A Rose-less Valentines Day

That's right, I don't do flowers that are raised with explicit instructions to die within a week of receiving them. Especially when they're priced as high as they usually are. A couple of years ago I bought roses from a well known on-line florist(not FTD) who promised beautiful long stemmed glory in the deepest of reds for that special day. What I got were short to medium stemmed roses that looked like someone took them off of a tombstone at the cemetery right after the giver left. I, of course, complained to them that the product was not what I had ordered. They got right back to me and said they would rectify the matted and resend new, as ordered, roses. I have to admit that I was surprised that the person who left the original roses at the cemetery actually brought replacements for the originals, which I then got, the same roses. Fortunately, I also bought my missus a charm bracelet, the kind you can add small squares to for special occasions. Fool me once and all that stuff. Of course I gave them a review detailing this, as it should be so others aren't taken in as well, truth in advertising and all that eh! It's a lot easier when it comes time to get a charm for charm bracelet because there are so many variables and choices that you could buy 50 bracelets and still not repeat a single one. I'm set for years unless she decides she wants a car as well!

What Next, People Monitors?

It seems that every time I pick up the paper to read something 'interesting' I get upset. Why do I get upset? It's because ever since 9-11 we've been having our civil rights stripped away by the government and end up saying thank you to them for protecting us. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that why we originally came to America in the 1600's? We had various monarchies dictating to us what we could and especially could NOT do, so long as we paid our taxes. Why would anyone want to pay an agency that says no to your requests? Okay, so what we have for our tax dollars. We have high fuel prices, mortgage plans guaranteed to bankrupt you, tax incentives for those that have the money and can afford to hire people to make sure they keep it, even though there is no way in this green earth they could ever spend it all, lose it all - yes, spend it - no! We have lots of watches though like a terrorist watch, traveler watch, citizen watch, illegal citizen watch, and I'm sure we even have a watchers watch as well. Maybe going back isn't such a bad idea, at least they have free medical for everyone.

One Last Weekend on my Annual Pass

I have till next weekend to use my theme park annual pass, the movie one in Orlando. I figure it's time for me to break in my cowboy hat that I bought 2 years ago. The last time we went I was so sun-blinded that it took me an entire day to see normally again. That's what I got for not wearing a hat with a good, wide brim. This time I have it covered, my head that is. I got one of those Garth type hats with the wide brim just to cut the sun so I wouldn't be a slave to my prescription sunglasses, then back to the clear ones, etc. I know it won't stay on long on the coasters but that's why we were born with hands. Well, one of the reasons at least. I think that park is getting ready for St. Patrick's Day because the water there is always deep green and nothing I'd want to drink by any means, let alone touch. The used to do a Miami Vice chase scene in the big tank but now it looks like a water treatment facility that closed down a long time ago. Maybe they need to make some good movies to pay for upgrades. I digress. I have to make sure I get my haircut before I go because that's when I bought my hat, with short hair. If it's a bit too long the fight becomes a tight squeeze, then the headaches start. It's beyond comfortable when my hairs is just right, like it should be. Hee haw!

Time to Kill Another Tree

I remember back in the eighties when the portable, and desktop, computers arrived on the scene. I was a Systems Analyst for a large computer manufacturer and I was lucky enough to get to use one of the first laptop computer, made by Panasonic. Well, that one I wouldn't want to have to use on my lap since it was quite heavy and the screen was built into the box and the lid was the keyboard. It did close up and you could carry it from place to place but nothing even close compared to what we have today, by a country mile and then some. The age of the paperless office has arrived they said. They even started a line of paperless office software that would store and sort with bells and whistles, everything to prevent the need for paper! What did everybody go right out and do after saving their documents? They printed out back-ups of the documents in case the computer crashed at the end of the month or week or year. Trust is a beautiful thing and people need to trust the software to do it's work. Make software back-ups and limit the waste to a diskette. Print when you need to and not just for the sake of printing it. I used to do end-of-month reporting and I could have used this s/w then. Printing a thousand pages just to see a few of them is stupid, but people hold those security blankets tightly. Hope the trees hold out!

Birthday is Getting Close

Unfortunately, another birthday will be soon upon me. I really shouldn't say unfortunately and I should really be counting my blessing that I have them to look forward to, and backwards on. Once you hit your fifties things start getting a bit more serious and you start thinking about all those things you wanted to get to but didn't quite have the time to actually get to them, yet. Well, I've been dropping hints for the past 2 years that I wanted to pick up an acoustic bass guitar. I wanted to re-experience the happiness I had from when I was in my twenties in a garage band, playing what else - bass guitar. I love the bass and it's sweet tones and thumping beats, always have. My first instrument was the drums but people downstairs complained so mu that I had to go with something I could use headphones with. My bass guitar, but not just any bass, this was a reproduction of Paul McCartney's violin bass from the Beatles and back then it was pretty cool to own one. I guess I'll find out in a couple of weeks whether I'll be waiting some more or picking some more.

Eagerly decorating our nursery and awaiting the arrival of our baby

Guest post written by Kari Sommers

I'm more than a little excited for the next four months to pass quickly. I know that pregnancy is supposed to be a magical time, but I just want our little bundle of joy to go ahead and arrive! So right now I'm just concentrating on making sure that the nursery is absolutely perfect to help distract me from the weight gain and the less pleasant parts of pregnancy.

