Golden Globes, but gosh people take some pride in your appearance.

It really saddens me to see people showing up for television shows looking like this. The worse part is that most people don't even realize that they look tacky!

Promoting your blog

Do you promote your blog online, offline or both? I don't promote mine offline. Most of my friends already have the address so they can read my blogs at their leisure. As far as online, I do belong to a couple of blogging networks. Whenever I publish a post, it shows up on the top of the site and gradually moves down during the day.

I know some of my blogging friends promote their blogs offline with flyers and/or business cards. There use an online printing company to print their materials. Then they tack up the flyers on bulletins boards like at schools, grocery stores and churches. They also hand out the business cards to their friends and associates.

I don't know if I'm ready to branch out like that yet. I do plan on continuing with my online promotions though.

Joe Torre out as Yankees manager

Wow. I'm not surprised that he's out. I am surprised at how it went down though. I hope they Yankees are prepared to deal with the backlash. I think this decision may determine whether some of their free agents look elsewhere.

I think we all know that A-Rod will go wherever the money is. I wonder if he'll try to spin it that he left because Torre left.

It should be interesting in Yankeeland during the off-season.

Joke of the week

St. Peter is questioning three married couples to see if
they qualify for admittance to heaven.

"Why do you deserve to pass the Pearly Gates?" he asks one
of the men, who had been a butler.

"I was a good father," he answers.

"Yes, but you were a drunk all your life. In fact, you
were so bad you even married a woman named Sherry.
No admittance."

St. Peter then turned to the next man, a carpenter, and
asked him the same question.

The carpenter replied that he had worked hard and taken
good care of his family.

But St. Peter also rejected him, pointing out that he had
been an impossible glutton, so much so that he married a
woman named BonBon.

At this point the third man, who had been a lawyer, stood
up and said, "Come on, Penny, let's get out of here."

Diamonds are a girls best friend

I love diamonds. I love everything about them especially the way they sparkle and shine. When I was on vacation, I bought myself a pair of diamond earrings. Now I'm looking at complimentary pieces like diamond rings, or maybe even a diamond tennis bracelet. I'm leaning more towards the bracelet though. Mainly because it gives more of a sparkle when the light hits it.

Baseball and odds makers

You know the odds makers are going crazy. No way did they expect the Rockies to advance to the world series. And the Indians are leading the Sox 2 games to 1. If they win the series, people are gonna lose their minds.

Anybody who took the longshots are sitting pretty right now.

Football Sunday

No my team is not playing but there are several games on today. Not counting the over hyped Dallas vs New England that's on later today. I'll be glad when that's over. I hate both teams so I don't care who wins and who loses.

But today's games are extremely sloppy so far. There has been a ton of turnovers and 1 interception so far. I hope they tighten up the offense.

Ditching my cell phone plan

My cell phone is probably one of the technological marvels that I enjoy the most. I love the freedom of being anywhere and being able to make a call without looking for a phone booth or change. Phone booths are becoming obsolete so good luck finding one. There availability has been cut in half in the past 5 years.

One thing I don't like is my cell phone plan. With my provider I pay more than I would with the same plan at a different provider. I've looked at different carriers and my bill could be almost $20 bucks less. When you're on a budget, every dollar counts.

There are a lot of reasons I haven't left my carrier yet. One reason I've stayed is because I've been my carrier for over 5 years. I like the continuity of being with one provider. I've also stayed with my current provider because in part I love my phone. It's only available at my provider so I can't go to another carrier right? Well, not true anymore. I found unlocktotalk.com and now it's a possibility.

What they do is unlock your sim card so you can use any phone with any provider. I wouldn't even lose my phone book, contacts or ring tones. This service is good for military people or people who travel a lot. And you can do it right over the internet. They will walk you through the process. Or you can find a store in your area and go in and have them do it for you. Your area can be in the U.S. or a host of international countries.

Freedom is what it's all about. Now we can all have cellular freedom. I shouldn't feel like I have any loyalty to my cellular provider. After all, the carriers sure don't feel any loyalty to their customers.

Some good news for Arod

No, it's not about his contract situation. He and his wife are expecting their second baby in the spring. They already have a 2 year old daughter Natasha.

Finally some good sports news!

