It's the Thought That Counts, But. . . .

I know by now I really shouldn't have such high expectations about gift-giving from my husband. We have been married for twenty years, and I can honestly say that he has never given me a gift, either for Christmas or my birthday, I that I actually wanted, asked for or was pleased with. I should just not have any expectations and then maybe one of these years, he will get something really great. It seems he always loses his mind when it comes to giving me a gift. We have been together for 21 years, we have four children and we talk about our likes and dislikes all the time. I just don't get why he gives me gifts that he wouldn't even give a stranger. This year, I should have expected something was amiss when he kept insisting my food chopper was broken. It isn't and I had no desire or need to replace it, but every time I was in the kitchen, he kept trying to get me to say it was broken. I thought it was strange, but didn't think he was trying to send some sort of subliminal message to me to make me say I needed another one. Sure enough, one of my presents from him was another chopper. Very weird. The other puzzler of a gift was two cardboard boxes. You know, the kind people who do that scrapbooking stuff use to organize their pictures? I'm really just guessing about that because I truthfully don't know what people do with those boxes. Sometimes those kind of boxes are very pretty and could be used for other things, but the boxes I got aren't pretty at all. Just sort of beige. That was a real head scratcher. My daughter was with him when he bought those things, and she asked him why he was buying that stuff and he didn't answer her. She told him she didn't think any of the items were all that useful to me, but deferred to his wishes; as we all do for fear of his angry outbursts.

I don't want to sound selfish. Really it would be better if he wouldn't try to give me anything at all because at least I wouldn't have to be embarrassed about trying to act like I like them. It is a terrible position to be put in. I dream about getting a nice pair of pajamas, or slippers, or a sweater, or socks--anything but a kitchen gadget! For twenty years I have tried to help him give me something that isn't a waste of money. I have told him outright what to get, I have written things down, I have asked the girls to guide him to what would be a good gift, all to no avail. He just wants to give these strange and awful things. Oh, I almost forgot, he did give me something kind of, well, good, I guess. I got a complete set of "Barney Miller" episodes. I really do need to lower my expectations!

SendEarnings Pays

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Bonnie Hunt Show Canceled!

I'm in shock! I just read that "The Bonnie Hunt Show" has not been renewed for a third season! I just don't understand the thinking these companies (Warner Brothers, for this one) base their decisions on. Bonnie Hunt is the only show I watch regularly in the morning. They claim the reason it is not being picked up for a third season is because of low ratings. That may be true, but one has to look at the time of day the show is on. There isn't anything on other than her show, and nowadays there aren't that many people who are home in the morning and early afternoon. Why can't they just leave it on? What will replace it? Dead air? That totally annoying "Let's Make A Deal" show should be canceled because there is no redeeming quality in that show.

Bonnie Hunt seems to never catch a break. Every television show she has tried has been canceled, and I don't think it is because she isn't very good; it's just that the production companies don't want to give it time. They just want to make money over providing good, quality shows for people to watch. If you take a look at her show's website, it seems like it is a very popular show. I wish there was something loyal viewers could do to save the show. I know other shows that have been canceled have been brought back after viewers protested. Any of my readers who enjoy her show, let's start a writing campaign to keep Bonnie on the air!

Zhu Zhu Pets

Once again, one of my kids wants a toy that is impossible to get. This year, one of my daughters wants a Zhu Zhu Pets toy. Actually, I was a little smarter this year than in past years and purchased some extra Zhu Zhu Pets items when I was buying my daughter's birthday gifts, however, I was outsmarted by that little stinker, because she wants the Zhu Zhu Pets hamster car for Christmas and that was about the only piece of the set I didn't get. Our local Toys R Us store hasn't had any zhu zhu toys in weeks. I have been trying to bid on a car on Ebay for awhile now, but I always seem to be outbid. This craziness happens to me every year with at least one of my kids. We have lived through the original Tickle Me Elmo (I still have that) frenzy, the Furbies mess, the 3 foot tall dollhouse that was nowhere to be found, the Cozy Coupe craze, and of course the Wii Fit silliness from last year. The thing that is the most difficult about not being able to find a certain wished-for toy is that my kids always believed (my youngest still believes) that even though I might not be able to find it in the store, Santa will be able to bring it. They just don't make life easy, do they? Anyway, I'm not too worried about not finding the car. I still have a couple of hamsters and a wheel, and a little sleeping bag thing. Santa is bringing something much cooler than Zhu Zhu pets anyway.

You Have to be Carefully Taught

Do you remember the song entitled "Carefully Taught" from the musical "South Pacific? I was reminded of that song recently, but not necessarily because of the lesson about racism that the song is trying to give. One of my daughters is at that funny age of fourteen; and by funny, I don't mean funny ha-ha, I mean funny weird. Anyway, she is in a group of "friends" that I find quite fascinating. These girls are all from similar, upper-middle class families, but boy are they different in what they have been taught! These girls are all assigned to the same lunch table, so they eat together everyday. My daughter was the "new girl" last Spring when we moved back to this area after living out of state for a couple of years. My daughter got reacquainted with several of her former buddies and has become friends with some new girls as well. Some of these girls are nice and some are rather unpleasant, but that is life, so I have told my daughter that she just needs to be kind to everyone; she doesn't have to be best friends with everyone, however. I have taught, and continue to teach her that all people matter.

Here is the thing that reminded me of the song, and it really doesn't have anything to do with the racism theme, but rather the "carefully taught" theme. This group of lunch girls decided that they were going to do the "Secret Santa" activity among the girls at their table. They all put their names in a hat and drew out a name. My daughter got the name of a girl she doesn't really know very well, but she took it upon herself to ask one of her closer friends about what this girl would like to get as a small gift. There is another girl at this table whom my daughter knew before we moved and we are well acquainted with her parents (her dad delivered my youngest daughter when she was born). In fact, I even know this girl's uncle, and my parents know her grandparents. I thought they were pretty decent people, however, the more I learn about this girl, the more I wonder about how much and what her parents are teaching her. It seems a minor thing, but this girl told the other girls that my daughter and one other girl should be left out of the gift exchange because "no one knows them." Really? How rude and mean can a kid get? At this age especially, being singled out as different or not as good is devastating! What in the world are her parents teaching her? That only she counts? Only people whom she deems worthy count? If this girl is like this at the age of fourteen, what is she going to be like at 17 or as adult? This kind of "me first, me only" attitude that people are teaching their children either by words or example is very troubling to me. What is the world going to be like when all these kids are adults? It scares me to death! I know I am not the only parent who is trying to teach my children to be kind, tactful, and considerate to all people, but it seems that parents like me are getting hard to find. Am I alone here? Does anyone else believe that children must be "carefully taught?"

Le'go My Eggo!

Hey! I just read that there will be a shortage of the ever popular breakfast food the Kellogg's Eggo waffle. That's right! The company has stated that the shortage will last until next summer. Two of Kellogg's production plants have had to shut down. One in Atlanta because of huge amounts of rain that was dumped there in September, and the other one in Tennesse. The one in Tennessee is shut down indefinitely so that repairs can be made.

I haven't really noticed any shortage of Eggo waffles at my grocery store. I really don't buy frozen waffles very often. I wonder what people will do now, make their own? What is the world coming to?

Hands Up for Chocolate Milk!

Will you raise your hand for chocolate milk? There is a new push to get chocolate milk taken out of school lunch choices. The thinking behind it, I guess, is that chocolate milk adds an extra 60 calories to the 110 that is in white milk. People who are worried about the rate of childhood obesity are rallying against the National Dairy Council who will be starting a new campaign to keep chocolate milk as a choice for students purchasing school lunches. Back when I was in school, it seemed like I didn't care for the white milk and mostly chose the chocolate milk. Back when I was a kid, there wasn't much concern about childhood obesity either, so I totally get the concern some of these nutritionists have about it. On the other hand, why take away a choice that a kid has that isn't really all that bad? I think the nutritional pluses in chocolate milk outweigh the minuses. Maybe a compromise could be reached. We only drink skim milk here at home; the only choice of milk at school is 1 or 2%, why not make chocolate milk with less sugar and with a lower fat content? I have four school aged children. They all choose chocolate milk over the white milk. I also have a couple of kids (one of them especially) who would be considered overweight, and one who is underweight. I just want them to eat the best foods they can while they are at school. I can only truly control their intake here at home; I don't sweat the small stuff! The portions at the school are controlled and my kids are doing the best they can. The other thing that someone pointed out is that when we adults were in school some 20+ years ago and chocolate milk was offered, obesity wasn't and issue, so it isn't the milk that is the problem, it is the kids' inactivity. Schools have been forced to cut Physical Education and recess time in order to get all the academic standards in. So what would be wrong with adding another day of P.E.? I don't think chocolate milk has that much to do with it, some people just want to change things because it makes them feel better, but doesn't have any real impact on the problem they are trying to address.

So, that is what is on my trash heap today. My hand is up for chocolate milk; and I would be in favor of offering a lower sugar, lower fat chocolate milk as well. Go with that, National Dairy Council!

