The Quest For The Door Buster Laptop

This morning I did something that I said I would Never do - I got up at 4:00 AM and went to Walmart on Black Friday. It was crazy to see the line of people lining up to get in the store... The deals this year were too good to turn away from - laptop computers for $149... Well - I stood in line - there was over 3000 people in front of me... Forty minutes to walk into the store after the doors opened - only to find out that all the laptops were already sold out.... So I hoped in the car.

I drove up to Office Depot because they too were offering laptops for $199 - again a line but not so bad but - bad enough for all the laptops to be sold out.... Now my back is killing me - it went out about 2 weeks ago - I am on the healing end but standing in line for over a hour was awful... I got in my car and thought about giving up but decided to give Best Buy a chance...

Arrived at Best Buy - there was a line to check out that wrapped around the store and weaved in and out of the aisles... I went to the laptop area - tried to squeeze between all the other deal seekers - there I saw it.... two boxes - side by side (not where they were supposed to be) - I picked them up and yes - I found them - the low priced laptops that would be perfect for my two girls... The price wasn't as low as Walmart or Office Depot but the laptops were a slightly better computer.. Three (3) GB instead of one (1) GB - I paid $100 more than anticipated but you know what? The computers have become a need more than a want... School has changed a lot since I was a kid..

I happily picked up my two (2) laptops - proceeded into line... Half way through the line a Best Buy employee said that there was a computer only line and it would take half the time - so I changed lines... Big mistake... Huge mistake... Two hours later and the line had barely moved.... The line as it turned out was for the people who got to Best Buy early enough for the "Golden Ticket - Door Buster" sales - those computers were on will call... As I was painfully pushing my cart - I walked by a cashier - I jokingly asked him if he could ring me up - he said "You Bet!" Crazy....

When Your Child's Sport Becomes A Job...

When my youngest daughter, Kara was seven (7) she went to her first gymnastics class - I thought it would be a fun thing to do on Saturday mornings..... Within two (2) months - one of the coaches came up to me and asked if she could have my Kara in her Tuesday and Thursday class - she thought Kara had a natural talent... So I asked Kara if she would like to do it and she did... Within six (6) months - the owner of the gym came to me and said Kara had a lot of talent and would she be interested in going to a level 4 gymnastics team... So I asked Kara and she did - now Kara was at the gym - Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings - six hours a week...

Kara's first competition was on her eighth birthday - She placed 2nd All around.... The following four competitions - she placed 1st. Right after her level 4 season - she was moved up to level 5 - again she was a star - she was also one of the youngest in her level... She did great.. She had fun until.... She got the coach from hell - this coach was a lunatic and sucked out all the joy and confidence Kara had - Gymnastics became a job and not a sport - that she enjoyed.... Around this time a new gym was looking for young gymnasts with Kara's talent - we spoke to the head coach and immediately was invited to join... He was a coach that had brought several girls to the Olympics - There were other coaches that worked with the girls as well - each coach was different and more difficult.... Now the training was in upwards of 16 hours a week - sometimes more.. The joy had left Kara - she knew she could quit at anytime - this was for her and not for me.... Finally in the middle of one classes - she jumped off the beam - walked over to me and said "I'm done" The coaches were upset - one tried in vain to talk her into staying... several times.. but Kara has a strong will - stronger than anyone I know - She held onto what she did and did not want.... She quit at the ripe old age of nine (9) and today almost 3 years later -she has no regrets...

I think it is important as parents to allow our children to try different sports. To allow them to find that perfect fit if there is one.... That is not to say we should allow our kids to try something and give up right away - They need to at least make the effort... I also think it's very important to step back - let our kids make the decision to stay or go.. Step back to allow them to fight their own battles... demons if need be - I'm not saying leave them hanging - but give them the opportunity to make wise decisions and/or mistakes and learn from them...

Shop on Line With Shopwiki.com

With Christmas fast approaching... working 12 hour days.... and just too little time on my hands to fight the holiday crowds - I do most of my shopping on line - Shopwiki.com is a great way to shop - not only do they have a ton of choices - they help you find the best deals for what you are looking for. Shopwiki.com crawls the web - similar to the way google and yahoo do - searching the net in a quest for the best products.... the best prices.... the most choices.....

Both of my daughters are young teens now and I am not in touch with the happening toys and products for babies and toddlers - shopwiki.com is a great source of information for the newest products - not only do they tell us what is most popular - they give us great descriptions and links to the companies selling them...

I have two nieces that are 2 and 4 and I have used this site for many of my purchases - I love looking at the different activity sets. I am very much into educational toys and children's books - I believe that they help to get children ready for school in a very fun way. When you find the item you are looking for - Shopwiki highlights the best price and gives you a list of the stores that carry that item... Easy shopping at your fingertips. You can also get games galore - name it - you can find it. Monopoly - 9336 hits - different kinds - different prices - there's even one for over $30,000 - crazy.. Hand held Battleship - different prices.. different stores. The games go on and on and on....

Not only does Shopwiki help you find toys and games they help you locate almost anything you can think of - boys, girls , and infant clothing - everything from everyday wear to snow and beach attire - I love the selections. There are adult items as well - designer bags, clothes, shoes, and many other great finds.

Take a suggestion from me - before you hit the malls give Shopwiki.com a try - if you still want to fight the mad Christmas rush - Shopwikicom can let you know the price ranges and stores that carry what you are looking for. Now go out there stimulate our economy!

Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping.

Jagger or Boyle - Wild Horses...

I have always been a Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones fan - my favorite song is 'Wild Horses' there is something about this song that just settles my soul and my mind. I know it's really a sad song but there is just something...