Yes, the Yankees are coming to Pittsburgh next season. What, this season isn't over you say. Pfft, it is for me. I don't care about any of these teams. I could root for the Red Sox out of the 4 teams. Of course the way my luck seems to be, who ever I root for loses.

Anyway, back to the Yankees. I wrote a post back in June saying that if the Yankees came here next year, I would go to the whole series. They're here June 24th-26th which is Tuesday through Thursday.

I hope I can get tickets. I have a feeling they will be really hard to get. I'm not even worried about whether or not I'll have school in the summer. Priorities, remember.

Joke of the week

Back To School...

A first-grade teacher, Ms. Brooks, was having trouble with one of her students. The teacher asked, 'Harry, what's your problem?'

Harry answered, 'I'm too smart for the 1st grade. My sister is in the 3rd grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the 3rd grade too!'

Ms. Brooks had enough. She took Harry to the principal's office.

While Harry waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was. The principal told Ms. Brooks he would give the boy a test. If he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the 1st grade and behave. She agreed.

Harry was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.

Principal: 'What is 3 x 3?'

Harry: '9.'

Principal: 'What is 6 x 6?'

Harry: '36.'

And so it went with every question the principal thought a 3rd grader should know. The principal looks at Ms. Brooks and tells her, 'I think Harry can go to the 3rd grade'

Ms. Brooks says to the principal, 'Let me ask him some questions.'

The principal and Harry both agreed.

Ms. Brooks asks, 'What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?'

Harry, after a moment: 'Legs.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?'

The principal wondered why would she ask such a question!

Harry replied: 'Pockets.'

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a dog do that a man steps into?'

Harry: 'Pants.'

The principal sat forward with his mouth hanging open.

Ms. Brooks: 'What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and a dog does on three legs?'

Harry: 'Shake hands.'

The principal was trembling.

Ms. Brooks: 'What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of heat and excitement?'

Harry: 'Fire truck.'

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, 'Put Harry in the fifth-grade, I got the last five questions wrong.

Series Smeries

Ugh, Yanks lose. The Indians will play the Red Sox in the ALDS while the Rockies will play the Diamond Backs in the NLDS.

Blah! I guess I'm done with baseball until next year. I'll be rooting for spring training!

Yankees make it a series

They beat the Indians today 8-4. The Indians still lead the series 2-1 but they're playing home tomorrow night again so that's an advantage.

George Steinbrenner made the statement that if the Yankees don't win the series, Joe Torre might not be back next year. Peter Gammons made an interesting observation on Sports Center. If Joe doesn't come back, that could affect the decision of some of the players that will be free agents this year. Players like Jorge Posada.

Tomorrow's game should be interesting.

Help Interpol track down a pedophile

Interpol has launched unprecedented appeal to the public to help them track down a pedophile.

The picture is blurry because: "The pictures had been digitally altered to disguise the man's face with a swirly pattern, but computer specialists at Germany's federal police agency, the BKA, worked with Interpol's human trafficking team to produce identifiable images."

The suspect is described as a dark-haired man thought to be a European aged around 35-40.

If you have any ideas about who this could be contact law enforcement. We have to get these menaces off the streets.

Damn pervert!

I won't get reimbursed for the class I'm dropping

Which sucks because I need that money to roll over to the next semester. Now I'm down almost $500 for the spring. It's getting harder and harder to find the money to pay for school. Tuition went up this semester by $30 per credit. That doesn't seem like a lot but it's almost $100 per class.

Fees also went up but I'm not sure by how much. The fees include the computer fees and student group fees. Pitt is also considering hiking the transportation fee for next year too. I may have to get another Credit Card to help cover the cost of everything. All of my school expenses are increasing and that's not even taking books into account. My books for this semester was $180 for 2 classes. I'll be lucky to get half of that back.

I know it will be worth it in the end to get my degree, but it's ridiculously expensive right now.

Baseball is not going the way I want it to

First of all, the Phillies got swept 3-0 by the Rockies. The Rockies will now go on to play the D-Backs in the NLCS. The Yankees are down 0-2 to the Indians. If they get swept I will just die. At least they're home today, maybe that's what they need.

I can't believe the swept the season series 6-0 and are now down 0-2. That just goes to show that once the playoffs start, the regular season stats go out the window.