Credit Card Advise

I am not one who would normally advocate for a credit card, but after my experience with having fraudulent charges on mine, I have to say that my Target Visa card is invaluable. My husband and I are trying to cut down on our use of credit cards. I now only use two. One of the cards is my Target Visa RedCard. I have had it for many years, and while I don't really like using it, sometimes it is a necessary evil. We recently got a call from the Target Visa folks about a suspicious charge made on our card. Upon further investigation, we found several unauthorized charges on our card that have been happening for a year now. While paying bills online saves paper and postage, it also makes for lazy bill paying. We foolishly paid the bill month after month, not checking the charges that were put on it. This week, with the help of Dixie in the Target Visa fraud department, I have put a stop to the charges and she even helped me get a refund from the company who charged my card.
Here is my advise to you, my fellow blog readers: 1.) If you have to have a credit card, make sure you get a Target Visa. They are looking out for you and will let you know if there is anything weird going on with your account, and they are on your side when attempting to recover money from unauthorized charges 2.) If you pay your bills online, please remember to check the charges so that you will notice strange activity and nip it in the bud before a whole year of unauthorized charges piles up.

There you go. That is my friendly, housewife advise for today!

Free Credit Report Scam

Just wanted to let everyone know that you need to be very careful when visiting the freecreditreport.com site. Apparently, I visited that site way back last December. I suspect I wanted to see what my credit score was since we were in the process of selling/buying homes. I don't even remember doing it. They seem to ask for a credit card number to "verify" your credit, and then you are on their "membership" role and they start charging your credit card $14.95 each. I used my Target Visa card, and it is a good thing I did because they called me last week inquiring about a suspicious charge made on my card from itunes. If they wouldn't have called about that, we wouldn't have looked back at our bills. My husband pays the bill online, so he never really looked at them, just paid it. As it turns out, there are 11 charges to our card from CIC Triple Advantage, 3 charges of $16.95 from someplace called Essential Savings Consumer Affairs, and then the one charge of $1.00 from itunes. None of these charges were authorized by my husband or me. I called the Target Visa people and they said that they can file a fraudulent charge claim against CIC, but they can only go back 90 days. I tried calling that CIC place, but they are on Pacific time and are three hours behind us, so here I wait. I want a full refund of my money, so we will see how far I get. In the meantime, my Target Visa card has been canceled and I will call those thieves this afternoon. Please, anyone reading this: DO NOT GO ON FREECREDITREPORT.COM!!!! It is a scam!

Sleep Study

Along the same lines as my post earlier this week: I heard a radio commercial for a local hospital that does sleep studies. I wonder if my husband would be willing to do that? Strangely enough, the last two nights he hasn't snored. Well, maybe he has, but I have been so tired, and in such a deep sleep that I haven't heard it.
Apparently, sleep disorders can cause all kinds of health problems. My husband would never agree to doing it though because he doesn't see it as a problem. The other night I was so frustrated that I stared at him in the dark (I felt like the girl in the movie "Paranormal Activity") for a few minutes trying to figure out what to do. Finally, I decided that I would simply pull the bed comforter over his head. I figured he would change his position. Sure enough, he did. I the morning he said, "Do you know that you must have turned over and caused the comforter to go over my head last night?" I pretended that I didn't have any idea what he was talking about. It was good for a laugh, anyway. What a terrible thing for me to do! Desperate wives turn to desperate means.

Stop the Snoring!

I can't stand it anymore. My husband snores all night, every night and it is really becoming a problem for me. Last night the snoring was so loud and strong that the bed was actually moving with each of the loud snores. I just don't know what to do. In the past, I have hauled myself out to the sofa, but since I am the first one up in the morning and have to get up to get all the kids up and ready for school, I don't like to be away from the radio alarm. I also am a bit selfish too because I always think, "Why the heck should I be the one who has to leave the comfortable bed? I'm not disturbing anyone!" We have been married for nearly twenty years and my husband has been a snorer pretty much our whole marriage. Lately, it seems the snoring has gotten worse. The jerking of the whole bed is more than I can handle. When I try to redirect my husband by asking him to turn over or move or something, he is offended. He also gets offended when he wakes up in the morning and I am not in the bed. When I tell him it is because of his snoring, he gets defensive. I just don't get it. I have asked him to take allergy medicine to see if that helps, and he is what medical experts would consider obese, but he doesn't have any motivation to change anything to improve the problem. I am at my wit's end. I need some sleep! Please, please do something to stop the snoring!

Yikes! Anita Dunn is Scary!

Even though I am not affiliated with the Republican party, nor am I particularly conservative, I listen to the Glenn Beck radio show now and then. He fascinates me because his is so hysterically conservative. He deserves credit for being so passionate about what he believes. He also annoys the heck out of me because he cries like a baby and is hyper-critical about everyone who doesn't share his exact views, and he doesn't offer any real solutions for the problems he points out, but I do find him intriguing. Yesterday on his radio show, he claimed that his folks had uncovered a "damning" video of the current Communications Director for the Obama administration, Anita Dunn. He teased it for awhile and said that he could not reveal what was on the video until his television show on Fox News at 5:00 pm. Glenn Beck is nothing if not a great showman. Anyway, I decided to tune into his show to check out what all the drama was about.

Poor Glenn Beck! He is absolutely going to have a heart attack one of these days. He gets so worked up and frenetic that he is going to burst some important and vital organ one of these days! With that being said, I have to say that the video of Anita Dunn was disturbing on a couple of levels. First of all, anyone who has such a horrible case of cotton mouth (the noises from her mouth and the tongue getting thrust out every third word was hideous to look at) is, in my opinion either very nervous about speaking in front of people, or very nervous about the content of the speech. Anita Dunn seems to admire Mao Tse Tung. That seems like someone who should not be in a high government position. Oddly enough, Glenn Beck has this one right. Second, don't people who are being considered for jobs at the White House have to go through some sort of screening and security check? My husband is an engineer for ITT and has to go through a thorough background/security check every few years. If they found him to be a Maoist, I think he would no longer be in the same (pretty lowly) job there. How is it that so many questionable people are being put in such high level jobs these days. What kind of change is going on? Glenn Beck is crazy, but he might be onto something here. . .

All I Want is a Little Car!

This is starting to get a bit irritating. My oldest daughter now has her driver's license. Having it is both a blessing and a curse. Right now, it feels like a curse because my daughter wants to drive to school sometimes. I really don't mind. I am getting more comfortable with her driving so whenever she wants/needs to drive to school, and I don't have other daytime commitments, I let her drive my car to school. That leaves me without a car for about eight hours per day. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but if there would be some sort of emergency with one of my other children, or myself, I would not be able to go get help.

For weeks now, I have been looking for a car to purchase for my daughter to use. I am really only interested in cars that are known to be safe, which narrows my options down a bit. My number one choice would be an old(er) Volvo. They are pretty hard to find because people tend to hang onto them until they are no longer usable. A few weeks ago, I found the perfect car for my daughter. It was a 1998 Volvo S70 with absolutely no rust. I looked at it several times, looked under the hood (not that I really know what I am looking at, but gunk under the hood that is obvious would be a red flag, I think). The next week, I went to the lot and my daughter and I drove the car. I really liked it. It was straight- forward with the instrumentation, the leather interior was excellent, it has a few extras like a sunroof, and it drove straight and felt solid. The only problem was that the ABS/TRAC light was on. I asked the salesman about it, but I really didn't understand what he was saying about it because English was not his native tongue. I gathered that they had done a computer scan on it and some sort of sensor or something was malfunctioning. I'm not sure what that mean except that I wouldn't feel comfortable unless the car was fixed and running without any warning lights illuminated. If the dealer would come down on the price, I would be inclined to just purchase the car and use what I saved on getting the ABS thing fixed. If there is no negotiating the price, then I would want the dealer to have it fixed before I would consider buying it.

Here is where my problem comes in: I can't get my husband to help me out with this. He has absolutely no desire to help me figure out what to do. He gives me absolutely no feedback about what he thinks we should do. I understand why he is so ambivalent. He has a car at his disposal every day, without question. He doesn't ever give up his car, so there is no sense of urgency. It is so frustrating. All I really need is for him to say, "go ahead and spend the money" and I would take care of everything myself. So far I have gotten nothing but silence. All I want is a little car. . . and a little feedback!

GoD and DoG; Enjoy

I think this says it all. Please enjoy.

Slow Month(s)

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I just don't have anything interesting to blog about. I haven't earned anything with my Google AdSense stuff in the last month either. I wonder if it has to do with my spending a lot of my "free" time on Facebook? Those blasted games! They are such time stealers! Anyway, I thought I would check in with my "trash heap" of a blog, just so no cobwebs start forming. I think I hear crickets chirping in the corner. Oh well, hope your October is going well!

Can't Believe I Agree With Rush Limbaugh!

