* * * * MP Forever * * * *

Smoke Free

2008-09-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

OK I know I don't post anymore, life has gotten in my way but I thought that this was post worthy. TODAY I HAVE BEEN SMOKE FREE FOR 1 YEAR!!!! I am proud of myself. It has not been fun or easy but I know it's worth it. I have to say I do feel Better now than I did. I now am going to take myself out and do something fun. I hope all is well with everyone. Later

What a Storm!

2008-05-20T20:53:00.002-05:00

This afternoon we had quite the "thunderstorm." We had 2" hail...our yard was covered in it! My yard was more white this afternoon than the whole entire winter. I haven't had a chance to access the damage on the cars. E and I both got new cars in the past few weeks so I hope we don't have hail damage. The kids were crying and being dramatic, the cat was freaked. We had tornado warnings. Freaky afternoon.

Digital Scales

2008-05-19T21:00:00.004-05:00

So, how are you doing on those New Year's Resolutions that you made back in January? Elizabeth and I are doing really well. We continue to go to the YMCA everyday and E has lost a few pounds. We are pretty laod back about it, but I know some people go on new diet regimes that involve measuring and weighing their food in exact proportions. There are digital scales that are made for use in the kitchen by weighing foods. And with all the talk of losing weight many people go out and buy a new digital bathroom scale as well. Maybe you need one to see what your accurate weight really is? Elizabeth has been thinking about getting one the last few days since she discovered the scales at the YMCA are not accurate. One day it said she had lost 7 lbs. from the week before, and the next day it said she had only lost 1 pound. So, I decided I just need to go and get her something that's more reliable. I like digital scales because you can see if you've lost, even if it's not a whole pound. Now, rather than merely showing your weight, these scales can determine your body fat percentage, and some can even tell you how much of your body is water!

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We're Going to Kindergarten...Again!

2008-05-19T20:56:00.003-05:00

We went to Xander's Preschool graduation tonight. It's hard to believe that he will be going to Kindergarten in just a couple of months. He has always been such a "baby" and clung to his family. He has grown so much this past year, turned 5, and is ready for big boy school. He is so excited to go to Zoe's school and ride the bus like her. Everything is a competition you know, school is no different. I know that we will adjust to having 2 kids in school just fine, it's jsut a lot to process tonight.

Paintball

2008-05-19T20:44:00.003-05:00

When I lived in Indiana, I used to love to go and play paintball with my brother and friends. I've been dying to get back out there! I need to seek out some guys here in NC that like to paintball as well. I've been looking at Paintball stuff online and I'm in the mood. Did you know that Ultimate Paintball is an awesome web-site for all of your Paintball needs? They sell Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Draxxus paintball gear plus many more brands. They have a wide variety of paintball supplies including: Sniper paintball guns, masks, hoppers, tubes, barrels, tactical vests, paintball jersey and pants, and much more! Their top-selling guns are the Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot ACS.Ultimate Paintball offers the best prices with free shipping too. Another interesting fact about Ultimate Paintball is that their employees actually play paintball. Their Customer Service Reps are knowledgable about the sport and can help you make decisions if needed. This is especially helpful if you know little about the sport, but want to buy a gift for your hubby. If you, your hubby or sons love paintball head on over to Ultimate Paintball and check out their "Killer Paintball Gun Packages" today!

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New Ride

2008-04-29T13:38:00.005-05:00

Well I know I don't post anymore but I thought I would about my new car. I loved my truck but with the price of gas continuing to rise and my truck getting 14 MPG I needed to find something a little better on gas. I got me a Volvo S80 2.5T. I love it, it has all sorts of nice features. It is loaded with most everything I could want. The only problem is now is trying to keep it for myself. Elizabeth keeps trying to take it for herself and make me drive the minivan.

Refinance deals.

2008-02-06T17:02:00.000-06:00

Now is the time to take advantage of all of the super low interest rates and refinance! DollarBlvd.com can help! You can get 5 free quotes on your refinance right now, and California Refinance customers can take advantage of special deals that are only for California customers. I've been thinking of refinancing lately as well, especially if I can find a company that offers no closing fees or money down. I would love to take advantage of the lower interest rates right now, how about you?

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Bloggy Give-Aways Carnival

2008-01-27T21:37:00.001-06:00

**This Contest is now closed! Congrats to #40-Distybug from the Daddy's Girl Blog!!

Gotta love Give-Aways! GEt a chance to win stuff for FREE and get lots of traffic to your own blog as well. Shannon over at Bloggy Give-Aways is hosting another Carnival. I am giving away Jump Start World 1st Grade Computer Game. It is new for 2008 for High-Speed Connections, Rated "E" for Everyone, includes 80+ adventures and Missions, builds Math, Reading and Critical Thinking Skills.

All you have to do is leave me a comment before Sunday, Feb. 3rd at 6pm. You don't have to be a blogger to win, just make sure you leave me an email address to contact you. I will do a http://www.random.org/ drawing after I watch the Super Bowl. LOL! Contest open to US Residents only.

Back To The Gym

2008-01-13T20:37:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth and I have started working out again. It feels good to be active and doing something. I go every morning at 5:30am before work. In 2 weeks I have lost 4 lbs and feel like I'm gaining some muscle. I've been lifting pretty hard. There's been a couple days that I had a hard time moving certain body parts. You gotta start somewhere.

Zenni Optical

2008-01-13T20:32:00.000-06:00

Zennioptical.com sells wonderfully stylish prescription eyeglasses online. They have super low prices because they sell only their own manufactured frames direct to the customer. They have no middleman and almost no advertising budget. At Zennioptical.com you can choose from a huge variety of frames, lenses, sunsensor lenses, tinted lenses, and bifocals too! They have everything to meet your needs and to make it even better you can shop from home. Thank you for using Zenni Optical.

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Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

Hello all.

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy working. I worked a lot in December. I was on call for 2 weeks and worked about 40 hours of overtime. Then, of course, there were the holidays. We had a nice Christmas. The kids got way too much as usual. Xander's favorite gift was a skateboard, Zoe's was a Baby Alive that really eats, pees and poops. Zachary's...I'm not sure, but he liked everything that he got and screams "Mine" over all of Xander's stuff too. He's growing up so quickly that I can hardly believe it some days.

We used the extra overtime money and joined the YMCA. I paid for the year out right so that we don't have any more monthly bills. I've wanted to do this for quite some time. I need to get back into shape.

So, now we are back to the daily grind. Oh yeah, I had a birthday on Christmas Day as well. 33. And now Elizabeth has her B-day on Friday and then Zoe's and Xander's are coming up in the next month as well. We call it Birthday season around here.

Plan A Trip Today!

2007-12-19T21:30:00.000-06:00

Ever heard of Hotel Reservations.com? They look like they have some really great deals. You can even choose fancy destinations like France to visit! I was checking out their website and they offer rebates, road trip search and destination guide. Their search tools are great and so easy to use. I can see how you could plan your whole trip with this site. It is really great the deals that they offer! They offer lots of vacation packages, bed and breakfasts, and condo rentals. You can book your hotel, flight and rental car on the site as well. One great benefit is that there is no change or cancellation fees. They also do group or individual party bookings and you can book online or by telephone at 1-800-447-4136. They seem to really be one-upping the other sites I have used before.

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Three months

2007-12-19T21:15:00.000-06:00

Today makes three months that I have been smoke-free. Three months is pretty monumental, don't you think? I have eaten about 2,500 Dum-Dum suckers and only had 2 nervous breakdowns, but I am here three months later...smoke-free. I am here to tell you that if I can do this, anyone can do it! The bad days are getting less and less. I think about smoking still and have cravings, but even those are becoming fewer. I guess my next big goal will be 6 mos. More updates to come.

100 FREE ooprint biz cards from ooprint.com

2007-12-12T10:28:00.000-06:00

Ooprint is excited to introduce the ooprint biz card for Facebook!! This Facebook application, created by ooprint, allows you to: Show it off! Add your personalized ooprint biz card to your profile and Get it free! Order 100 printed cards FREE on ooprint.com and pass it around! Hand out your ooprint biz card and connect offline! These creative business cards are designed to showcase your Facebook contact information: the name on your profile & your email address. The ooprint biz cards allow you to not only have a business card in your Facebook profile, but to pass out your information and network in the real world! You can personalize your cards to include your personal information, even upload your logo or photo! Best of all, you can get 100 FREE ooprint biz cards (shipping not included) on ooprint.com.