I'm outta that class!

My analytical methods class that is. I've stuck it out for a fourth of the semester but I just don't understand. I've been getting help and I'm still lost. Even my Math Tutors said that they thought the class was hard. The class started out with 22 students. We're down to 15 students and now 14 when I leave.

The really bad thing is that if I didn't have a tutor, I would have dropped the class after the second week. I only paid a small fee for my tutor and she was worth it. When I take the class again, I'll probably get another tutor to help out. But I'll make sure I don't take that same teacher.

Ugh bugs are gross

I'm watching the Yankees vs the Indians. There are gnats everywhere. It's so gross. They're crawling all over the players. The umpires came out with insect repellant for themselves and let the players put some on as well. They had to monitor them so they didn't spray it on the pitcher's hands.

I'm really getting sick watching this game.

Joke of the week

Good Ol' Sunday School...

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars:

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation -

What can you learn from this demonstration?

Maxine was sitting in the back, quickly raised her hand and said,

"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

That pretty much ended the service.

Getting flowers is so romantic

Sigh, I'm jealous. One of my coworkers got flowers today and they were so pretty. It was a mix of flowers. There were roses of different colors and baby's breath. They smelled good too. I love roses.

I was surprised to learn that there was a such thing as flower meaning. If I got flowers I was happy just because. I didn't know that there was another meaning to the flowers. They can have different meanings based on the types of flowers, roses mean love while daisies means innocence or modesty. Or even the number of flowers, 10 means will you marry me, while 12 is a perfect dozen or perfect love.

I never thought about the meaning of flowers whenever I got them. I was just happy that somebody gave me flowers. Now of course, I'll think about what the flowers means the next time I get them.

This week sucks

Trust me. Everything that could go wrong is. Work, school, personal even food. How can food be wrong? I took something out to cook (which I never do) and forgot it. So it sat out too long and now I have to throw it in the garbage.

I'm glad it's almost the weekend.

Broken glass everywhere

Ugh what a nightmare. I broke the light fixture in my bathroom. It's a type of glass sconce that the light bulb sits down in. I twisted out the bulb and went to pick it up out of the sconce and it fell on the floor and broke into a million pieces. I was just glad that I didn't cut my hand on the glass.

I hate the bathroom fixtures in my apartment. I have to supplement all of the lighting because it's not bright enough. The bathroom lighting is not quite as bad as the living room or dining room area. I had to buy extra lamps for each room because it's dark in my apartment.

I just hope I got all of the glass up. The last thing I want to do is walk into the bathroom in the middle of the night and get a piece of glass stuck in my foot.

Darn baseball games

They're starting on Wednesday and Thursday. That's the two days I have school. Ugh! I'll be able to see the weekend games but sometimes the first game of the series set the tone for the rest of the series.

That's just another reason why I hate school.

Go Phillies, Go Phillies!!!!!!

I can't believe it! The Phillies are not only going to the playoffs, they won the division! The Mets totally folded and I'm loving it! Jimmy Rollins took heat for saying that the Phillies were the team to beat in the east and he backed up that statement with a MVP caliber season.

Ahh, I get to see Ryan Howard in the playoffs. Woohoo. Damn, I wish I could go to a playoff game.

Everyone needs romance

And there's a website out there that gives advice on romance for everyone. Having a hard time with your love life? You can get romance tips on this site.

At some point, everyone needs tips to help them out. What husband hasn't been in the doghouse with his wife for something that he did. Now he can go to this site and see what other people have done in a similar situation.

Even if you aren't in the doghouse you can read sample love letters to romance your spouse. Nothing keeps a marriage alive like romance, so check out this site to keep the fire burning. Hey single people need to check out this site too. Just because we're single, doesn't mean we don't need romance. If anything, some of us might need it more.

Phillies lead the NL East by 1 game

WOW! J-Roll said the Phillies were the team to beat in the east at the beginning of the season and everybody laughed. Now what?!?! Sure there are a few games left, but the Mets are totally melting down.

Man, I wish I was going to that game on Sunday. CBP is gonna be rocking!

Chewing tobacco - Yuck!

I'm watching baseball and they were talking about an employee of one of the teams and kept flashing to him. At first I thought he was drinking something then I noticed that he wasn't. He was chewing. Yuck!!!!!! Why did they feel the need to show that on tv.