I don't usually agree with the conservative radio talk show hosts that have been so vocal about President Obama lately, but strangely enough I agree with Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannnity on a couple of issues. The first thing is the elementary schools that are composing poetry and musical numbers in praise of President Obama. The schools have been performing these numbers at PTO meetings and other school gatherings and I have to admit that if I attended a meeting that had such a performance I would feel uncomfortable. It seems very strange that these kinds of things are being done for a man who hasn't really don't anything yet. Nothing has changed and nothing is really all that much better since he has taken office. I think there is more anxiety and more confusion and more distrust now, but no real constructive, useful, thoughtful, positive change has come about since January. I personally, don't think all the change that President Obama touted during his campaign can be done very quickly, nor should all of it be done. It strikes me as almost obscene that all this praise is being heaped on him when he hasn't done anything of great importance yet. Don't get me wrong, I voted for Obama and had great hope that he was someone who was going to be good for the country, but I don't believe he should be idolized and treated almost like a god, when nothing good has happened yet. I believe songs and poems and plays and skits praising someone are appropriate after the person has achieved something. Obama has yet to do anything.
The other thing I agree with the "three wind bags" about is the amount of time our president is spending on television. Talk show after talk show. Nothing new is ever said. I think our president needs to stop traveling, stop appearing on television and spend some time working on the very real problems our country is having right now. I think he has forgotten that he is the leader of our country and not a movie star! Get to work, Mr. President! I really don't like agreeing with the three most disagreeable men on the airwaves today.

Hand of God

I have never been a very outwardly religious person. I am rather reserved, especially when it comes to my spirituality. I am a Christian--Methodist to be exact, but have always felt like I should have been Jewish since the Jewish faith seems to make more sense to me than any other religion; some of my family actually is Jewish, so maybe that is where my feelings come from. At any rate, last night I was talking to a friend from church who has a son who is a year older than my oldest daughter. We were talking about how strange teenagers are and then I asked my friend how she dealt (deals) with her son driving and being out on by himself. She said she has never really felt nervous about letting him drive and has always just believed that God would watch over him. I, on the other hand, have this overwhelming fear when I let my daughter drive. I'm not really sure where the fear comes from other than I am letting a sixteen year old operate a large metal machine out on roads where other people who are doing the same thing. I just worry, even though I don't want to. When I was a young driver, I did some silly things and made mistakes and got through everything okay. I know this sounds strange, but as a young driver and even now, I always have the feeling that I am in God's hands. I wear a "hand of Miriam" charm around my neck all the time to remind me that I am in God's hands. As I was leaving the church it occurred to me that I was making a big mistake about my daughter and letting her drive. Why would I assume that God would do anything less for my daughter than He has done for me? Why would I assume that only I am in His hands? What I need to do is trust that God is holding her and protecting her just like He has done for me all these years. I need to stop worrying, and allow God to hold her in His hand. How freeing is that?

Eight Years Later. . .

It is now eight years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the American people. So much has changed. I was wondering this morning if the changes have been for the better or for the worse. Are you better than you were eight years ago? Have you changed? Has the country changed for the better, or is it worse? Eight years ago I was awaiting the arrival of my fourth child; another girl. After the morning of September 11, 2001, I was unsure bringing another child into the world was a good thing, but I couldn't turn back. She was born exactly two weeks later. Things were not back to normal. Things were still strange. She is a great and and interesting little girl now. I hope her world is a peaceful, and happy one. I'm still waiting to find out. How is your post 9/11 world?

Concern Over President's Speech Laughable

I just saw President Obama's speech to the school children of America. I thought it was a good speech and I hope my children have seen it, or will get the chance to see it because the President said stuff to the children that I say to my kids nearly everyday. "Do your best in school. . . use your classes to learn about who you are and what your gifts are. . . study and practice, no one is born knowing how to do everything. . . don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. " All of these things are things that I have said to my children, but perhaps coming from our President, they will see that I am not the only one saying these things. I liked the speech.
As for the lesson plans the Department of Education sent to teachers ahead of time, I don't have first hand knowledge of, but from what I read, the questions and ideas for discussions do not seem to be the evil, brainwashing that "so many" (who knows how many??) parents were so concerned about. I do know that the fellow from Texas who was on Nancy Snyderman's show after the speech sounded like a blabbering fool. In my opinion, he was spitting back words that were indoctrinated into him by some very conservative group of Americans who are against anything that Obama does or says. He was saying that the content of the speech was okay, but the lesson plans are unconstitutional because some of the questions would force children to reveal personal information such as "attitudes, beliefs and feelings about things." This, according to that guy from Texas, is illegal and falls under "psychological testing" or "psychiatric treatment." Wow! I think that is stretching it a bit too far. I recall many times during a school activity or assignment when I was at school, being asked what my attitude toward something was, what my opinion was about certain things, and what I could do to make my community and where I lived a better place. That sort of question hardly constitutes psychological testing. The people who are putting this sort of dark and malevolent spin on everything about President Obama make me very concerned about our country's future. I don't understand why these people are afraid of everything that our President is saying. I think healthy questioning, and reasonable, non-violent discussions of problems in our country are necessary. We can't just blindly follow everything politician say. Most of the political stuff needs to be questioned and scrutinized, but assuming every word out of the President's mouth is evil and harmful is just as bad as what they are accusing him of. I certainly hope the people who decided not to send their children to school today were few and far between. It was a speech worth hearing and discussing.

New Season of The Bonnie Hunt Show

Hey everyone! The new season of "The Bonnie Hunt Show" starts today. I have been looking forward to getting back into my viewing routine. The show is great. Different than Ellen DeGeneres, and Oprah and all the other talk-shows. Bonnie has proven that she can play with the "big girls!" If you haven't seen her show, you should check it out. It is just the right combination of fall-down-on-the-floor-laughter, to talking with celebrities, to working for a common cause, to addressing current issues. Bonnie is genuine and does not seem to be all puffed up about herself. It is a great show, and I hope this season is as good as her first one. Enjoy! www.bonniehunt.com

Car for a Kid

I never thought I would be considering purchasing a car for my daughter to drive to school, but that is pretty much all I have been thinking about since school started three weeks ago. I always thought it was a little silly to have an extra car just for going back and forth to school. It seemed like a waste of gasoline since the school bus comes right to a stop near our house; however, this year the bus schedule is really messed up and unpredictable. My oldest daughter's bus comes at 6:29 am. School starts at 7:50. Even though the bus is scheduled to come at 6:29, it rarely does, so I send my daughter out to the stop and she stands there for ten or fifteen minutes in the dark until the bus comes along. Right behind that bus is my other daughter's bus that is supposed to pick her up at 6:43 am, but rarely gets there before 6:53. It is all very confusing and sets us all on edge in the morning. Because of all the uncertainty, I have been allowing my daughter to drive my car to school on days that I don't have anything scheduled. The only thing bad about that is that I am left without a car, and if one of the other kids (two others are in elementary school) gets sick or hurt, or something, I would be unable to get to them.
I have been secretly looking at used cars that are inexpensive, but safe and sound enough to get at least my oldest daughter to school and back on a daily basis. The problem is that while my daughter and I would go out in the evenings and on weekends to look, we would mention cars that we had seen on lots to my husband. He got the "car buying bug" and decided he couldn't stand his 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe anymore and went and bought a Cadillac Escalade ESV. That car is nice and it is great for all of us to finally be able to fit into one car comfortably, but that leaves us without any extra money to put aside to get a car for my daughter. I have been hoping to find something that we could just pay cash for, but it is very difficult. I hate to go behind my husband's back, but he doesn't seem to understand what a pain in the neck it is to have to guess about the buses, or to be left completely stranded for eight hours of the day. I found a car yesterday that is $1900; very clean, and it is from a reputable dealer. I told my husband about it, and he blew me off. Now I don't know what to do. I don't think I can go through the whole school year with either being stressed about the bus, or stranded. I need a car for my kid!

Farkle on Facebook

It is quite interesting to me how completely addicted one can get to playing silly little online games. I have written about this a few times regarding my "addiction" to the Mah Jong Medley game I have been trying to win for, oh I don't know now, 3--maybe 4 years! I am still trying to get past that one blasted puzzle. Now that I have discovered Facebook, a whole new group of games has become available to me. Right now the only one I have been playing is "Farkle." This particular dice game is one I have played many times with my kids using real dice. The Facebook game is played much the same way as the real game, but it is highly addictive, unlike the real game where usually someone drops out because it can take a long time to get a winner. I have noticed that many of my Facebook friends play Farmville, Yoville, Scramble, just to name a few. I wonder if anyone has done any study on how much time people waste on playing these games. I always tell myself, "Well, just one more time." I just can't seem to stop at that "one more time!" Oh well, what the Farkle, I have nothing else to do really.

New Online Support Group for Dark Circles!