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Work, Work and More Work...

2007-12-12T10:24:00.000-06:00

Man, yesterday was a killer! I worked form 8am until Midnight last night...You gotta love other utility companies that come and dig up stuff, cut lines, and then the phone company (ie..ME) has to go and fix it. But, on the up-side I made some serious cash yesterday with all of that over-time! At least that does make me feel better for missing all of that time with my family last night, not to mention, I missed HOUSE, MD. as well. Elizabeth and I love that show. Oh well. Back to work I go!

Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd

2007-12-09T14:18:00.000-06:00

Do I have any Johnny Depp fans out there? Is he not just an awesome actor or what? Tim Burton's latest film, Sweeney Todd will be in theatres on December 21st and Johnny Depp is the main character Sweeney Todd-The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He plays a father and husband that gets ripped away from his family and thrown into jail or banished from his family, I believe. When he gets out he finds out that his wife is gone and someone has his daughter. He then creates a new identity for himself and takes his revenge on the men who took his family away from him in the first place. Revenge is the central theme of the movie "Sweeney Todd." "Never Forgive. Never Forget."

So, Sweeney Todd became a Barber and starts slitting the throats of the betrayers and he even has a trap door for the slain bodies to slide out of his barber chair into. Isn't that the ultimate revenge? Lure them in and get them when they are least expecting it.I would hope that I could forgive someone if they hurt me or my family, but if they did it on purpose it would make it very hard to forgive and forget what had happened. Has there ever been a situation that you have had a hard time getting over and did you take revenge in some way? I don't know that I have ever taken revenge, per se. Nothing other than a delibarate cold shoulder, etc... Yes, I'm a pretty boring person. LOL! But, if you want to read more about this movie, you can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace or visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site to view the trailer.

Johnny Depp always plays in very unique, strange, and very-dramatic roles. I truly admire his work. Anyone out there remember "Edward Scissorhands, What' Eating Gilbert Grape, Cry Baby, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Sleepy Hollow, Don Juan DeMarco, and Benny and Joon??? Those are oldie-goldies...More recently Pirates of the Caribbean, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Avg. Life Expectantcy is Decreasing

2007-12-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

I heard the other day on the news that our kid's generation is going to be the first generation in which the Avg. Life expectantcy is actually going down by a few years rather than up. Main cause? For the first time in history, human life expectantcy is decreasing not because of NOT having enough food, but because of eating too much!!! Isn't that unbelievable? But, I totally believe it, especially when over-eating leads to so many issues like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more.

LapBand Surgery in Tampa

2007-12-05T20:45:00.000-06:00

Are you or somemone you love extremely overweight? Have you ever considered having weight loss Tampa style to help you lose weight? The LAPBAND Adjustable Gastric Band is designed to help you lose excess body weight, improve health conditions and enhance your quality of life. It reduces the stomach size and limits the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. You definitely have to change your eating habits, eating only small portion several times a day and not drinking with your meals. But, it is worth the changes to be healthier, live longer, feel better, and look great too. So, do your research and decide if LapBand is right for you.

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The Broken Rib

2007-12-05T18:27:00.000-06:00

Well, I am still in pain. It's been 3-4 weeks now and I have some good days until I sneeze, have a coughing fit, or one of the kids jump on me at full force and bring tears to my eyes. Then I usually have several bad days following one of those incidents. I'm hoping and praying I am back to 100% soon, because this really sucks. I missed the last few weeks of the YMCA Volleyball season, which I was unhappy about. So, say a prayer for me that I would be healed asap, if you don't mind.

Tutors

2007-11-22T21:12:00.000-06:00

Does your child hate doing their homework, whine or get frustrated easily with it? Wouldn't an Innovative Tutor help you out in this area? Score Learning centers help children ages 4 to 14 make significant academic progress in an innovative tutoring environment. If I ever feel that one of my kids need help with a particular subject, I will not hesitate to get them the help that they need. If you need a tutor, go check out Score Learning Centers.

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Thanksgiving at the Beach

2007-11-22T21:04:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my Dad and Sue we got to spend our Thanksgiving at the Beach! Man, this has been so nice. It took us about 3 hours to get here. We are staying in Currituck County, which is just north of Duck, NC on the Outerbanks. It was in the 70's today. We took the kids to the beach and it was so warm, even the water. The house is 3 stories high, 5 bedrooms, Hot Tub, a killer Jacuzzi Bath Tub that would fit my entire family, oh and a pool table in the game room, etc... It is awesome! Other than the house and beach, it has been nice to spend some quality time with family. Amy, Buster, and Max are here too. We are truly thankful for this trip and for our family as well.

Payday Loans

2007-11-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

Ever had a time when you didn't have enough cash to cover your expenses until your next pay check? This happens to everyone at some point. Some people get Payday loans or cash advances. This is a short term loan that can range from $100-$1500 and is paid back on a mutually agreed upon date. No Fax Payday Loans are offering a payday loan fee calculator and giving customers multiple quotes on payday loans. Check it out and see how they compare to their competitors.

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Stripping the Holiday

2007-11-22T08:49:00.000-06:00

OK so when is Political correctness going to draw the line? I just read a news article on Yahoo news about Santa's are being told NOT to say "HO HO HO" anymore and "HA HA HA" was to be used because HO might offend a child or a woman. REALLY? HOW MANY CHILDREN (that believe in Santa) KNOW WHAT HO MEANS? and if they do it is the parents fault for using that term in a manner that is derogatory. Come on, no HO HO HO? No CHRISTmas (only happy holidays), Just out of curiosity why is it we celebrate Christmas? I thought this country welcomed diversity. I think more and more we all have to believe the same thing (which is nothing) because to take a stand on ANYTHING might offend someone and that is wrong.

The Mist by Stephen King

2007-11-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

I know you have seen or read at least 1 story written by Stephen King. Maybe The Green Mile, Misery, Thinner, Pet Cemetery, etc... will ring a bell? Several years ago I took a trip with my Dad, Sue and all of my siblings to Japan. Dad and Sue had been working over there with Nortel at the time. Anyway, we got to see lots of interesting sites, but one time we went to a lake and were paddle-boating around. Then, this fog rolled over the lake and we couldn't see anything at all. We pretty much just had to sit there and wait it out. The girls were terrified, of course. What was probably only a few minutes seemed like an eternity. That type of situation is a little scary especially when you can't see wnything throught the fog and can't get out of it either. Eventually, we found out way out and had a good laugh. We still talk about that incident to this day. My point though is that Stephen King writes awesome stories! He has such an incredible imagination.

I'm sure you've seen the movie trailers for the upcoming release of the newest thriller The Mist by Stephen King. It will be in theatres everywhere November 21st. From what I've seen, it looks like this town is being swallowed by a mist that is rolling into town. There is a clip of all of these townspeople who are in a store trying to wait out the mist until it passes, but then weird stuff starts to happen. They eventually start turning on each other, etc...Maybe even a sacrifice of a child is involved? I think someone even tries to go out into the mist and I'm sure something really bad happens or he doesn't come back. I can't wait to see it!! I love Stephen King movies and it amazes me how many story lines he can come up with. Do you plan to see this new movie? What is your favorite Stephen King book or film?

On-Call

2007-11-11T13:44:00.000-06:00

I have been "On-Call" this weekend for work. I got a page on Saturday morning about 1:00am. I didn't get back until about 4:00am. I was about to fall over and hoped to get a few mroe hours of sleep before getitng up with the kids. Then, I got another page about 7:30am. From that point on everything was a blur. I had one issue after another to deal with. I finally got home at 10:45pm on Saturday night. So, all in all I worked about 19 hours of Time and a Half on Saturday alone. Then, just an hour or two later...at 12:40am on Sunday morning I got another page!! Ugh. I worked another couple hours, but on Sundays I get Double-time at least. Needless to say, my next paycheck will be a good one. But, dang I'm tired...