That's gross.

Win a free Raleigh NC getaway

How would you like to win a Free Raleigh getaway? You can win:

One night accommodations for two at the Courtyard by Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley
-$25 gift certificate to Bloomsbury Bistro
-Free VIP admission for two to Rum Runners
-2 tickets to the North Carolina Theatre
-2 tickets to the N.C. Museum of Art’s Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism
-2 tickets to Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

How nice would it be to go on a fall getaway to NC? Especially when it's starting to get chilly here in the northeast. Fall weather in the NC area runs in the high 60's to low 70's. You can also visit during the Diwali Festival. It's one of India's most popular festivals, a celebration of lights with music, dancing and a grand fireworks finale. During the fall, the weather is still nice so you can stand outside without worrying about heavy coats, scarves and gloves looking like the Abominable Snowman.

As far as things to do, you can check out a professional hockey game, a minor league baseball game, or one of the many PGA events that takes place in the area. That's just the sporting events. There are also museums, theater and the ballet. Not to mention shopping. As an affordable laid back town, Raleigh is a classic southern city. It's often been called the "Smithsonian of the South" with over 20 free attractions.

Since my grandma lives there, I get to visit fairly often and I love it. Even though I have somewhere to stay when I go, I sure wouldn't mind winning that trip.

Those fightin' Phils!

Wow, now it's getting crazy. The Phillies won and the Mets lost. The Phillies are now tied for 1st place in the NL East. All they have to do now is keep pace with the Mets and they're in the playoffs and the Mets are out.

I was gonna write something smart about the Mets but we all know it ain't over til it's over.

Joke of the week

A retiring farmer in preparation for selling his land,
needed to rid his farm of animals. So he went to every
house in his town.

To the houses where the man is the boss, he gave a horse.
To the houses where the woman is the boss, a chicken was
given.

He got toward the end of the street and saw a couple
outside gardening. "Who's the boss around here?" he
asked.

"I am." said the man.

"I have a black horse and a brown horse," the farmer said,
"which one would you like?"

The man thought for a minute and said, "The black one."

"No, no, no, get the brown one." the man's wife said.

"Here's your chicken." said the farmer.

It just figures

I always complain because I can't see certain baseball games. So who played on ESPN tonight? The Phillies vs the Braves. Of course the Phillies won. Shane Victorino came in as a pinch hitter and hit a home run. That's just my luck. Today is my day for school and I didn't get home until 10pm. I totally missed the game.

Just my luck!

I can wear cute clothes now

I've lost a good amount of weight since last year. Not as much as I want to, but it's a definite improvement. My clothes sizes keep getting smaller and smaller and I love it.

I'm also buying more accessories since I've lost weight. All kinds of belts, scarves and jewelry. I have gotten necklaces and bracelets galore to match all of my new clothes that I've brought. I even been shopping for gold belly rings. Can you tell I'm excited to show off my new figure?

I plan on keeping up with my weight loss. I look better but even more importantly I feel better. But hey, let's keep it real, looking good is the best motivation.

Short story update

Well, there's really no update. I haven't written anything in several weeks. I have a few story ideas but nothing that I'm thrilled with or excited about putting on my blog.

I usually get ideas for pages at a time but I think because I'm so stressed right now, I'm not thinking clearly.

Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon.

Conference capital USA

Is it just me or does Orlando seem to be the conference capital of the USA? Every time someone tells you they're going to a conference, it's in or around Orlando. That's why there are so many hotels there. And when you search online for hotels and orlando you come up with some great rates. It's cheaper and easier to book online.

When you check out your rates, you can also check out dining options or nightlife. There's basketball in the area during the season and clubs galore. I love to travel around to different cities visiting their arenas and sports teams.

I can't wait to be done with school. Then I can spend all of the money that I'm spending on school on travel. Hey you only live once.

Thank goodness for spell check

I write on the fly. I just type as fast as I can to try to keep up with my thoughts so I don't forget anything. If I don't write down what I'm thinking, I'll forget what I wanted to say.

But I notice that I misspell stuff a lot. Once I hit the spell check, I wonder what the heck I was thinking when I typed some of this stuff up.

Thank goodness it's available or my blog would really look a mess.