Okay, thanks to the most recent blog reader who suggested we start a support group for people with dark circles under their eyes, I have started a new blog devoted solely to dark under eye circles. The blog will serve as a support group and a place to share ways to lighten the circles and to review products that claim to cure the dark circles. Hopefully, even if we don't find anything that helps the problem, we can feel like we are not alone. Raccoon-people unite! Maybe together we can find a cure! Please visit "Lighten Up!" at http://enddarkcircles.blogspot.com

I Love Marshall's

In my last post, I was complaining about the awful shopping experience I had at Kohl's department store. Today I would like to report that I LOVE Marshall's. I have always liked shopping at Marshall's, and TJMaxx as well. But yesterday I hit the jackpot at Marshall's. I kept finding really good stuff at really good prices. I wasn't intending to purchase anything for myself, but I ended up getting two pairs of jeans and one pair of Dockers, but the real bargain was a shirt I got for my sixteen year old daughter. She likes the Juicy Couture brand of clothing and accessories. I think the prices are outrageous--even at the outlet we used to live near in Virginia. Anyway, yesterday I found a Juicy tee shirt that had originally been $68.00 (can you believe that????) and it was on the rack at Marshall's for $7.00. I was going to keep it back and give it to her for her birthday in December, but I just couldn't wait. I also found a cute Juicy Couture canvas bag at Marshall's a few weeks ago that I got for her--that will definitely be a birthday gift. It was originally $75.00 and I got it for $30.00. I just love having a great shopping expericence. It makes me feel so much better about buying brand name items if I don't pay full price for them. I think today I will make a trip to TJMaxx to see what kind of things they have.

Kohl's Shopping Trip to Hell

I like to shop. I like to shop especially if I don't have all my kids with me. I decided to go to Kohl's Department store because I hadn't been there for awhile. I even remembered to bring my 20% off coupon with me. I was looking forward to a pleasant couple of hours browsing around the store. Pleasant was not what my experience was , however. The first place I stopped was the Junior department since I have three girls who are in that age/size range. I was terribly disappointed in the clothing that was there to choose from. Skinny jeans, sleazy tops, hole laden jeans of all washes, but not a single thing that any of my girls could or would wear. I personally don't mind the holey jeans but the dress codes at my kids schools don't allow them, so I'm not inclined to purchase something that they are only going to be able to wear on the weekends. I decided to check things out in the Misses department because I can always use something new to wear. The problem with my size clothes is that they are so old lady looking, or they simply fit me poorly. I don't know who they use for fitting the Sonoma (too tight in my thighs) brand, the Gloria Vanderbilt (too long in the crotch) brand, or the freaking Lee "Perfect Fit" brand (they don't fit me anywhere!). None of those clothes fit me. I felt like such a failure! It seems like Kohl's prices have gone up too.
Not only was I feeling like a fat slob at the store, it must have been "bring your whiny, need-to-have-a-nap toddler day" too! Every time I turned around, there was a mom dragging around a whiny, unhappy kid! One mother even walked away from her two toddlers who were wrestling around on the floor in the underwear department. She was busy talking about a Spiderman vs. Hulk costume or something on the phone and simply walked away from the brats rolling around among the underpants. At that point, I called it quits on my shopping trip. As a matter of fact, I don't think I will return to Kohl's anytime soon. It was too much like walking through the gates of hell.

The Pace Quickens

School started yesterday, so now the whole pace of life speeds up. We get up earlier and try to squeeze as much as we can out of the day. It feels like it is just too "early" to start school up. Mid August in Indiana is always hot and humid. We have had a cool and dry summer, but now it is starting to heat up. The high school is in the middle of a huge construction project so the kids don't have air conditioning, nor do they have regular lunches. What a mess! My oldest came home a sweaty mess yesterday. It must be difficult to concentrate when you've had a crappy lunch and sweat is dripping into your eyes!
In addition to the transition into the school year, I had a job interview with another school system that is hiring. The job is part-time, and is in the Special Education department, but I thought it could work for me since the hours are basically during the time all my kids are in school. It would be a big adjustment for the family though. Six hours of the day without me being able to run errands, do laundry, clean, mow, and take kids to appointments will make a big wave in the family ocean! I don't know if I can handle it. I guess if I am offered the job, I will have to figure all that other stuff out and move ahead. Happy changes!

New Dark Circle Product

Here I go again, posting about the same old thing: dark circles under my eyes. I was feeling not too bad about them recently because I have been going to the pool and getting a little sun on my face, so the circles don't seem so dark right now; however, we went to a family reunion and some guy whom I have never liked said "Hey, how did you get two black eyes?" I was so embarrassed! What could I say? I wanted to go and hide under a rock! Today I saw an ad for a product I have not seen before. It is called Kumaara. Of course it is the usual deal of "free trial" and the usual pictures of before and after. Anyway, the stuff is $5.95 for the "free" 60 day trial. If you like it, you keep it and if you don't, they claim you can send it back and won't be billed for the remaining balance. The 60 day supply costs $99.95. Ugh! Once you are on the billing cycle, you all know how that goes. . . Anyway, I thought maybe some brave soul might have tried it. Perhaps it is worth the hundred bucks. Curse these dark circles!

No More Money to "Cash for Clunkers!"

I heard this morning that Congress is considering two options with regard to the wildly successful CARS program: 1) Let the $1 billion run out and end the program, or 2) add another $2 billion. Please, please, please, do not add any more money to the program. Try something different that might help a different group of people. We got rid of our family friendly Chevy Suburban last summer when the gasoline prices were inching up toward $5.00 per gallon. We leased a 2009 Dodge Journey, and it is delivering on it's claim of 20 m.p.g. average. That part, I like, but the thing that is killing us is that there is no room for my husband and I and our four kids to travel comfortably. We can't even go on a weekend trip because there is absolutely no cargo room. Using a rooftop carrier made sense when I made my trip from Northern Virginia to Indiana, but now that we are living back in Indiana all of our relatives are closer so weekend visits are possible--except the rooftop carrier is so cumbersome and my husband hates it. As a result, we have not traveled anywhere that would require an overnight stay. It was quite a trick to get all of us shoved into the Journey with a picnic basket and a container of cookies for a family reunion this past weekend, bags for overnight stays are not possible!
What I would propose to Congress is to tell the struggling, rather lazy and whiny "big three" automakers is this: "The first one of you to develop a family-sized vehicle that is not a mini-van, that has comfortable seating for seven and that has cargo room for a family of six's gear, AND uses an alternative fuel or is a hybrid, that people can actually afford, get the $2 billion! Go! Go use that good old American ingenuity we used to have. Be creative! Do something great! Do something that is actually going to make a difference! That would be my suggestion. Everything so far has just been throwing money everywhere without any vision, without any inspiration or creativity. Come on Congress, do something that is really useful, and radical, and helpful!

Nothing Inspiring

It seems I haven't had much to blog about recently. There just isn't anything but the same old things that I have blogged about before. I still think the "cash for clunkers" is stupid. I'm still worried about the healthcare reform bill that is being so hurriedly pushed through. I still can't believe my kids have to go back to school on August 13! Not only is it a Thursday, it is in the hottest part of the SUMMER!!!! Forget going shopping for "school clothes." My kids are going to be wearing the shorts they ended the school year with. I am still trying to find things that are still packed away from our move here in March, and I still hate doing house work. So, there you have it, my latest non-inspired blog entry!

Feeling Uncomfortable

I am neither Republican or Democrat, and I don't really trust any politician. I gritted my teeth through the whole eight years of the Bush administration. I felt a little hopeful when Obama was elected President, but now I am starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Obama promised change and many times change is a good thing, change is needed, but change for change's sake or change made without any forethought is dangerous. I am starting to get a bad feeling about the "cash for clunkers" crap that has been making the rounds. I gave up my Suburban last summer for a car that squishes my family of six every time we want to go somewhere. On several occasions we have been forced to drive two vehicles to accommodate our family, when before, the Suburban was sufficient. Now the health care reform mess is coming down the pike and so far, I don't like what I am hearing. My husband has a great job that has great insurance. We are very blessed, but more and more it sounds like we may have to give it up just so everyone can be insured. Don't get me wrong, I think everyone should be covered by some sort of insurance, but taking away something from people who have worked their butts off trying to earn the best they can for their families seems to be a punitive action. Why punish people who are the salt of the earth? Why rip things away from the very people who are the engines of this country? It makes no sense and frankly, the government sucks at running things, so why would we agree to that sort of thing. Sometimes I just have to sit and scratch my head because the legislators who come up with these ideas didn't just drop down into this country from outer space, so why do they come up with such ridiculous rules they want people to follow? Pushing a health care bill through as quickly as possible and "fixing" it later is the stupidest idea there is. Someone needs to stand up and stop the madness. Slow down, take the time needed to get a good solid plan in place, and then see if THE PEOPLE want it. I swear the people in Washington think American citizens are like sheep that will follow anything they say. Ugh! I don't like feeling uncomfortable!

Glenn Beck Needs to Take a Vacation!