I was online looking up some ideas about how to paint the walls of the nursery when I ran across some information on a bathroom remodel. We could really use a remodel of our guest bathroom, especially once my parents come and visit after I have the baby. So I think that we're going to work on that in the meantime. It will be something else to distract me.

I even found a tutorial on how to make a nice little mural with just some paint. Almost like a paint by numbers type deal! So I'm going to work on that for about the next week or so. I think that it's going to look downright adorable for our little baby!

It's a Spirit Lifting Task When It's Cold and Gray

That's right, it's time to barbeque, actually it always time to BBQ and why not. Just because it's heading for the middle of winter doesn't mean you can't, or shouldn't, barbeque. It's all the more reason TO barbeque! What lifts the spirits on a dark, cold, bleak, and snowy day better than some bbq'd ribs and maybe a nice grilled steak! Mmmmmmm, that's what I'm talking about! Of course I don't have those issues living in Central Florida and all, but I used to. It wouldn't be unusual for the neighbors to see me out at the grill in a snowstorm with my tongs and welding gloves(perfect for handling the hot coals and hot grates) on cooking a steak or some chicken or whatever. After a fashion they used to drop hints about how good it must taste when the weather was lousy and food choices were limited to indoor cooking - for them! A true BBQ person is not dissuaded by weather, unless it's lightning, but rather heartened by the smell of the smoke! Only in the winter in harsh weather is gas acceptable over charcoal(what true grillers use) because at least you have the internal strength to do what's right, to grill no matter what!

It's January - Time to Barbeque!

That's right, it's time to barbeque, actually it always time to BBQ and why not. Just because it's heading for the middle of winter doesn't mean you can't, or shouldn't, barbeque. It's all the more reason TO barbeque! What lifts the spirits on a dark, cold, bleak, and snowy day better than some bbq'd ribs and maybe a nice grilled steak! Mmmmmmm, that's what I'm talking about! Of course I don't have those issues living in Central Florida and all, but I used to. It wouldn't be unusual for the neighbors to see me out at the grill in a snowstorm with my tongs and welding gloves(perfect for handling the hot coals and hot grates) on cooking a steak or some chicken or whatever. After a fashion they used to drop hints about how good it must taste when the weather was lousy and food choices were limited to indoor cooking - for them! A true BBQ person is not dissuaded by weather, unless it's lightning, but rather heartened by the smell of the smoke! Only in the winter in harsh weather is gas acceptable over charcoal(what true grillers use) because at least you have the internal strength to do what's right, to grill no matter what!

Hard to buy for

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

I absolutely love to shop. So when I decided to get a second seasonal job through the holidays, I went to the store I loved the most and applied for a job. We recently moved to the Wilmington area, and I was surprised how easy it was for me to get that job. But now with my working so much, I don't have time to shop for gifts for Christmas during the day because I am working all the time. My husband recently signed us up for Wilmington wireless internet and now I can do all my shopping on the internet when I get home from work. I have gotten most of my shopping done online, but I still need to get a couple things for my daughter. She is really hard to buy for. I can't ever buy her any type of clothing because she only wears the newest trendy fashions from certain shops. Even if I tried to order something from one of those shops, I am sure it would be the wrong thing. So I am trying to come up with some things that she could use in her house. She rents a big house with two other girls near downtown Atlanta. I think I am going to get her a nice juicer. She is always eating healthy, and I know she doesn't have one so that is going to be one of her presents. At least I can have it sent to her house by ordering it online. Shopping online is a beautiful thing.

Time of Year to Give Thanks?

Everyone assumes that the Christmas season is the time to give thanks for what we have and who we have, and I suppose who we've had, for the past year or so. People need to be in a giving mood and help everyone they can to make their season a happy one as well. Unfortunately, I don't see too much of that happening this year, with the financial ills that have beset the world, this past year in particular, people are not ingraci gratiae gratiating, no, ingratiating or as charming as they once were at this time of year. People are panicking when they realize they may not have presents under the tree like in prior years, let alone a home to put the tree in for presents to go under. In fact, many people have literally gone under financially and the anticipated merriment of this season may actually cause many to suffer despair and depression instead. Enjoy the season but understand that not everybody has thankfulness in their thoughts. Be respectful if someone asks nicely for you not to make a big fuss about the holidays in front of them or their families and enjoy the holidays as best they can.

Kitchen Renovation Needed

We still haven't done our kitchen renovation yet. The first thing I think we'll be doing is the floor. Right now we have a nasty linoleum floor from the late 1980's and it's showing it's age. I think bamboo will be the material of choice since it has many stain repelling properties other wood flooring do not posses. After that I'm hoping we can do some counter tops, granite preferably, with a new sink option I really would like. I've been quietly shopping around for different undermount kitchen sinks. I like this configuration because I'm tired of trying to clean 'stuff' to the sink and have it catch on the edge of the sink. It's a real pain in the drain, so to speak. My wife isn't so sure she'd like it because she thinks it'll take away storage under the sink due to the lower depth but I don't think the difference will be that negligible. We shall see.