I'm not going to a Phillies game

I had wrote on another blog that I was trying to go to Philly to see the last home game of the season. But I was sick a couple of weeks ago and didn't get paid for those days. I have a slush/fun fund for this reason where I keep at least 3 days worth of pay. I didn't get paid for 2 1/2 days so that fund has been depleted.

Some of my coworkers are going to a Pirates game that same weekend. I don't know, I may go with them but I'm not sure yet.

The vending machine guy at work

He's pretty cool. I talk to him all the time. I once thought about getting my own vending machine business. Don't laugh. It's a money-maker if you have the right machines in the right locations.

He doesn't work for a company like multivend who let's you own your own machines. I think that's the best deal because you keep the total profits. The company he works for pays him an hourly wage and a percentage of the merchandise sold from the machines.

He works a lot of hours and his company reaps the majority of the profits. I would rather be my own boss.

New Google rant

Darn Google. They just refuse to update page rank. It's usually done every 90-120 days. They haven't done an update for over 146 days.

There are dozens of rumors going around as to why the update hasn't been done. The most popular is that Google wants to weed out paid links. They don't want paid links figuring in their formula making sites seem more popular than they are. The other rumor is that Google is doing away with page rank all together.

I don't know what the reason is, I just wish they would get with the updates already.

Woohoo Phillies win and Padres lose

Yes! The Padres lost to the Rockies 6-1. Now the Phillies are only 1/2 game back in the wild card race. They're still 1 1/2 back of the Mets but at this point I'm sure they'll take the wild card if they can get it.

Now they just need to keep pace with San Diego.

Sunday shopping

I'm really mad at my friend. Her stove stopped working last week and she wants to go look for another one today. It's football day. Is she crazy? Why didn't she want to go on Saturday. She wasn't doing anything either that made it impossible for her to go.

I told her to look on the internet and narrow down stores to shop at. She's looking at Kenmore Ranges so she can get really specific with her search results. That way we don't have to go to stores that we know won't have the products that she needs.

This better be quick and I better not miss anything good. She better be lucky she's my friend.

Phillies go into extra innings again!

They have got to be exhausted. They've played extra innings in 3 of their last 4 games. They did win which was good because they have to keep pace with the Mets who also won. Now I have to see what the Padres did. I hope they lost to help the Phillies out in the wild card race.

Be careful what you wish for

I'm talking about baseball here. I said that the game of the week would feature 1 of 4 teams vying for the playoffs. The Mets, Phillies, Yankees or Red Sox. These two races are tight. Not only the division race but the wild card race as well.

The Yankees are leading the wild card for their division but the Phillies are 1 1/2 games back in both the division chase and the wild card chase.

Anywho guess which team is featured? Yup the Mets. The team I like the least out of the four. Since the Yankees and Red Sox are always on, I was kinda hoping to see the Phillies. Oh well, I guess I just have to sit here and root for them anyway and check for scoring updates.

Monaco equals gold?

When you hear Monaco what do you think of? I know I think of the French country with all of the casinos. You also think of it being the land of the rich and famous. But did you ever hear it's name associated with buying any type of gold coin products? I think gold coins are cool to have.

With Monaco you can also request a free copy of their coin magazine to get an inside look into the markets. Reading the magazines can give you a better understanding of the terms that are used as well. I mean numismatic? Who know what that means?

I think maybe I like gold coins because I think of them being pretty and shiny.

I hope there's a good game on today

Usually on Saturday you get a game of the week on Fox. I hope it's a good game. Since the Mets and Phillies are in a tight race, maybe it will be one of those two teams. Ok so you know I'm hoping for the Phillies. It could also be the Red Sox or Yankees. I'm rooting for a Yankees game, but hey Boston will do.

I just hope it's one of those 4 teams.

We had a nice baby shower at work today

One of my coworkers is pregnant. Today we had a baby shower for her. We brought in food, drinks (well soda and tea), and decorations. We gave her a card with some money in it, I think it was $115. Plus the gifts that we chipped in for.

We got her all kinds of baby clothes. Things like onesies, shoes, t-shirts, and booties. We also got a snowsuit (it gets cold here) and a Maclaren stroller. I was shocked at the stroller. Basically the managers put the money in especially for that. We used the money that everybody else put in for the rest of the gifts.