Just listened to the latest craziness coming out of Glenn Beck. Once upon a time, I listened to his radio show. I sometimes still catch it on occasion, but he has become someone who is not of sound mind anymore. There doesn't seem to be a logical thought coming out of him. He has become a character who does nothing but spew out sarcastic, hateful comments about anyone or anything that different than him and his opinions. I thought he touted being a "Christian," and having high standards and morals and compassion for all people. If he is an example of a good Christian, no wonder people have low opinions of them. On the most recent of his radio meltdowns, he starts out mocking a caller who, had she been given the chance to speak, might have had something relevant to say about our nation's health care system, and then he continues to degrade her, but offer no sound, logical response to what she was trying to say. It all ends with him screaming a non-human sounding scream into the phone. I wonder if his family is proud of the "work" he does? If I behaved like that, I think my family would no longer speak to me. What shameful behavior, even for a radio character. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't claim to be a righteous, upstanding "Christian" but his character is nothing of the sort. It is just this sort of behavior from the conservative side that makes the liberal side try to do crazy things like change absolutely everything from health care to education, to national security to banking, to every other aspect of our lives. Neither side has good answers, and no one is listening. Crazy is as crazy does. We need calm, logical, compassionate, real people to lead this country, not any of this stupidity. If you want to, and can tolerate the screaming, you can listen to the telephone exchange on YouTube, just search for "Glenn Beck Loses It" and there you can judge for yourself.
******Just in case Mr. Beck needs to be reminded, I remember a certain video he made of himself after he had surgery on his hemorrhoids (can't imagine why he would have that problem). He was going on and on about how terrible the American health care system was. Things only matter when he is directly impacted. . . . .

My Theory on Why Seagulls Flock to Parking Lots

I don't know why people don't seem to give my theory on why seagulls flock to parking lots. I do not live near any body of water. I live in the north eastern part of Indiana. Sure, there are a few lakes around here, but we are at least a couple of hours away from Lake Michigan, so why do seagulls seem to always congregate in the Target store parking lots? Well, I'll tell you my theory. You know how on a sunny day when you look out over a parking lot and it looks like there is a large puddle in it--a small lake mirage, if you will? Yeah, that! I think the seagull with there walnut sized brains think it is water. And what Target (or WalMart) parking lot isn't complete without french fries or other food scraps that people have dropped or tossed out? Seagulls love that stuff. I don't think it is such a strange theory, but people look at me like I am the stupidest person in the world when I tell them what I think. So far, no one else has come up with a better explanation. I'm sticking with mine!

Looking for the Impossible

I guess my kids are starting to take after their old mom. I have always been one who wants to have unique things. For example, instead of just having a kitchen painted blue, I had to have my kitchen painted a "robin's egg" blue. Instead of having just a plain, simple anything, I have to make things difficult for myself. I guess I must enjoy the quest more than actually having the thing I want, because some things are just impossible to find. One of my daughters needs a new bicycle because she has outgrown her first one and has passed that one down to her younger sister. She has been on a quest for that one special bike. At first she thought she wanted an orange beach cruiser. Okay, that's fine. She saw one at a bike store when she was out running errands with her dad. The only problem is that the bike was something like $400.00. WAY too much, in my opinion, for a bike for a thirteen year old. I found an orange beach cruiser for a much more reasonable price (under $200.00) on www.bikebuyers.com but apparently, she wasn't all that thrilled. I had her search through other bicycle shops online, and we found a really neat one. So cool! One that I really like and she did too, but it was way off the color scheme she wanted. It is a blue paisley bike with green spokes and yellow tire rims and a paisley seat. So, so unique--just what I like! It was on www.beachbikes.com I believe. Well, just like what always happens, that particular bike is out of stock. We searched for it on other sites, but there just aren't any out there. It figures! Now we are on a quest for that paisley bike. Boy, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

I'm All For Hybrid Cars, But. . .

I saw an article that said 6 in 10 people would purchase a hybrid or "green" car. I would consider myself as one of the 6 who would be willing to purchase one, however, before I could ever actually purchase one, two things must be true. First, the sale price must be competitive. Right now, the hybrids that are available are too expensive, so purchasing one is currently out of the question for my family. The second thing (and it is the deal killer) is that the vehicle MUST be able to carry all members of my family and our accompanying junk. We are a family of six. As of right now, we own two vehicles that can (uncomfortably) carry all six of us, but not all of our things. Going to my mother-in-law's for the weekend is a dreadful task because we either have to stuff everything in every nook and cranny of the car and travel for 3 1/2 hours even more uncomfortably, or we have to stuff everything in an overhead carrier which takes more effort than it is worth. I miss my Suburban!!!! If the government is going to require all cars to eventually be "green" then the car manufacturers need to come up with cars that can actually serve the owners; not the other way around. It wouldn't make any sense for us to purchase a Prius or anything like that because we would need three of them just to take a weekend trip. That is pretty foolish if you ask me. So, come on American car companies, use your ingenuity and come up with a great, economical, environmentally responsible family vehicle! Do the right thing for a change!

First Bidder on eBay

I just realized that I have been a member/user on eBay since it first began. I think it was in 1995 or so, when I only had two children and was in the stage of "bored housewife." The days were long back then when my two oldest children were still toddlers and napped in the afternoon. At that time, I was just starting to get into collecting marbles and buttons. Somehow, I came across eBay through someone else (another stay-at-home-mom) who bid on and won some buttons on eBay. I thought it was intriguing because it was difficult the drag two small children around to garage sales and antique shops searching for buttons and marbles. I remember being a bit skeptical that this idea of an online auction could actually be on the up and up. The first thing I took a chance on was some old, clay, civil war era marbles. I think I paid $5.00 dollars for them. I sent a check because that was before PayPal. I waited until they actually came before I told my husband what I had done. He was also intrigued by the site; and a bit skeptical. From then on, I was hooked and made several purchases and sold lots of marbles and buttons. My husband had a go at it as well. He still believes he is the one who discovered eBay, but I know who got him hooked. I believe I was one of the first few bidders on eBay!
These days we don't sell anything on eBay. We haven't in years. We have added two more kids to our brood and time is eaten up with all the day-to-day family stuff. I still bid on things and purchase items with "Buy It Now" and have never had any deal go awry. I have been lucky that way. EBay is still a fun place to poke around and find out if there are any good bargains to be had. Just the other day, I was looking for a nice, drivable 1960's Mustang for my oldest daughter to drive around in. Funny thing, there are several listed on eBay. Not that I would ever feel comfortable about making such a large purchase, but anyway, it's fun to look!

That One Obsession

I last wrote about my obsession with winning the "Night Vision" puzzle on Mah Jong Medley in March of this year. At that time I have played that darn game around 5000 time without clearing off all the tiles. Well, I am writing again a mere three months later as frustrated as ever! I still have not won that game. All I want to do is just clear all the tiles from that configuration. Is that too much to ask? Am I so dumb that after nearly 6000 tries, I cannot do it? My goal was to start on the first page of puzzles and work in order, clearing each one. I have been stuck on that stupid puzzle for something like three years! Three years, I tell you! What in the world is wrong with me. Now it has becoume even more of an obsession because it has gone on so long. I cannot, and will not admit defeat! That puzzle will not get the better of me! Even if my kids make fun of me, I will not stop trying. That thing has to be put to rest! Even if it's the last thing I do!

David Letterman & Sarah Palin

There sure has been a lot being bantered around about the David Letterman's joke regarding Sarah Palin's daughter, so I guess I'll put my two cents worth in about it too. I like David Letterman. He grew up in Indiana, and he also went to Ball State; my alma mater, so I feel a sort of "hoosier kinship" with him. I'm undecided about how I feel about Sarah Palin. I have four daughters and would be terribly upset if someone made a tasteless, classless joke aimed at them, so I feel a "motherhood kinship" with her. Let's face it, David Letterman's joke was poor; all the way around. It wasn't particularly funny, and it hurt someone. He should have had the decency to reject it. Just because it was written for him to use doesn't mean he had to say it. He should have used better judgement. I don't think he is a dirty old man, and I think if someone made a nasty joke about his son, he would be offended too. That's just the way parents are. They want to protect their children. Sarah Palin is only doing what comes naturally; protecting her daughter. Who can blame her? To accuse her of "putting her kids out there" is just stupid. Kids are kids. They should be able to attend a ballgame with their parents without being the subject of ridicule--regardless of who their parents are. I'm not sure why people hate Sarah Palin so much. I don't dislike her, but I'm not crazy about her either. She sort of just is for me. I feel bad that someone made a nasty joke about her daughter--it really wasn't even funny--but I think she should let it rest now. An apology was made--a good one--that David had the balls to take responsibility for the mistake himself and not blame writers or the weather or anything else--so now the whole issue should be dropped. Lesson learned--I hope!

Juxtapostion of Life

Last night when I was drifting off to sleep, a funny thing occurred to me: I have two kids who are at similar milestones in their lives but at very different stages. Let me explain. My oldest daughter just passed her driver's test and got her first driver's license. What an exciting time for her; what a worrisome time for me. My youngest daughter has finally learned how to ride her bike. What a joyous time for her, what a worrisome time for me. They are both testing out their wings, both learning what a joy it can be to have a little taste of freedom. Both are learning that there are many dangers in the world. Both are learning that seat belts and helmets are important, lifesaving devices. Both are learning to be cautious and watchful. Both know what a close call feels like. As for me, I worry. I know worrying is not the best thing to do, but I do it anyway. My oldest just doesn't seem ready; doesn't have the driving skills yet to be set out on her own in my car. My youngest is discovering that riding her bike to the pool isn't "that far," and that pushing down hard and fast on her coaster brake can produce a great skidding, fishtail effect, even if the end result is a skinned knee. My youngest daughter asked, "So, when do you think I'll get new bike?" We promised her one of her very own if she learned how to ride. My oldest daughter asked, "So, when do you think we will get a car for me to drive?" We didn't promise anything about a car for her, but the juxtaposition of my girls' lives gives my spine that tingly feeling. My girls are growing up. They are spreading their wings and all I can really do is sit back and watch them fly.