Dentemp OS

2007-11-09T15:59:00.000-06:00

Back when I was about 16 or so I was diving with my brother and some friends. Someone threw me a new diving mask and it hit me right in the front tooth. I felt a bunch of broken stuff in my mouth and spit out half of my front tooth which was now in little, itty, bitty pieces. Of course, I had my tooth fixed. Then years later...just a couple years ago I had to have the tooth fixed because of aging and smoking and other stuff that tooth was not the same color as the rest. Just a few weeks after I got it fixed I was eating something ridiculously soft like bread or something and my tooth broke off again!! I had to wait around a day or two like that until I could get into the Dentist office. Bad stuff like that always happens on the weekend, doesn't it? My tooth was extremely sensitive and not to mention because it was my front tooth, it was very embarrassing as well.

I wish at the time I had known about Dentemp OS. It is a 60 minute temporary dental repair to broken fillings, loose caps or crowns.It is easy to apply and you can eat again within 60 mins of applying it to your tooth. It would have gotten me through the weekend a whole lot more comfortably if I ahd known about it. I will definitely remember it next time this happens to me. Dentemp OS comes in a resealable vial that stays fresh in between uses. You may be able to use 1 vial up to 6 times! It comes ready to use with no mixing or mess. It also Provides fast, temporary relief of pain and discomfort. Think of it as Dental First Aid! Don't forget it next time you have a loose cap or broken filling!

More Free Time

2007-11-09T14:51:00.000-06:00

I love fall, but man am I glad that some of the kid's activities are finally winding down. Zoe has been doing Cheerleading since August and her last game is tomorrow. It's kinda getting too cold for 6 year olds to cheer and play football anyway.

Then, Xander had his Soccer Awards Ceremony last Friday. It was a short season, but combined the rest of the family's activities it was hard to squeeze it in. He got his very first trophy and is very proud of himself. We are proud of him too. At the beginning of the season we had our doubts as to if he would really even play. And to top it off he made a little friend named Andrew that also goes to his Sunday School Class. This friendship has made it easier for Xander to go to church as well. God is good. We thought he'd never go to Sunday School willingly!

Now I have 2 more Volleyball Games at the YMCA and V-Ball will be over for me. I don't know what we are going to do with all of our spare time now!! Sports were 5 days a week...

My Favorite Fall Recipe

2007-11-08T21:07:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's that time again! It's fall. And what better way to celebrate the cooler weather and holiday season than by eating until our hearts are content, right? And if you haven't noticed by now, I love to cook! So, here is our recipe for a Pumpkin Roll. Just be careful, because it's tricky to roll up the cake without breaking it! My wife and I enjoy making this together every year.

Pumpkin Roll Cake:
3 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 cup flour

Mix well and put on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degress for approximately 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then flip out onto a dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll up cake in towel until all cooled.

Filling:
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 c.Powdered Sugar

Beat well and spread filling evenly on pumpkin roll. Roll up onto a dish and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

This is a great recipe to use in your mixer if you have one. I'd love to get a newer, bigger, heavier-duty one. For instance, I saw this new Eclectrics® Mixer. It definitely has more power than my mixer. It has 400 watts of power to mix even the toughest jobs like 9 dozen cookies or 4 -1lb. loaves of bread. I saw this Hamilton Beach® Mixer and I think my wife would like it too. And I think she would like this Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer in the color "Apple." These mixers are quieter too than the standard mixer. During the month of November they are offering FREE shipping on all orders of $75 or more as well. So, this is the perfect time of year to invest in a mixer. Maybe as a Christmas gift? And, an added bonus is that it comes with a 3 year limited warranty.

Poor Zachary

2007-11-08T12:33:00.001-06:00

Man, Zachary has been so sick all week. Poor little guy! He has had a high fever, shakes and chills, sweats, runny nose, swollen tonsils, terrible disposition, etc... And I hate when you can't do anything for them, ya know? He wouldn't even take fever reducing meds, so Elizabeth had to get get suppositories for him. Yeah, that was fun! After that, he decided he might give the medicine a try. ha..ha..Most of those symptoms have lasted about 4 days. Later this afternoon, he was acting like he was feeling a bit better. It was good to see him running around and playing like normal. He's back to his usual spunky self. Maybe he'll be back to 100% tomorrow. I'm jsut hoping and praying that no one else comes down with this stuff in the next few days. You know how it goes...when one kid gets it they pass it around to all of the other siblings.

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month

2007-11-08T12:23:00.000-06:00

Did you know that November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month? I just recently read about it and had to jump on this band wagon, so to speak. Actually, the Alzheimer Foundation of America wants everyone to know that Tuesday, November 13, 2007 is "National Memory Screening Day." Participating sites offer free confidential memory screenings, as well as follow up resources and educational materials to those concerned about memory loss. Together, we hope to improve quality of life. You can go to the AFA's website and learn more about Alzheimer's and where participating centers are in your area that are offering the Memory Screening on November 13th. There will also be a National Commemorative Candle Lighting held on November 8th to remember and honor Americans affected by Alzheimer's.

Would you like to give a holiday gift? Lots of people like to give to a worthy cause around the holidays. This is definitely one. Some people like to Memorialize a friend, neighbor or loved one and respect his/her legacy by helping others in need. You can give an Honorarium to honor someone who is currently living with this brain disorder. And some people like to Celebrate special occassions such as Weddings, birthdays, Anniversaries, etc... by making a donation. You can contriute by phone, mail or online. Of their total revenues, AFA spends 87% on programs and services and 13% is spent on Administrative and/or Fundraising Expenses.

From the AFA's web-site:
"Although every case of Alzheimer's disease is different, experts have identified common warning signs of the brain disease. Remember, Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging, and it is important to look for signs that might indicate Alzheimer's disease versus basic forgetfulness. With Alzheimer's disease, these symptoms gradually increase and become more persistent. Typical warning signs include:

-Memory loss, especially of recent events, names, placement of objects, and other new information
-Confusion about time and place
-Struggling to complete familiar actions, such as brushing teeth or getting dressed
-Trouble finding the appropriate words, completing sentences, and following directions and conversations
-Poor judgment when making decisions
-Changes in mood and personality, such as increased suspicion, rapid and persistent mood swings, withdrawal, and disinterest in usual activities
-Difficulty with complex mental assignments, such as balancing a checkbook or other tasks involving numbers"

Health Insurance

2007-11-08T12:18:00.000-06:00

Why does it cost so freakin' much for Health Insurance through work? It literally goes up every year. And the thing that really irks me is that the cost of the insurance goes up more than my pay increase (cost of living increase) each year. So, really I am taking a pay cut every year!! Errr... yes, I'm bright and chipper today about this news. It jsut sucks to be "middle-class." We work so hard and can barely afford to feed our families and provide adequate health care. And the funny thing is if I sat on my butt and didn't work my family would have awesome health coverage. I'm telling you the Health Care system in our country needs to change.

Garage Flooring

2007-11-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

We used to have a garage in Indiana. It was nice, 2 car, and had lots of storage. It also had built in work benches and shelving. Man do I miss that garage! The only weird thing about that garage was that the garage floor, which was comcrete, had been painted and then the paint was chipping off. It annoyed us to no end. Everytime you would sweep, paint chips would be piled up into the dust pan. We needed some new garage floors very badly. Do you have a garage floor is that is bare, old, cracked, or oil stained? CarGuyGarage.com can help. Go check out the professional grade epoxy to protect your new garage floor as well.

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Stuck at Work!!!

2007-11-05T11:33:00.000-06:00

It's bad when you can't leave!!! I mean CAN'T. I have a flat tire on my work van and we don't have spares anymore. So I am stuck 40 min from the office and I have left a voicemail for my boss. I'm waiting for him to call me back, so I can get a tow!

later.

Well, I finally got a tow truck to come and take me to get my tire fixed. The whole process took about 2 hours. What a waste of my work day. And to add to the stress of the day other people that I work with were out today so I had lots to do and no van to get me there.

loads of fun.

Bad Credit?

2007-10-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

Have you gotten yourself and family into a pickle? If so, you are not alone! Thousands of Americans have bad credit. People who have bad credit are not bad people, they've just made some poor financial decisions or had some unexpected things come up that started the downward spiral. If you've learned your lesson and want to get things back on track financially there is a web-site called BadCreditOffers.com that you can go to for help. Rather than applying for the first offer that comes in the mail, this site allows visitors to compare dozens of bad credit loans from major providers and find the best offer to fit their needs. Maybe you'd like to eventually buy a house, a new car, or you've thought about Debt Consolidation or Credit Repair Services. Go check out this site, it will help you find the best deals out there to rebuild your credit.