It was a nice party. She was really surprised because she said she didn't expect us to get her as much stuff as we did. I'm just glad that we were able to get her some stuff that she can use.

Tempting emails

When my uncle booked our cruise, he signed me up to get emails from the cruise company. They send something once a week on average. Today I got a email with a 3 days cruise from $189 including port charges. Then a one week cruise for only $499 including port charges. Man, I don't need the temptation right now.

I need to put more money towards my savings account for school. Maybe I should start ignoring those emails instead of reading them.

Honey I blew up the computer

I thought I was going to go crazy when my computer died. It was horrible. I was without a personal computer for over a month. I say personal computer because I was still able to access the internet from my work computer. But email and certain blogging functions are blocked so I was very limited in what I could look at.

I researched computers online. I looked at several desktop computers, but in the end I decided on a laptop. Now I love my laptop. I can't imagine going back to a desktop at home. I can sit on my couch and blog, check sports scores and balance my checkbook all while watching tv. And there's no swiveling in a chair involved. It's great.

The hardest part about buying the computer was researching it online. I went to a bunch of stores comparing and contrasting systems and price. Even though I'm cheap, I looked at the quality of the computer before I factored in the price. I figured I needed something that was going to hold up so quality was a top concern.

I just hope this one lasts as long as my last computer did.

Joke of the week

Proper Job Placement...

Methods from Human Resources...

1. Put 400 bricks in a closed room.

2. Put your new hires in the room and close the door.

3. Leave them alone and come back after 6 hours.

4. Then analyze the situation:


a. If they are counting the bricks, put them in the Accounting Department.


b. If they are recounting them, put them in Auditing.


c. If they have messed up the whole place with the bricks, put them in Engineering.


d. If they are arranging the bricks in some strange order, put them in Planning.


e. If they are throwing the bricks at each other, put them in Operations.


f. If they are sleeping, put them in Security.


g. If they have broken the bricks into pieces, put them in Information Technology.


h. If they are sitting idle, put them in Human Resources.


i. If they say they have tried different combinations, they are looking for more, yet not a brick has been moved, put them in Sales.


j. If they have already left for the day, put them in Management.


k. If they are staring out of the window, put them in Strategic Planning.


l. If they are talking to each other, and not a single brick has been moved, congratulate them and put them in Top Management.


m. Finally, if they have surrounded themselves with bricks in such a way that they can neither be seen nor heard from, put them in Congress.

My eyes are killing me

I don't know what's wrong. They even hurt when I blink. My eyelids are sore and tender. Then my eyes just start watering for no reason. I had to leave work early to come home and get my glasses then go back to work. All I kept doing was blinking and wiping away tears.

I hope my eyes are just tired and fatigued and it's nothing serious.

My apartment is so small

I'm single so I always figured that a small apartment would be fine for me. Well, it's not. It is way too small. I don't have enough room for anything. I went out last weekend and bought some storage bins to put my summer clothes in. I'll put the bins in the back of the closet and move my fall and winter clothes to the front of the closet.

I need more bins. I have so much paper that I just can't throw away. Some of it is related to my short stories, some for school work, investments, old tax forms and bank statements. I don't want to overload my computers with files so I keep hard copies. And all of the paperwork is relevant so I can't throw it out.

It's hard being a pack-rat!

I need to turn the tv off

I'm supposed to be studying for my math test which is tomorrow. I turned on The Biggest Loser and now I can't stop watching. I hadn't planned on watching the show either. Last week my friend had me watching it while I was talking to her on the phone. Now I'm hooked.

And I usually don't watch reality tv shows.

What is Mike Tirico talking about?

Idiot! I have the Eagles vs the Redskins on as background noise. I really don't like either team but I'm rooting for the Eagles because I pretty much hate the Redskins.

Anyway, Mike Tirico started talking about Eagles coach Andy Reid, his sons and the legal trouble they were in. He then said of one son "he's incarcerated and in jail".

Wow!!!!!!!!! At the same time. No!!!!

Idiot.

Idiot Edit: "The Redskins have just scored the first touchdown on the Eagles in 2006"
Wow! Now we're playing in a time machine! Awesome!

Mike Tirico has been upgraded to F'n Idiot!