Hey, Bite Me!

If you have nothing better to do, please visit www.writebite.com and read some of the rants there. I currently have a couple that are kind of good and would appreciate it if you would "bite them." The site is free and all you have to do is register and read, then bite the ones you like. Mine are about a job that my husband was passed over for, and that strange person named Spencer Pratt. There are lots of other good, entertaining ones too. Thanks!

Summer "Vacation" Begins

Yesterday was the last day of school for my kids. To me, the idea of summer "vacation" always sounds good until it hits me that that means all four kids will be home with me every day, all day long. Last night when I was tucking my youngest into bed, I said, "You get to sleep in tomorrow! Summer vacation starts, isn't that great?" She looked at me and said, "Why are you so excited?" Well, I had to think about that. There is absolutely no reason for me to be excited about it. Summer always means more work for me. There is always more laundry, for some reason. The kids are constantly making a mess in the kitchen. Beds go unmade, there is a constant flow of kids through the house, and the occasional "I'm bored" that sends me through the roof and I seem to have to run to the grocery store every couple of days. So, really, summer vacation is no vacation for me, but the idea of a vacation sounds great! The freedom and outdoor activities are what make it seem different for me, even though my work load is actually bigger. Anyway, "vacation" has begun.

Campbell's Soup Commercial-Thanks Readers!

A little over seven months ago, I wrote a post about a Campbell's Soup commercial. It involved a lot of slurping, silly behavior, and "Num Yummy." Anyway, that particular post has been very interesting to follow. It happens to be the most commented on of all my posts. Some of the people who commented think the commercial is funny and told me not to take it so seriously. Some people took the opportunity to use my post to vent and call me terrible things--talk about taking things too seriously! As in all things there are opinions that agreed with what I wrote and lots that didn't. The original post was written on October 15, 2008. I suppose I was bored and had had the television on way too long. I wrote the blog as a lark, not really thinking it would amount to much. After all, who really reads the rantings of a housewife? As it turns out, that post happens to be the most interesting thing I have written.
I really don't care that much about the commercial, but the blog I wrote has really been a springboard for me. Regardless of your opinions about the commercial or me personally (none of you actually know me, so I didn't quite understand the nasty tone of some of the comments) the writing of that post has proven to me that people actually do read the rantings of a bored housewife, and that is cool with me! Thanks for reading and commenting, and I will keep blogging away. Num Yummy!

Facebook and Middle-Aged Women

Even though I hate to admit it, I guess I am considered "middle-aged." I hate that. At the urging of my sixteen year old daughter, I have joined Facebook. I was reluctant at first because I had no idea what purpose it could serve. My husband told me that the fastest growing group of people joining Facebook is the middle-aged female, and that younger users are all mad about it because it is their "thing." I ignored what he said. After all, it was my sixteen year old who wanted me to try it. She didn't seem to mind at all, and some of her friends are also on my "friends" list. It is actually a good way for me to check to make sure nothing "untoward" is being exchanged. As a matter of fact, I have now made contact with a couple of high school friends of mine whom I had lost contact with years ago. It is interesting and fun to find out where everyone is and what they are doing with their lives. So who cares if those young whipper-snappers are getting their noses all out of joint. Facebook is cool (do they use that word anymore?) and fun and I like it, so there!

Replacing a Pet

Over the weekend we had tragedy. Someone (who has yet to confess) left the cage door to one of our parakeets open. As curious birds will do, our little blue friend ventured outside his lovely pagoda shaped home and of course our little Jack Russell terrier didn't approve of the escape. You guessed right! The dog caught the bird and poor little Reuben is no more. Luckily, this weekend was also a sale weekend for parakeets at Petco (you know, where the pets go), so we had my daughter pick out another bird. She picked out another one who looks very much like the one we had. Who would have thought parakeets would be so different. We knew they had different personalities, because we have another one that is very docile and like a mother hen to the other one. Anyway, "New Reuben" (my husband wanted to call him Twoben) is super boisterous and spills his water all over. His voice is different and he doesn't play too much yet. I guess I will get accustomed to him, but still, I miss "Old Reuben" and hope he is not too mad at us for not protecting him like we should have.

Burt's Bees Chemical-Free Sunscreen--Two Thumbs Down!

Here is a quick review of a new product from the Burt's Bees line of skincare products. I purchased a 3 oz. tube of Burt's Bees Natural Sun Care sunscreen that is supposed to be chemical free. I usually try to smell products that I am going to put on my body because I am very sensitive to certain odors. This product happens to be safety sealed so I could not sample the fragrance, which was a big mistake. I thought, "It's Burt's Bees, how bad can it smell?" Well, let me tell you, it smells pretty bad. There is nothing pleasant or appealing about the fragrance. It may be chemical free, and infused with hemp seed oil, witch hazel, and other stuff, but the combination is simply odious! Even my daughter couldn't stand the smell and washed it off immediately. The other problem with it is the texture of the stuff. It has a very unpleasant feel to it once it is on your skin. It felt like my skin was as dry as sandpaper. It was awful. This characteristic was also noticed by my sixteen year old who put the stuff on before even talking to me, so I did not influence her opinion in the least. She reported her dislike of the product when she caught up with me at the neighborhood pool. To add insult to injury, the cost of the product is criminal. I hate to admit it, but I paid $13.00 for this awful stuff. I would not recommend this product to anyone. Chemical-free or not, it's just not worth it!

I Got Nuttin'

I really don't have much to blog about this week. The girls are down to their final ten days of school, the weather seems to be marching on toward summer temperatures, and I am still trying to get rid of the dark circles under my eyes. Not much is going on! In the dark circle department, I read that putting zinc oxide on them will help. I am trying that now, but it is awful messy, and certainly the white, thick, zinc oxide cream makes the circles disappear. You just can't go out and be seen in public that way. People would think you are crazy! I have just been doing it at night. I have to say that the stuff does seal the moisture in! Anyway, that is all I have to say for today. Maybe something more interesting will happen later in the week. Happy Tuesday!

Read My Rant

Hey readers, please go to http://www.writebite.com and read my rant about bloggers writing their blogs on a black background. It drives me crazy, and I am sure you all have read blogs that have white words typed onto a black background. I think it is very rude of bloggers to do this. If you really want someone to read what you have written, don't make them go blind by reading it. I once had a blog that I really thought was great. I was writing a story that I thought people would be interested in reading. When I went back to read what I wrote, I realized that no one would read it because the background was black and the white print was too much for my eyes to take so I changed it to make it a more pleasant read. Anyway, please go to Write Bite and vote on my rant. While you are there, maybe you could leave a rant of your own and earn some cash!

Writing Rants for Pay

Okay, now I know really does pay to complain! Last week I wrote a post about a new website I found that pays people to write about stuff that is bugging them. I'm really good at that! Rant, rant, rant! Anyway, one of my rants was ranked 4th this week and yesterday I got paid $5.00. I know it isn't much, but it is money, and these days a little pocket change is a good thing. If you like to complain (rant) then give it a go! http://WriteBite.com

Love To Rant? Why Not Get Paid For It?

I feel like I am a professional ranter. Well, you know, I think my family thinks I am a professional ranter. I can go on and on about something that gets me upset or some if I observe some injustice occurring. Until recently, my only outlet for my ranting was my husband and daughters. They are accustomed to my ranting. Sometimes my rants are funny, so they get a kick out of my tales, but sometimes they just roll their eyes and sit there staring at me. If you like to rant about stuff--anything really, and are met with rolling eyes or blank stares like I am, then please check out WriteBite. It is a website that actually pays you to rant. It is a fairly new site, so I am just getting started. My most recent rant is about how unhappy and humorless this week seems to be turning out. I also have one that is similar to one of my posts on blogger.com about the nosy neighbor who had the gall to inspect our new Invisible Fence installation. Anyway, if your rant happens to have the highest rating (bites) that week, you get paid 25 bucks. Pretty cool, huh? So, if you are a ranter like me, visit www.writebite.com and maybe you can earn a little pocket money!

Dark Circles Making Me Ugly!

I have had it! I am so sick of these ugly dark circles under my eyes! I have written posts about them before and one of my posts was about Hydrolize, which none of my readers has actually tried because it is so darn expensive! I have also tried Hylexin, Stri-Vectin SD, vitamin K, Oil of Olay eye treatment, and others that I can't remember right now. I am so discouraged! I am looking uglier by the day. NOTHING HELPS! I know that these circles run in my family. My mother has them, her sisters have them, my grandmother had them, and believe it or not, an old picture from the 1800's reveals that my great-grandmother had them. Ugh! Why did I have to inherit this ugliness! I don't even think there is anything a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon could do to help me, and anyway, I couldn't afford that. I can't even afford the creams that are out there. Please, please, if someone out there knows of a way to get rid of these dark circles--one that really works--please let me know. I am tired of looking like a raccoon!

Does Your Mom Have Everything? Give Her a Water Buffalo for Mother's Day!