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Generous Bloggers

2007-10-30T07:10:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth and I are having loads of fun playing the Fall Ya'll Blog Give-Aways. Seriously, Bloggers must be the most generous people ever or maybe it's just a ploy to get tons of people to you blog that gives you the thrill. In any case, many bloggers are giving away stuff this week. Good stuff too! Like $40 Target Gift Cards, $25 GAP Cards, $25 Land's End Cards, etc... Last summer when Elizabeth played she won like 6 of the gve-aways. They weren't all Gift Cards, btw. But, she had fun. So, I joined in this time giving away a $5 Blockbuster GCard and a Krispy Kreme GCert. I am 1 of maybe 2-3 men in this whole thing. LOL! Nevertheless, we are ahving fun together entering all of the give-aways. And when Elizabeth runs across a really good one she makes note of it for me to go and enter to double our chances of winning. There's only a little over 300 contests to enter right now, so get started at bloggygiveaways.com!!

Police Gear

2007-10-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

Well, if there was ever a perfect "PayPerPost" opportunity for me, this is it! You know, with my background as a Military Police Officer and all. There is a cool Police Gear web-site that I have found that I want to tell you about. 511TacticalOutdoors.com has everything that you need! They have 5.11 Tactical Pants, Boots, Tactical Hawk Glasses, Ten Eight Duty Tanto Point Knife, Agressor Parkas, etc... Thay also offer FREE shipping on all orders over $50. Go check em' out!

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$5 Blockbuster Card and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Give-Away!

2007-10-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who entered. This give-away is now closed! The winner is Lisa from Ellijay At Heart.

My Give-Away is something that you can give to your Husband or keep for yourself! Enter here to win a $5 Blockbuster Gift Card and a coupon for a FREE dozen of Krispy Kreme Original Glaze Doughnuts. Everyone loves movies and everyone loves doughnuts, so it's the perfect gift! I will hold a Random.org drawing on Sunday, Nov 4th at 6pm. Anyone can enter, just make sure you leave your email address so that I can contact you. Go check out all of the other give-aways at Bloggy Giveaways!

Shower Faucets

2007-10-28T20:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know if you have ever had this issue, but right under our water control handle in our shower is a button that you push to make the water change from filling the bath to coming out of the shower head. Ours is corroded on the inside or something and we need a new one. It won't pop in and out all by itself when you turn the water off anymore. And it kinda squirts out water as well. I don't think it's supposed to do that. Looks like we will be checking out shower faucets this weekend.

I've never had to replace one before, but I am finding that there are some super cute ones over at Faucet.com. They have many different styles and brands such as: Kohler, Moen, Delta Faucets, American Standard, Danze and more. The other really cool thing is that they offer Free Shipping on orders over $99. You can even sign up on their email newsletter list and get a $10 off coupon, newletters and sales alerts. If you are like us and are putting up with a cruddy old shower head system, it's time for an upgrade!

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More Fall Stuff

2007-10-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

We went to our friend's Bill and Shelly's house tonight for some fall fun! We ordered Pizza for dinner. The kids played inside and outside until it got too cold and dark, and Bill and I carved Pumpkins. I finally got Zachary's Thomas The Train Pumpkin done. Elizabeth and Shelly made Halloween cookies with the kids and decorated them, and roasted Pumpkin Seeds. We were all busy, busy doing fall stuff! It's so nice to hang out with them...they are good people. Don't you just love it when you find a couple that you "click" with? It's a good feeling and a true blessing to call them friends.

Cartridge Finder

2007-10-28T07:57:00.000-05:00

Do you have a printer, copier, or fax machine that you are having trouble finding an ink cartidge for? No worries. What you need is Cartridge Finder. CartridgeFinder.com helps you find the right cartridges for your printer, copier, or fax machine. They have a partnership with PriceGrabber, and they are also able to show you the online merchants who sell the cartridges that you are looking for. It's super easy! The next time you need a new ink cartridge quickly go check out CartidgeFinder.com. They will help you find what you need.

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Fall Festivals and Hayrides

2007-10-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

Last night we took the kids to a neighborhood Fall Festival at a church. Here in NC almost every church does a Fall Festival and Trick-or-Treating is frowned upon as Christians. But, we love Trick-or-Treating and don't associate it at all with Evil Spirits, just CANDY! Lots of churches do "Trunk or Treating" as well. That is where you go to the church parking lot and the cars are all lined up...you gets treats from people sitting in the trunks of all of their cars. I had never heard of that until we moved back here.

Anyway, back to last night. We played games, ate food, the kids dressed up, and then we got to go out into the country and go on a Hay Ride. IT was so much fun. The kids loved it! We went 3 times. Elizabeth said it would have been more fun if it had been spooky hay ride, but I think the kids wouldn't have like that anyway. It was a great Fall night!

Plumbing and Sales Training

2007-10-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

Avand.co.uk was set-up as a plumbing training company around 3 years ago. Over that time they have gone UK-wide with centers all over the UK. They have Plumbing Beginning Training Courses, which gets you qualified quickly in 4 weeks or so. They also offer Part P Electrical Course as well. Over the past 3 years, so many of their plumbers have asked about Sales Training Courses that they looked into it and decided that it was a very popular idea. They finally decided to venture into that arena. They are expanding and offering Sales Training. Sales training will join plumbing training as one of their main focuses as a training courses company. Sales skills are imperative to run a successful business and can be useful in all walks of life. If you are interested in Plumbing Training Courses or Sales Training UK Courses and you live in the UK, try Avand.co.uk.

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2 Down 1 To Go...

2007-10-26T21:04:00.001-05:00

Well, I have done 2 of my pumpkins. I carved a "Funkin" foam pumpkin (so that we can keep it forever). I put a picture of Zoe on that one. And then the other pumpkin was a real pumpkin that has Capt Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribbean for Xander. I still ahve a Thomas The Train Pumpkin to do for Zachary this weekend. That boy is obsessed with trains! I hear "Choo-Choo" like every 5 secs of the day, and God help the person (usually Xander) who decides to play with the Choo-Choos. You hear "Mine" resounding throughout our home in a high-pitched 2 yr. old tone. I hope to get pics up this weekend. I think they look pretty good myself.

Green Road

2007-10-25T19:48:00.000-05:00

There is a new Silicon Valley company called GreenRoad that has developed technology that measures driver safety. Focused on business drivers, or fleets, and insurance companies that insure teenage drivers, the technology has lowered the accident rates of its customers by 54%. GreenRoad offers technology that goes into the car that can detect driving "maneuvers" to assess safety level, and then transmits them to an Internet site that lets drivers see where they need to improve. Stats show that car accidents are the leading cause of death each year for teenagers. Using Green Road's new technology can help save many lives of teenage drivers and protect other drivers on the road. Check it out if you have Teenage Drivers.

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Fall

2007-10-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Xander has changed his mind for the umpteenth time! Now we are doing Captain Jack Sparrow form Pirates of the Caribbean on his pumpkin. Here's what it will look like. Zoe still wants her face, so I'm trying to find a picture of her that I like. I have no idea what I'm doing for Zachary. I wish it would stop raining...cause I'm going to be carving ALL weekend! It has been raining here for 2 days...and that's a good thing considering the severe drought that we've been in. I have landscaping that is dead because of the lack of water. I'm hoping some of it will "come back" next Spring. Otherwise, I guess we'll be pulling it out and buying something to put in it's place.

Elizabeth has a huge bag of Organic Sweet Potatoes, so she will be cooking those and freezing them this weekend. There's a lot of them and they are d.i.r.t.y. really, really dirty. One of her friends dug them out of a field herself. But, they are so good. We had some last night.

Oak Beds

2007-10-25T08:23:00.000-05:00

We need a new bed so badly! It sucks when you wake up in the morning hurting more than you did when you went to bed. And not to mention when you bedroom furniture gets so out-dated that you don't want anyone to go into your bedroom to see it! I've been looking at new beds online and I ran across a site called Time4Sleep. They have some sharp looking beds. Some of their most popular beds are leather beds, faux-leather beds, children's beds, Divan beds, etc... They also have French, Upholstered, and Antique Style beds. They are expanding many of their lines of beds and one of the first to be launched are their Oak Beds like the one pictured above. Right now they are offering a few online specials like FREE Shipping if your purchase is over a certain amount, and 5% off the order of a frame and mattress or Divan and headboard. So, if you are like us and in desperate need of a new bed, go check out Time4Sleep and see their beautiful selection of beds.