Are stumped about what to give your mother for Mother's Day? Every year I have trouble deciding what to get my mother. In addition to her, I also have to figure out something to give my mother-in-law. Both women have everything, so gift giving is very difficult. Last year I gave my mother a reusable shopping bag that was made out of a rice sack. It was very cute, and she uses it, and I felt good about giving something that was, as they say these days, "earth friendly." My mother-in-law is a little more difficult because she really doesn't get the whole recycling, "go green," be good to mother earth stuff, so I ended up getting her two metal pinwheels to put out in her yard. They were very cute; shaped like flowers. I won't go into great details about how frustrating that gift was because she couldn't figure out how to put them together and stick them out in the flower bed, but anyway. . . Those items were purchased online at a really cool store called Uncommon Goods. If you are looking for unique gifts, that is the place to go: www.uncommongoods.com

This year I looked around at Uncommon Goods and found some nice things, but nothing that really spoke to me. After messing around for several hours trying to find something, I remembered Heifer International. When we were kids at my church (my kids still do it today) we were given little arks (like Noah's) to fill with random pennies and other change. Then we would all turn in our arks and the money from the arks would go to Heifer International who would then purchase a farm animal (a heifer years ago) to give to a needy family in a poor country. The idea was that the family could then live off the milk from the heifer, sell any leftover milk to earn an income, and eventually build up a herd of cattle to give to others and to use for sustenance. Heifer International has come a long way since they started out. I believe they have been in existence for sixty years. Now you can give money to buy chicks, ducklings, geese, rabbits, or honeybees, to name a few. All of these animals can provide life giving sustenance, income and then, offspring from these animals can be given to others, so the cycle can continue. There are many animals to choose from or you can donate to a portion of an animal (like a water buffalo) that is more expensive. The animals are given to families who have been trained to take care of the creature and then are expected to pass the gift on once their animals start producing. Heifer International serves the needy in many different countries as well as in the United States. So, what are my mother and mother-in-law getting this year? We are sending them a card that tells them that a gift of honeybees and tree saplings have been given in their honor to a needy family somewhere in the world. That is a gift I know my mother will love, and even if my mother-in-law doesn't "get it," she can't say it isn't a thoughtful gift! If you would like to give a water buffalo to your mother this year, please go to www.heifer.org

Invisible Fence & Controversy

Last week we had an Invisible Fence installed to contain our little Parson Russell Terrier. We recently moved from a 3 acre, rural plot of land to a 0.5 acre hoity-toity neighborhood where above ground fences are strictly regulated. Our lot is a "waterfront" lot where we have access to a large (man made) pond. Fishing is allowed in the pond, and during winter months, ice-skating is also permitted. Our girls have been enjoying the pond and they like to go out with their tackle box and fishing poles and sit out there to fish. They also like to include their little dog in the activity. Our dog is curious about the water and stuff that is in it, but does not seem to be interested in getting into the water. With that in mind, we decided to have our Invisible Fence installed a little ways into the water so the dog could go out (as she has been doing) and sit near the water with her girls while they fish. Well, as things go in a fussy, fancy neighborhoods, somebody didn't like what we did, so he complained. We were told that the fence had to be pulled out of the water so that "people" walking through our access would not be approached by the dog. I am not sure what "people" this fellow was referring to because there has only been one time when a couple of kids walked along our backyard to get to a different position on the pond. Our dog wasn't out there at the time, but the two kids were accompanied by their own Golden Retriever who was not leashed.

The chairperson of the architectural committee came knocking at my door telling me there was a complaint and that we had to have 7 feet clearance for "people" to walk on. She asked me if I had read the Covenants and I had, but didn't read anything about 7 feet or Invisible Fences. I told her we would change the boundaries but, after further review and discussing it with my husband, we have decided to leave things the way they are. We are not impeding any one's access to the pond, nor are we violating any of the covenants.Our dog cannot get any closer than 4 feet of the Invisible Fence line, so she is well out of the way of any "people." Our neighbors who allow their dog to wander around loose, however, are violating the covenant about having your dog on a leash when out of it's yard. Why should their dog have absolutely no boundaries, while ours, because we chose to contain her, be severely restricted within her own property boundaries? It just doesn't make sense. Sometimes people who complain about what others are doing in their backyards need to pay attention to their own backyards and mind their own business. I like living in a neighborhood where there are lots of kids and activities going on, but I don't like all the nit-picking, fussiness that goes along with living in a neighborhood. I just want to quietly live our lives, being good, kind neighbors and not be bullied by people who have too much time on their hands and like to complain about what others are or are not doing. Life is too short for that!

Adam Lambert in Bottom Three

Adam Lambert was in the bottom three of the American Idol contestants last night. I am not really surprised though. I think people think he is so good he can't lose, so they assume he is getting votes. In my opinion, Adam is a pretty good singer who screams some of his songs and sticks his pointy tongue out in creepy ways when he sings. I think even if he doesn't win American Idol he will still get some kind of recording deal. He is weird, and scary and creepy, and a giant of an effeminate man, but I can't seem to take my eyes off of him. Kris Allen and Danny Gokey are more to my liking, but the proof is in the voting. It should end up being an interesting final few weeks. -----By the way, Allison has a great voice, but seems a little immature for winning the whole thing. What do I know, anyway?

Acai Berry Update

This week I am trying to catch up on questions and requests from some readers. I posted about ordering and trying the Acai Berry supplements along with the Total Cleanse. Unfortunately, the news to report back is a little disappointing and also incomplete. I started the supplements and used them exactly as directed on the package, however a couple of weeks into it, I got sick, so I ended up getting out of the habit of taking the capsules. During the few weeks that I was taking the Acai Berry supplements and Total Cleanse, I really didn't notice any kind of change, so I'm not convinced that they work--for me anyway. I was in the middle of selling a house and moving my family 600 miles, so things were not ideal for keeping track of what was going on with my body. I think I will try it again; maybe try a different brand and see if I notice any difference. So for right now, I would have to say, save your money and just take a brisk walk everyday. You'll probably get faster results from that than Acai Berry alone.

Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne This Week!

The big sale starts tomorrow, and will continue until Friday, May 1. This is a BIG deal for women everywhere. I know it sounds kind of silly, but truly, women everywhere are attracted to these colorful, versatile, quilted bags. They come in all styles, shapes and sizes. Vera Bradley has come a long way. Now in addition to the cute, soft bags, Vera Bradley brand offers eyeglasses frames, stationary, towels and rugs. The price tag for Vera Bradley items in retail stores are quite high, in my opinion, but if you are able to get to the outlet sale, prices are 40-70% less than retail. Of course, there are limited patterns and styles, but still, if Vera Bradley bags are your thing, then now is the time to buy them. It is amazing to me how devoted women are to these bags. This year, customers are required to register if they plan to purchase anything. That added step in the shopping process does not seem to have deterred anyone from the sale. According to Vera Bradley officials, over 30,000 (mostly) women have registered, and some have registered from as far away as Hawaii! That is awesome! Vera Bradley is a vital part of the Fort Wayne region, and is committed to helping fund research for a cure for breast cancer, so the salty prices on the bags and other accessories don't seem that awful when they are trying to give back to everyone. In these times of constant financial gloom and doom stories, it is refreshing to know that there is one company here in northeastern Indiana that is thriving and doing good things for others in the process. If you would like more information about Vera Bradley products, the Vera Bradley Foundation, or the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, please visit http://verabradley.com you can feel good about the purchases you make, and look stylish in the process!

Hoover LiNX Stick Vacuum Review

As requested by one of my readers, today is the day I am reviewing my new Hoover LiNX stick vacuum. First of all, I need to say that I have purchased and used many vacuums over the years. Since I have four kids and various pets, good, sturdy vacuums are a must. I don't have time to mess around, I need to get my cleaning done quickly and sufficiently. With that being said, I have to say I really like my Hoover LiNX. It is much more powerful and sturdy than the Shark Cordless stick I had a few years ago. That thing didn't even last a year before I was disenchanted with it. The great thing about my Hoover is that it is great on both the carpet and my wood and ceramic tile. The switch button is right on the handle and it is effortless to flip it from hardwood to carpet. Another thing I like about it is that the dust cup is very easy to empty, and the filter can also be rinsed off and used over and over. The vacuum is lightweight and easy to carry up and down stairs. My mother-in-law just purchased the latest version of the Shark cordless stick vacuum, and my sixteen year old daughter even made the comment that the Shark worked fine on my mother-in-law's vinyl floor, but it couldn't handle the carpet in the family room at all. The Hoover works VERY well on my frieze carpet.

There are a couple of things about the Hoover LiNX cordless stick vacuum that bug me. The first thing is the price. Most stores carry them for about $179.00. I was "lucky" and caught mine at WalMart on a day that it was $178.00 (big deal, but a buck is a buck!). Another thing that bugs me a little is I think the charge in the lithium ion battery should last a little longer. It would be nice if I had a second battery charged up and ready to go when the first one runs out. I suppose I should look around and see if there are additional batteries that can be purchased (at at huge price, I am sure) on the Hoover parts website. One other thing that is sort of a pain is if I try to vacuum my steps. The vacuum is so nice and lightweight that it seemed like doing the steps wouldn't be a problem, but being a stick, there no way to shorten or change the handle at all, so the task can be awkward--but I do it anyway!