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Sudoku

2007-10-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

Ever played Sudoku? I am just addicted to it. I can't spell worth a crap so word puzzles are out for me. But, I love numbers and math and stuff like that. Here's a link if you want to go and give it a try: http://www.websudoku.com/
Let me know how you like it.

On another note, Zoe pulled out her 2nd tooth tonight! Finally! Man, there was blood everywhere in the bathroom. I forgot how much you bleed when you lose teeth. She is very proud of herself to say the least, and I'm very proud that I don't have to pay the dentist to take it out like last time.

Amusement Parks

2007-10-23T20:30:00.000-05:00

When is the last time you went to an Amusement Park? One that you got to do the stuff that YOU wanted to do? I miss getting that adrenaline rush, and not to mention that Elizabeth is terrified of the big rides, so I miss riding rides with her as well. I admit that it is fun to take your kids to Amusement Parks as well, as long as they are not toddlers. LOL! I just heard of an Amusement Park in Britain that you can visit if you are ever visiting the UK. Pleasure Beach® is Britain's Biggest Tourist Attraction whose mission it is to make adults feel like children again. The park is open from February until November, and opening times vary.

Pleasure Beach has over 35 restaurants and cafes. They have amazing food choices, fine dining, pizza, pasta, and even the largest Burger King in the UK! And for the theatre lovers, they offer shows as well. And, of course, like any amusement park they have tons of rides for both families and fun stuff for the big people too. This park really looks like fun!

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5 weeks Smoke-Free!

2007-10-23T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today makes it official, I am 5 weeks Smoke-Free! Go ahead and pat me on the back. I'm doing pretty good and proud of myself. This is the longest I have gone without a smoke in years and years. The guys at work were making fun of me at work today. All of the fire alarms in the building went off today at work, so we had to go outside. I was talking to some co-workers who were smoking and they couldn't believe the "non-smoker" was sitting with the "smokers" and talking to them. They couldn't believe I could sit with them and NOT smoke.

Uptown Satuday Night

2007-10-23T07:55:00.000-05:00

Every year on the last Saturdays of October and November, St. Augustine, Florida has a ton of events to check out! The focus is on the incredible antique shopping opportunities available in the Nation’s Oldest City. I'm sure my wife would love to go and check out all of the shopping. LOL! St. Augustine Events is held the last Saturday of every month all year long as well. The next few will be held on Saturday, October 27th and Saturday, November 24th. On those nights, the antique district along San Marco Avenue comes to life with street music and endless opportunities to shop for antiques, rare books and even authentic Spanish treasure! During this monthly event, participating antique dealers provide great workshops covering a variety of antique related topics, book stores provide readings and book signings by local authors, and art galleries feature exhibit openings of some of the finest Florida artists. It's like a street party! You can peruse up and down the streets listening to music, eating, popping in shops and stores at your leisure. You can even take a stroll down Aviles Street which is the oldest street in America.

"Uptown Saturday Night" takes place from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm the last Saturday in October and November. The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING for Uptown Saturday Night. Each participating shop features an open house with wine and refreshments that add to the festive night time atmosphere. Who wouldn't want to go from store to store sampling wines and food? Sounds like fun to me! You can even sit in on a book reading, if that is your sort of thing. Or you can take a train tour if you'd like. There is something for everyone really!! And did I mention the wine? That's reason enough to go! Honestly, just the idea of getting away and going to Florida sounds really appealing to me. I really need a vacation about right now! I bet the St. Augustine Events would be a lot of fun! Go check out their web-site to get more information.

Pumpkin Carving 101

2007-10-23T07:50:00.000-05:00

Every year I carve pumpkins for the kids. I've done Spiderman, Dora, A race car, a LLL Pumpkin for my wife, Snow White, and Xander's face as well. This year Zoe wants me to do her face and Xander wants me to carve the Black Pearl ship from Pirates of the Caribbean. Looks like I have my work cut out for me this week. I need to go get some pumpkins and get busy carving. A freind of mine and I are supposed to get together this weekend and carve. He's into that sort of thing too. I'll try to post pics when I'm done to show you how they turned out.

Loans

2007-10-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Does the word "Loan" stir up negative thoughts in your mind, make your heart palpitate,and your hands sweat? Come on, it does not have to be that bad! You just haven't found the right lender to work with yet. Some people choose to get loans for a new car, to consolidate debts, to finance a wedding or for home improvements. If you are getting a loan you want to make sure you get the best interest rate possible. You have to compare loans! Do you know the difference between Unsecured Loans and secured Homeowner Loans? I've had so many loans in my lifetime, but I can tell you the most important factor is to make sure that you can afford the monthly payments and that you are not getting in over your head. Taking a loan out for a big purchase like a home or car are almost necessity, but racking up credit card debt is just plain crazy. You're never going to pay it off, no matter how hard you try. You have to live according to what you can afford and only use credit cards for emergencies.

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Volleyball at the YMCA

2007-10-19T13:04:00.000-05:00

Last night we had our first game of the Indoor Volleyball Season at the YMCA. We won. I need to get used to the rules because they are a little different from the Beach Volleyball rules. We only had 2 girls there last night and 5 guys. This sucks for the guys. We only got to go in for one rotation in each game. I'm hoping there are some nights that a guy or two don't make it so that I can get some playing time in. But, all in all it was fun and we will be playing until right before Thanksgiving. I can't believe Thanksgiving is that close!

Whogets.com

2007-10-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

Whogets.com online game show is a great site where anyone can join for free to play online games and win prizes like electronics, appliances, DVDs, clothing, etc... There's NO spam, and there's a twist to this game! Most sweepstakes randomly select a winner through some boring old computer program. WhoGets makes contest more fun – we let you decide who wins! Check out the site for more details. WhozNews is a place for members to share articles, stories, blog posts, and more. If you really like an article you can click to "get"it which actually votes on the article. The articles that get the most votes move t o the top of the page!

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Trip Cancelled

2007-10-19T12:52:00.000-05:00

So, the White Water Rafting Trip got cancelled. Not by me, mind you. So, I decided to take my days off of work anyway. It's a 4 day weekend around here for a little R & R. It's raining here, Thank God! We are having a severe drought, so we definitely need the rain. So, with the rain there's not much to do. Xander and I went and rented Fantastic 4 movie. I'd been promising him forever. Other than that, we're just hanging out and hoping it doesn't rain on Sat when it is time for Soccer and Football games.

Recruiting

2007-10-17T22:42:00.000-05:00

Are you a recruiter or manager and you want to mainstream your recruiting system? Trovix Recruit is a web-based talent matching application and tracking system with proprietary search technology built-in. It solves one of the most difficult tasks in corporate staffing such as resume find. Trovix is easy, fast, and delivers results! They have an Application Tracking System (ATS)that manages the entire application process from posting jobs to filling them and compiling reports. A way that this system can help your company save money is that it detects duplicate applicants so you don’t pay agency or referral fees for candidates already in your database. Trovix also allows you to push your jobs to any of hundreds of third party job boards automatically, to get the broadest possible exposure.

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One Month

2007-10-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Well, today marks the official 4th week of me NOT smoking. I know, you're proud right? This past month has had it's ups and downs but all in all it was better than I expected. I had my moments though. I do feel better though.

Then, today I got the bad news that my White Water Rafting Trip got cancelled. Of course. Anything fun that I want to do, that I plan, pay for, and am looking forward to gets cancelled. It sucks. So, today has been a bummer. So, I have 2 days off of work, Thursday and Friday plus the weekend and no plans. We thought about going to the State fair, but Zoe is in school and on Saturday we have Soccer and Cheerleading. I'm not sure if it will work out or not.

Starting Up A Business

2007-10-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought of starting up your own business? Did you exactly what the requirements are to become a corporation? Did you know that one requirement is to hold a regular meeting of shareholders and directors? All important matters are decided on at these meetings and the written document from such meeting is called company minutes. Keeping proper records and minutes is very important. Did you know that the IRS will require to see them? When your corporation is first set up you should have a meeting of directors and shareholders. During that meeting, you should adopt bylaws. When your LLC is set up you should adopt an Operating agreement. If all of this sounds overwhelming, don't worry! There is a company that can help take the guesswork out of this whole process.

If you have ever thought of starting up your own business or corporation, you need to prepare yourself for what is expected and the actions that are required to have a successful business. Incparadise.com can help you. They offer FREE forms and they can prepare a whole set of documents for only $20-$25!! Their company is helping small business owners start up their own companies. They have great prices and excellent services. One of the options they give you is to get your own Tax ID using their forms and they can get it for you for around $25.00. And they may have the lowest prices on Corporate Kits as well. They can help you learn the difference between a LLC and a Corporation as well with their great FAQ section too! So, if you are thinking of starting your own business, go check out their very helpful site! What do you have to lose? It could potentially save you hours of reading and researching this subject on your own.

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White water rafting

2007-10-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

Well I am going rafting on Thursday. We (me and some guys from work) are going up to the Ocoee river to go rafting and camping. We were going to Bridge day up in West Virgina but due to the crowds I think we have changed the location. Bridge day and rafting the Gauley and the new river would be fun but the thought of fighting 200,000 to 250,000 people for a place to stay and eat for the weekend is not so fun. I did think it would have been my kind of festival Base jumping, Rapelling and just hang from a 876 foot tall bridge. Then whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and anything else adventurous I can think of.

Christmas Shop From Home this year!

2007-10-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

It's almost Christmas shopping season, and I absolutely hate going to the mall. What guy doesn't, right? That's why we wait until Christmas Eve. So, why not shop online? Never stepping foot into the mall sounds like a great idea to me. Edealfinder.com helps shoppers save money by offering coupons and online discount codes at their site to tons of merchants. For example: you can get your wife some Blue Nile jewelry for Christmas for a great price using the Blue Nile Coupons or Blue Nile online discount codes offered at this site. Happy Shopping!

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Fall Give-away Alert!

2007-10-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's that time again! Remember the crazy big carnival of give-aways back in the summer where 500+ bloggers gave stuff away? It's back in just a few weeks. It will begin at 8am CST on Monday, October 29th at Bloggy Giveaways! It moved from Rocks In My Dryer to her other web-site Bloggy Giveaways.

Why play in this crazy game? Well, for one if you want to increase your blog traffic this is a great way. Seriously. And I need to get my stats up to get better opportunities with Payperpost. More money!! And you can giveaway something you already have new or used. People just want to win! Last time even $5 Gift Cards were a great hit. I can imagine that this time around there will be lots more people participating. I'd better get stocked up on caffiene so that I can stay up all night entering giveaways...Elizabeth won 6 last time!! Click on the picture above to see all of the rules. What are you giving away this time?

Pingo

2007-10-12T12:14:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a pre-paid calling card? We all need them. There are times that we don't have access to our cell phones, there's no signal, or maybe you need a phone for your child to call home from College. Maybe you jsut need a cheaper way to make International Phone calls. And you know, one of the best uses for a pre-paid calling card is for a gift! That's right! I've given many pre-paid calling cards as a gift to soldiers serving over in another country. The ones you have probably had in the past were full of hidden fees, hassles, and high calling rates. Well, if you are looking for a great calling card that will meet your needs and give you a bang for your buck, consider trusting Pingo’s reliable network that delivers over 1.1 billion International phone card minutes a month. There's just no easier way to do it, and they have so any plans to offer such as the Pingo Business & Family Plan. You can go global, with no equipment to purchase just easy billing and management with amazing bundled savings.

The next time you go to make a long distance call think of Pingo's global brand of virtual calling cards and how they have amazing low rates. Pingo has NO hidden fees, NO surprises with the best competitive rates worldwide! And if you sign up for a Pingo you will receive up to 5 hours of free International calls just for signing up with Pingo. You can receive a $25 phone card for just $17. Isn't that great? Another interesting offer that Pingo has is an affiliate program. Pingo’s calling card affiliate program pays $15 for each new customer you refer. How cool is that? I don't know of any other International Calling Cards that do that. Pingo also has another cool thing called Pingo’s RateWatcher™ and it saves you from the hassle of digging through piles of prepaid calling card offers to see if you're getting really low phone card rate. It's like one-stop shopping!

Use this special phone card blog discount coupon: “ppp3” valid for $3 off Pingo to receive this discount.
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Crash

2007-10-12T07:31:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Elizabeth's laptop has crashed...Yay. Woo Hoo. You gotta hate it when that happens, right? She loves her laptop, but it also had all of our pictures that we had not yet dowloaded to Flickr and important documents that she needed, etc... So, now I gotta figure out what we are going to do about it. Your computer always crashes at the most inopportune moments too. Luckily, we have my laptop from work that she can work on until we get it up and running or get a new one. Thank God for that, or else she'd be really, really cranky.

Digital Cameras

2007-10-11T19:59:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth and I love to take pics of the kids. We use our digital camera almost daily. Almost all of our family's memories have been captured on the camera, and when we get time we go and print them out, save them to our Flickr account and computer. I think we have about 160 pictures right now waiting for us to print and to save. I don't know what we would do without our digital camera. Now we need to get a Digital Camcorder because our VHS-C Camcorder got sand in it at the beach last summer.

Everyone that I know has a digital camera, or wants one. If I decide to get another camera, I was looking at these Canon Cameras. Getting a camera is so much fun. And with the holidays coming up, so many people will be putting a new digital camera on their wish lists as well. Did you know that digital cameras are the #1 requested electronics gift for the holidays? You'd better start shopping around for the digital camera that best meets your needs.

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Oh man...

2007-10-10T10:17:00.001-05:00

A while back I had to take these assessment tests at work. I was taking my time trying to do well and all the other guys were finished. They told me that it didn't really matter if we passed or not, and that they had just put down answers. So, I did that on my last test. Uh.Dumb asses! Today I had to re-take the one test that I did that on because we needed to pass it. The other guys had to re-take like 5 or 6 of theirs. My boss was probably thinking that he has a bunch of losers working for him. I guess in the past it wasn't a big deal,but my boss' boss wants everyone to pass now. Doh! I made like 90's and 100's on all of them except the one. I shouldn't have listened to them! LOL!

Hotels

2007-10-10T10:01:00.000-05:00

I don't know if anyone else loves to stay in a hotel as much as me. I love to go on weekend getaways, business trips and vacations! Come on!! Where else can you set the thermostat to 50 degrees and pile on the covers in the summer time??!! Where else do you get the excuse to eat out 3 times a day!! The free breakfasts can't be beat either. I love the excuse to eat doughnuts and unhealthy things because they are free. No cooking, they change the sheets for you. Now that we have kids we don't get to travel as much as we'd like to, but when we do it's fun. The kids can jump on the beds, make a mess and we don't have to clean it up. I know Elizabeth loves that part. LOL! And the kids love the swimming pool. They'd stay in the pool the entire vacation if we'd let them.

If you like traveling and want to find some really good deals on hotels and even vacation rentals like houses at the beach head on over to Hotel Reservations. They look to me like they have some really great deals. You can even choose fancy destinations like France to visit! I was checking out their website and they offer a $30 gas rebate, road trip search and destination guide. Their search tools are great and so easy to use. I can see how you could plan your whole trip with this site. It is really great the deals that they offer! They offer lots of vacation packages, bed and breakfasts, and condo rentals. You can book your hotel, flight and rental car on the site as well. One great benefit is that there is no change or cancellation fees. They also do group or individual party bookings and you can book online or by telephone at 1-800-447-4136. They seem to really be one-upping the other sites I have used before.

I can hardly wait until Elizabeth and I can take a trip all by ourselves. It won't be long since our kids are growing so quickly and Zachary is near weaning. I know for sure we are planning to go somewhere for our 10th Anniversary. And next spring we are planning a family trip to Valparaiso to visit family. It's so hard with the size of our family to invade anyone's home anymore so we will probably be staying in a hotel. So, if you are planning any upcoming trips for the holidays or for vacations check out their site and see if you can get a better deal than with who you normally use! I know that we will be for our next trip.