So, there you have it. Pros: Lightweight, easy switch from bare floors to carpet, powerful, easy emptying the dust cup, durable. Cons: Cost, relatively short battery charge, awkward when vacuuming steps.

If your budget can support this little cutie, I would say, "Go out and get one!"

ZAMU Health Drink: Is It Real?

I was watching "The Bonnie Hunt Show" this morning and she had Olivia Newton-John and her new huband, John Easterling on. They were talking about the couple's trip to the Amazon and the work Mr. Easterling does in and for the rainforest. They brought Bonnie a bottle of ZAMU which is a drink made from the camu camu berry. The claim is that the camu camu berry has the highest concentration of natural vitamin C. The drink, ZAMU is some elixir that you drink twice a day to improve your health. Mr. Easterling said that is has ingredients in it that increase the seritonin uptake in your body, so you feel "really good" when you drink the stuff. Bonnie and her guests shared a swig of the juice and then she and Bruno Tonioli had some more. I'm just curious if the stuff works.

I looked up ZAMU and like every other health food craze, there is a "business opportunity" for you to start your own business selling the stuff. It is quite expensive, $45.00 for one bottle and $125.00 for a case of four bottles. My hope is that this is on the up and up. I hope that the people who produce ZAMU are not plundering and raping the rainforest in search of enough camu camu berries to make this miracle juice. I'm skeptical, how about you?

Trip to BMV Exercise in Stupidity

So, do want to know how I spent my morning? I was trying (unsuccessfully, I might add) to get an Indiana driver's license. It didn't seem to be that big of a deal. I've done it before--back when I was sixteen and then two years ago when I had to get a Virginia driver's license. Now that we have moved back to Indiana--a state that doesn't think any other state's driver's licenses count for anything, I need to get my license switched back. I have already been to the BMV twice, but was unable to get the license because it was either too late in the day (you have to be there an hour before closing) or I didn't have my birth certificate with me. Today, since I had everything I thought I needed, I decided to give it another try. I knew I would have to take a written test (didn't have to do that in VA), but I was confident about that part. After standing in a long line, I went up to the counter, thinking everything was cool. I hand the girl my Social Security card, my birth certificate, my old Virginia license, and our first utility bill from our new house. Well, guess what? My name wasn't on the bill; only my husband's was. Okay, so I get that. The girl goes through a list of all the things that can be used for proof of residence, and I have none of them. Here is the list: 1. a child support check stub--my husband and I are married and raising our children together--don't have that 2. Bill or benefit statement--nope, don't have that--haven't received any bills with my name and new address 3. Indiana driver's license, ID card or permit with photo--well, duh! I just moved from out of state--don't have that 4. Indiana surveyor report--don't know what that is 5. Indiana residency affidavit--Huh??? 6. Voter registration card--hello! don't these people get it??? I just moved here 7. Valid Indiana vehicle or watercraft title or registration--how would I have that???? So the girl asked me if I had a bank account, and, yes! I have that! I needed a bank statement, but I haven't been here long enough to have received one, so she said all I had to do was to go back to the bank (I had already been there to make a deposit prior to my BMV trip) and get the teller to print out a statement that had my name, account number, balance, stamped and signed by the bank teller with today's date. The girl even asked me if I wanted her to print out the list of what she needed from the bank. Of course I said sure, because I would never be able to remember all that (oh geez, I'm being patient!).

I take the paper to the bank, the teller of course doesn't have a statement, but can print out all the information needed. He does that--even double checks that everything is there. He signs, stamps, and dates it. I take it back over to the BMV, stand in that icky line again, and the girl looks at it and says, "Well, this doesn't have your address on it." I say, "Well, you printed out exactly what I was supposed to get, and that is what I got." She says, "Well, I'll just check to make sure." In the mean time, she asks the other check-in girl if she thought the statement was enough. The other girl said, "Oh sure, I accept all kinds of things as proof of residency." Instead of my girl letting it go at that, after all, you can't get a checking account without an address, she holds her hand up for someone else to come and give her opinion. I was still feeling patient and pleasant.

Then something ugly happened that turned my pleasant demeanor sour. The other woman said to my check-in girl, this has to have the address, it's for proof of residency, sometimes you just have to spell this out to these people! Okay, now I'm mad and my face is turning red. Spell it out for these people? What? I politely said, "I know what you are saying, but I got the exact information I was told to get. '' I could feel my face getting hot. I was angry, not because I was disputing what they were saying, it was just the condescending way they were speaking to me. It was humiliating. I am not confident that I will have the required papers by the end of 60 days, so whatever. I'm just going to drive with my Virginia license until the last possible minute.

Free to Choose--Even a Dog!

The last time I checked, I was living in the United States of America. Right? We are the land of the free and home of the brave, but it seems recently so many groups have been acting as though we are not a free people that I just have to scratch my head. The thing is this: we should be able to pick out a dog or any other pet from whomever, wherever we choose. The President of the United States should also be allowed to pick his family pet--the one that best fits with his family--from a breeder or a shelter. Why should this be such a big deal? Of course finding that one miserable, scrappy little creature who is on the list to be euthanized; who is, at the last minute picked as the pet for a loving family would be the animal rescue people's choice. What a great, heartwarming story to have had the First Family swoop in and rescue a needy dog! Sure, I agree. I am all for rescuing dogs. I have a dog (a purebred, by the way) who was given up by 5 different families who couldn't handle her--and that was all before she even turned 6 months old--s0, all you animal rescue people--I get it. What I don't get is how pushy you sound when you whine about the President getting a purebred dog from a breeder. Sometimes there isn't a rescue dog that is appropriate for the family. I had a terrible time finding a dog when we were looking. We were told that the dogs we were interested in were either already being considered by another family, or that small dogs weren't appropriate for small children (I had a three year old at the time), or that the dog had behavior problems--all sorts of obstacles were in our way. I ended up adopting a dog from a foster pet group and we have had our little Parson Russell Terrier for five years now. So, I am for shelter dogs. I wanted a shelter dog, but it just didn't work out. I ended up with an unwanted purebred--is that so unlike the Obama family? The President would surely have been criticized if he and his family had chosen a shelter dog just to appease the folks who are rescue advocates, and then had to return the dog because it wasn't right for the family. Apparently, the dog they picked had been returned to the breeder because it wasn't a good addition to that particular family. I would think that any dog or cat or bird or hamster who is purchased, adopted or otherwise obtained; who is given a chance at a decent, comfortable life would be the goal of all animal lovers. Does it really matter where the dog started it's life? This is America and all of us, including the President, should be able to get a family pet without fear of being criticized for their choice. It's a personal choice, not an outside committee decision. Good grief!

Adam Lambert--Great Singer, But Scary

I think Adam Lambert is probably the best singer, and probably the most ready to become a pop star than all the remaining cast members of this season's American Idol show. I wonder why, with his being so good, he hasn't already been recording records and doing concerts and things. It seems that others on past shows (Carly comes to mind) who don't really have the chops, have had record deals. Why hasn't Adam? Even if he doesn't win, he will definitely have a bright career after this show. With all that being said, I just don't like him much. He is sort of spooky; there's just something about him that makes me feel a little scared of him. Sometimes when he sings, he sort of screams and it just puts me off. Last night's song was beautiful, though. I'm betting he's going to win, even though he isn't my favorite. I rather like Danny Gokey--he doesn't scare me as much! Just an afterthought. . .Has anyone else noticed how ginormous Adam Lambert looks when he is standing next to Ryan Seacrest? Check it out tonight, you'll see what I mean.

More Housewife Stuff-Hoover Cordless Vacuum

Since we have just moved into a new house, I have been trying to fit all our stuff from the previous two houses into this one. This new house is just different enough from the last two that fitting things in and trying to arrange furniture and putting things away is becoming quite a challenge. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining in the least. The new house has plenty of room for stuff, it's just that the stuff I have doesn't fit the layout of the house. Anyway, for years I have had a big, clunky, Kirby vacuum. It has served me well, but it is difficult to drag up and down stairs and is just plain heavy. Our last house had a central vac system, so old Kirby-G4 didn't come out of the closet much. The new house doesn't have a central vac, so I am back to Mr. Hefty Kirby. I decided I wanted something easier to run up and down the steps with, and could also be nice to my hardwood floors. I had my eye on a Dyson, but they are so expensive that I didn't dare get one. I found a little bagless, cordless deal that is supposed to be grand. It is a Hoover LiNX stick vacuum. It is in the (woo hoo Platinum collection). Pretty fancy, huh? This little fella runs on a lithium ion battery and is very lightweight. It does a fair job on the hardwood, tile and carpeted areas of my home. I'm not sure how long this little guy is going to last, though, because I have a lot of area to cover. For the $179.00 price tag, I hope it lasts a good long while. Hefty Kirby is still my man for the tough jobs, so he will probably stay with me for awhile longer. That's my housewife junk for today. Happy weekend!