Maybe sometime this winter we will be taking a ski trip up in the mountains somewhere and stay in a hotel. It will be so much fun to get away, relax, and just be together without the stresses of everyday life. SKiing is relaxing to me and Elizabeth can sit in the hot tub with a Margarita in hand. The kids will beg us to go to the pool...It will be fun! Hotels are awesome.

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3 weeks as a non-smoker?!?!?!

2007-10-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

Well it's been 3 weeks today. Everything is going pretty good I am still having urges but not as many and I am dealing with them one at a time. I will keep it up and keep posting about it.

Reading Tutors

2007-10-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

I always had problems reading in school due to being dyslexic. I had many reading tutors and couldn't have made it through without them. If my kids need help with reading, I will definitely consider Reading Tutors. Hopefully, none of them have inherited my dyslexia. Score Learning Centers helps children ages 4 to 14 make significant academic progress in an innovative tutoring environment. If you think your child needs help with reading, check them out today!

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The Boys

2007-10-08T13:54:00.000-05:00

Are these not the 2 cutest boys ever? And before you yell at me, Zoe is cute too, but she was not at this Field trip! The boys are getting so big and they are so different from each other. They almost don't even look related!
Above is Zachary, 2, with dark hair and eyes and below is Xander, 4 all blonde and fair. But look at the shape of their eyes... maybe I found the one thing that they have in common!

Coupon Chief

2007-10-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

Have you started your Christmas Wish List this year yet? I know you have, although it may only be in your head at this point. When it comes time to start your shopping, don't wait until Christmas Eve to head to the mall. Heck, why go to the mall and fight that crowd anyway? Shop online! CouponChief.com is here to help with online coupons! The holiday season is just a few months away! First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and before you know it, you'll be stuffing stockings! It's never too early to start getting deals and putting them away until the holidays. Coupon Chief.com has tons of merchants that offer deals to save you money. Just a few are: Zales coupons, Dick's Sporting Goods deals, and Best Buy coupon codes. So, start making your shopping lists early and don't forget to pick yourself up something that you really want, wrap it, and put it under the tree form Santa!

Healthy Snacks

2007-10-06T15:16:00.000-05:00

This just baffles me... I had to take snacks today for Xander's Soccer Game. Most of the parents have been bringing juices, fruit snacks, chips, etc... which, in my opinion, have no place at a sporting event. So, I took bottles of water, cheese crackers and bananas. Some of the kids actually made rude comments about the snacks not being what they wanted... No joke! Of course they don't want anything remotely healthy when crap junk food is the alternative or what they are used to receiving.

I remember when I was in school playing sports, we were only allowed to have water or Gatorade to drink. Having soda or juice wasn't even an option. No wonder our society is so obese...even at sporting events (where we should be encouraging being healthy by exercising and eating right) we give our kids soda and chips and wonder why they have ADHD or are misbehaving and/or obese. Crap in = Crap out.

Math Tutors

2007-10-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

I have blogged before about Score Learning Centers and their innovative tutoring environment for children ages 4-14. Score Learning Centers help students to make significant academic progress. Just recently, I found out that they also have Math Tutors as well as Reading Tutors.

With the first grading period of school and all of the reviewing just about over, I can assure you that there will be lots of Math homework very soon. Wouldn't it be nice to have a Math Tutor for your child? If your children need help with Math this school year, check out Score Learning Centers.

Thank you to Score Learning Centers for this post!

Rain

2007-10-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

Thank God that it is raining. I know that must sound really weird to some of you, but we have had such an extreme drought over the past few months and we needed rain really bad. Well, it has been dreary and raining all day here! It's not cool by any stretch of the imagination, and it's very humid and muggy. Oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth! Some of our landscaping is dying due to the drought and our grass died a long time ago. So, with all that said...Thank God it's raining!

Paintball

2007-10-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

Ultimate Paintball is an awesome web-site for all of your Paintball needs. They sell Tippmann, Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Draxxus paintball gear plus many more brands. They have a wide variety of gear including Sniper paintball guns, masks, hoppers, tubes, barrels, tactical vests, paintball jersey and pants, and much more! Their top-selling guns are the Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, Spyder Pilot ACS.

Ultimate Paintball offers the best prices with free shipping on most orders of $200 or more. Another interesting fact about Ultimate Paintball is that their employees actually play paintball. That way you won't get some idiot on the phone that doesn't know what you are talking about! Their Customer Service Reps are knowledgable about the sport and can help you make decisions if needed. This is especially helpful if you know little about the sport, but want to buy a gift for someone or get started in the sport. If you are ready to buy a new paintball gun or other paintball supplies, head on over to Ultimate Paintball and check out their "Killer Paintball Gun Packages" today!

This is a Sponsored Post!

Is it October already?

2007-10-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it is October already! Xander had his very first field trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Wednesday. Her he is looking for the biggest one. It was funny cause they were all small pie pumpkins and he was wondering where the big ones were.

Here he is jumping away on the big jumping pillow. Man, kids love those things. We had one like that at the KOA this summer when we went camping at the beach. He's getting some air on that one, huh? Then, the end to the perfect day was some Pumpkin Ice Cream! He had a blast.

Tutors

2007-10-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

We are quickly approaching the end of the 1st Grading Period at school. How is your child doing? Do they need an extra help with a particular subject? Some of the excuses that the kids come up with are hilarious. But, the bottom line is that maybe they are over-whelmed or just don't "get" the information. Wouldn't an Innovative Tutor help you out in this area? Score Learning centers help children ages 4 to 14 make significant academic progress in an innovative tutoring environment. If I ever feel that one of my kids need help with a particular subject, I will not hesitate to get her the help that she needs. If you need a tutor, go check out Score Learning Centers.

This is a Sponsored Post!

We Won!

2007-10-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

Well, the City's Sand Volleyball League Season is officially over. Our team took 1st in the season and 1st in the Championship Tournament. Whoo Hoo! Right? So, the YMCA Indoor Volleyball Season starts next week. I can't wait. It's nice to be back into the game.

Home Insurance

2007-10-03T20:08:00.000-05:00

Please tell me that you are smart enough to have home insurance coverage, right? You never know when something might happen, unexpectedly. Well, it's always unexpected. Make sure that you have all of your personal possessions insured as well. SecureInsuranceQuotes.com has Auto Insurance, Term Life Insurance, etc... If you need to get an Insurance Quote check out SecureInsuranceQuotes.com and see how they stack up against their competition.

This is a Sponsored Post!

Fall TV

2007-10-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

There are so many cool new shows on TV this fall. What is your favorite? My new favorite is Bionic Woman. Remember that old show. It's pretty good. Then, there is House. My wife and I are addicted. Lastly, and oddly enough we are watching America's Next Top Model, because a girl that we know from Valpo is on the show. Heather was in our Jr. High Youth Group about 7 years ago. I hope she wins to show those stuck up girls that they are not as good as they think they are.

I cna't wait for January TV though. "24" will be back on. That's my favorite show EVER. WWJB do? Jack rocks.

Organizing the Garage

2007-10-03T19:26:00.000-05:00

If you are like me you hate to clean inside the house, organizing your garage, tools, or athletic equipment is kinda fun especially when you get some new storage bins, wall storage racks, etc...I saw some really cool storage stuff over at CarGuyGarage.com. They carry over 1,000 products to make your garage another room in your house. Hey-it's the only room my wife lets me decorate, so I can go crazy if I want to.

Thank you to CarGuyGarage.com for this post!

Two weeks

2007-10-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

Today (Tuesday) makes it official. Two weeks without smoking! Go ahead and congratulate me. Give me a pat on the back. I'm still having cravings. Most of them are situational, like being in a certain place, a certain time of day, driving in the car, etc... I invested in a big bag of Dum-Dums suckers. Needless to say, I ahve eaten about 20 of them so far. Not bad for 2 weeks. They help with the oral thing. Root Beer flavor is my favorite. I had 3 today. LOL! It's amazing how easy this has been since I made my mind up to do this and I'm not being forced by anyone. Anyone out there ever quit smoking?

Weight Loss Surgery

2007-10-02T20:49:00.000-05:00

Have you ever considered weight loss surgery? Journeylite offers a program that will guide you through every step of the process. They will help you decide if the Lap Band procedure is right for you, help you find an experienced surgeon, determine if your Insurance covers the produre, and follow-up care designed to make sure that you are successful in taking the weight off and keeping it off. Journeylite will offer tips, recipes, message boards, support groups, and much more to help you achieve your goal weight. Making the decision to get a weight loss surgery is a big one! Don't do it alone. Journeylite can help assist you through the process.

Thank you to Journey Lite for this post!

End of Volleyball Season

2007-10-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

Five games of intense Sand Volleyball is hard on a fat, out of shape, lard-butt like myself. My shins and my knees are killing me. My team placed first for the season and starting on Thursday night we will begin our Tournament. IT has been a lot of fun playing Volleyball, so I just had to sign up for a Volleyball team at the YMCA when I got the chance. It starts next Tues. Elizabeth is a little bit jealous, because she loves to play Volleyball, but only one of us can play so that the other one can watch the kids. She has been very supportive of me playing and I appreciate that.

Pay Per Post

2007-10-02T20:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, don't call me a sell-out, but I signed up for Payperpost! My wife has been making tons of money over at her BLOG, The Whole Family by doing paid posts. She loves doing it everyday and it seems pretty easy for her as well. She has been beefing up her Paypal account to fund our Christmas budget. So, I decided to join the band of posties and make me some of that money too! I have my eye on a new pair of orange, triathlete running shoes made by Soloman. They are made of mesh, breathable material and have a toggle closure on top. I have a pair of Nike shoes similar to these, but they have seen better days!! They were on Ebay for $39.99. It will only take a few more posts to get those paid for.

So, now I've got you thinking too, right? Once you sign up, you will submit your blog for approval. Pay Per Post will let you know within a few days if your blog qualifies. Once you get the OK, you will be able to blog. You can choose to blog from a list of Qualified Opportunities. YOU choose what you blog about and the minimum amount that you will accept to be paid for your blogs. You submit your post and it's that easy.

After 10 approved posts, you will have the opportunity to add another blog to your list and start getting paid for posts on both of your blogs. So you want to know how you get paid, right? Once you submit your post, you will be able to view all of your posts on a list. You will be able to monitor where your post is in the process. It takes a few days for your post to get approved. Once it is approved, you wait until your post has been live for 30 days. Pay Per Post re-checks your post to make sure there haven't been any changes, and then YOU GET PAID!! They deposit your money right into your PAYPAL Account. If you make any mistakes on your post, Pay Per Post will give you the opportunity to correct them and re-post!

Like I said, my wife is doing Payperpost and totally getting paid. It really does work! So, join us and start getting paid for something you are already doing...blogging!

Is it possible?

2007-09-28T18:41:00.000-05:00

I have not smoked in 10 days. I have Acid Reflux really, really bad. Smoking among other things like caffiene, spicy foods, etc... are supposed to make Acid Reflux worse. Now that I have not smoked in 10 days, my freakin' Acid Reflux is KILLING me. I have taken double the medication that I normally take. Is it possible that NOT SMOKING has made it worse? Is it the change in my body's chemistry? Will it eventually get better? Because at this rate I am tempted to smoke again to be out of this agony.

Smoke-Free

2007-09-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been 8 days since I have had a smoke and today was a sucky day. It was a stressful day at work and I couldn't tell you how many times I wanted a cigarette. I keep telling myself I could buy a pack and I will just smoke one. YEAH RIGHT!! I hope tomorrow will be easier. This is the first time in 13 years (aside from Basic Training) that I have gone a day without a cigarette...and it has been 8 whole days now. I think I am doing pretty good.

Xander 1st Soccer Game

2007-09-24T21:35:00.001-05:00

"Hi Mom and Dad"

Qué demonios? (What the Hell?)

2007-09-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

OK, I am watching the Dallas vs. Chicago Football game and half of the coverage on the game has been in Spanish. Did I somehow move to Mexico? Come on THIS IS THE USA!!! I can't even watch the commercials... they were even in Spanish...even the team name display. Someone please tell me I'm still watching the right FOOTBALL game!!!

Vintage wear?!?!?

2007-09-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I put on my last pair of Umbro shorts and that got me to thinking, I need to get some more... Remember those? Soccer Shorts from the early 90's. Well, as I found out by looking on- line, The Umbro's are hard to find even online. I did find some on Ebay. They were listed as VINTAGE UMBROS!! What the hell is that? I am not SO OLD that my clothes should be classified as "Vintage." That really hurts a guy, you know.

Proud Papa

2007-09-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

Xander did so good at soccer last night! He was faster than all of the other kids, obviously he got that from his father, ehem... He came right out of his shell and stole the ball and scored a few points. I was so proud! He had to get up this morning first thing and go out and practice soccer. He says he wants to play all the way to college. I got a chuckle out of that! Although it would be great if he did, I don't expect him to know that at age 4. I got him cones and a Size 3 ball to practice with. He's actually pretty good!

Soccer

2007-09-17T09:48:00.000-05:00

My son Xander wanted to sign up for Soccer. He's never played a team sport before because he's only 4 and shy. I took him on Sat for Soccer Registration. He got a Game Jersey, Practice Shirt, Socks, etc... He thinks he is something all dressed up in his Soccer gear, let me tell you. So, it looks like the next 8 weeks or so Elizabeth and I will have to split up on Saturdays to take children to their games. Xander to Soccer and Zoe to Cheer for Tackle Football. It's a busy time right now, but it's so much fun to see them learning to do something new and having fun while they are learning to have an enjoyment for exercise.

Attempting to play Volleyball...

2007-09-16T13:09:00.001-05:00

2007-09-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

I went to play Volleyball tonight. We play Best out of 5. Our team won 3-0. It was fun, and as I have said before it's nice to be getting out and moving.

2007-09-10T09:32:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was very busy for us. Zachary celebrated his 2nd Birthday and Zoe cheered at her very first Football Game. Aren't they adorable? It's amazing how much alike they look.

Volleyball the day after

2007-09-08T20:20:00.000-05:00

Well I've started my beach volleyball league, and wow nothing tells you that your out of shape more than playing volleyball in the sand for 1:30 hours. The day after I am hurting in places I forgot I had. It is really fun though I am glad to be out playing again.

My New Favorite Book!

2007-09-05T21:15:00.001-05:00

The title is pretty self-explanatory. "The Boy's Book-How To Be Best At Everything!"

Someone finally wrote a book about me!!!

Labor day difference's

2007-09-04T14:24:00.000-05:00

Well how was every ones labor day? What did you do? We didn't do anything but sat around. It's interesting to see the difference in the way people celebrate holidays. When we lived in Indiana everyone either got together for a cook out or our church did some big Labor day picnic. Since we have moved back here to North Carolina it doesn't seem there are that many people that do stuff together for labor day. Which is weird because out of all the different churches we have visited you would think one would be doing something. they have potluck dinners for everything else around here. This was a great weekend todo something here the tempature was perfect. I guess it's that time of year, even though it doesn't cool down here as quick as in Valpo.

2007-09-03T19:11:00.001-05:00

Here's the proof...

Uh Oh...

2007-09-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

So, My wife is none too happy with me right now. I had the boys at the park the other day, waiting for Zoe to finish Cheerleading practice. Zachary was swinging a little too high and fell out of the swing! He did a back-flip and fell right on his face. He will be 2 next week, and E had an appt. to get his 2 yr. old pics on Monday. Looks like we will have to cancel, b/c his face is all skinned up! Poor little guy. He's tough though. He didn't cry much. I don't know what happened, he never lets go of the swing like that. Oops...

Work, Work and More Work,

2007-08-30T12:38:00.000-05:00

I wish I had something clever to blog about, but it seems that all I do is work. I'm on call this week. Sunday I got a call while we were in the middle of church. We left church early and I didn't get home until 10:30pm that night. Anyway, being on call is highly rewarded at my company. You get $200 just for carrying the pager that week, and then you get Time and 1/2 for a minimum of 4 hours for each call-out. On Sunday you get Double-Time Pay for a minimum of 3 hours for each call out. This past Sunday I got 6 Call-outs!! If you are doing the math, that's almost a whole weeks pay in just one day minus taxes. The govt. is going to tax the heck out of me this pay period. That's the bum part of the deal. Thank God for His provision!