Recently I have heard Susan Boyle the over night "British has talent" sensation sing this song - who do you think sings it better?

The Rolling Stones


Susan Boyle


Lyrics Childhood living is easy to do The things you wanted I bought them for you Graceless lady you know who I am You know I can't let you slide through my hands Wild horses, couldn't drag me away Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away I watched you suffer a dull aching pain Now you decided to show me the same No sweeping exits or off stage lines Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind Wild horses, couldn't drag me away Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away I know I've dreamed you a sin and a lie I have my freedom but I don't have much time Faith has been broken tears must be cried Let's do some living after we die Wild horses, couldn't drag me away Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday Wild horses, couldn't drag me away Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday

God Showed Up And Showed Off

What a day it has been!!! My sister Debbie had her brain surgery - she is doing great! God showed up and started showing off. I love and serve an amazing Lord and Savior!

1. The tumor was much smaller than originally thought
2. The surgery lasted less than half the time
3. A few hours after the surgery she was up and watching 'Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader'

Thank you - Thank you - for praying for her... and all your kind thoughts and words of encouragement.

This is my sister 5 hours after brain surgery... Yep I took a picture (with her permission of course.)

Your Stupid Ugly Good For Nothing Pride

There is something that is on my heart and mind.... I feel that it is important to say... It's important to hear... Don't let your stupid ugly good for nothing pride prevent you from telling someone that you love them.... that you are sorry... that you hope and pray things are going to be okay.. You have to show you love... you care.... that the other person matters because life is so unsure..... You cannot take your own sweet time to forgive.... to love... to just say "I'm thinking of you".... You have to stop hiding behind your "I'm a victim" facade..... You have to get over yourself... You have to show you care... You just have too.....

Lately - I have come to realize that in life there are no guarantees - I have come to realize that you are in control of your thoughts... your emotions... you ability to love.... to forget... to forgive... You need to make a difference.... You need to not be lazy and resentful by holding onto your perceived anger... your I'm right... your wrong... You were mean... I was nice... Because in the end - who really gives a damn who was right... who was wrong.... The end is the end.... What good memories you make are up to you.. If you choose to hold onto your bitter jealousy then this will only cause you to have a life that will be filled with regret.. Do you really want that? You may have convinced yourself that you have a right to the way you are feeling..... You may have convinced yourself that you don't need anyone.... But in the end you will know that is wrong.... God created us to love.... and to love is to let go..... to love is to humble yourself.... to love is to let go of your stupid ugly good for nothing pride.... Let go - do you hear me? Let go... Woman up... Man up... Stop hating.... and start loving...

There are people in our lives that need to hear we care... that we love.. We may have had cross words or just grown apart - regardless of the reason... You have to make that effort... because if you don't... it just might be too late....

Get On-Line Math Help With TutorVista

I am one of those parents that expect my kids to pull in excellent grades... I know they are completely capable of maintaining an "A" average and they do..... But there are times that a subject and/or concept is difficult to master... For my eldest daughter that is math... She has had a love/hate relationship with math her entire life - what's funny is that she has tested at college level in math and she is in the 8th grade.. So we all know that she can do it... with the right tools.

She used to go to a tutoring club a few times a week for a couple of hours each time when she was in the 5th grade - what I did not like about this was that they did not help her on her existing classwork - they had books that needed to be completed to progress to the next level.... I was told that was the way to go - but unfortunately - it was not the way for my kids to go... Next we tried a tutor that came to our home once a week - this worked out pretty good - they were able to work on key elements of her math work and my daughter was maintaining an "A" average in math with much more ease - this was in the 6th grade....

In junior high - math has become a completely new territory with changing formulas and directions each week and a once a week tutor is just not enough. My kid needs help when she needs it and does not have the luxury to wait until tutor time..... That is when we discovered TutorVista.com With TutorVista.com she can get math help right when she needs it. Having an online math tutor whenever she needs one makes homework so much easier...

Getting online math tutoring with TutorVista is so easy. They offer online math help for every math subject your student/child needs. You simply go to the site and type in a question and there you go. You can get free online math tutoring and free online math help - by going onto TutorVista's website - they provide a free demo for first time users so that they can try the service for free - you have nothing to lose..

TutorVista offers a unlimited tutoring package for $99.99 a month for all subjects - not just math. The tutoring is available whenever my kid needs it - which makes it nice because I really don't like math...

Loving The Holidays...

My favorite time of the year is fast approaching... I love the Christmas season. I love the chilly air - yes 60 degrees in the evening is quite chilly - thank you very much... The Christmas music playing through the shops - yesterday I heard Silent Night in Cold Stone's.... The decorations..... the colorful lights... and the goodwill towards man kind of feeling.... Sometimes while walking down the street - I just feel like giving a stranger a hug... don't you?

One of the great things about my neighborhood during Christmas time are the homes.. Our neighbors really go all out... One house has a ski lift carrying its passengers around their 2nd story chimney... Another house has dancing santa bears and trains taking their riders around the yard in the North Pole Express... and the lights are spectacular - I bet you could see the lights from the moon - Our neighborhood has become a Christmas tradition for many families to come and enjoy - we have hundreds... thousands... of visitors each year - they come in by foot, bike, car, and tour buses...





We of course decorate our home every year as well - so while browsing around Michael's the other day I ran across some great new decorations and you know I just had to buy them.







I have also been known to decorate the kid and husband..... Have a Merry Christmas and fun decorating!!!

Seeing A Doctor When You Need Too

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time can go by when you're busy... My last post was on Halloween and today is Veteran's Day - November 11th. Since Halloween there has been 3 cases of Swine Flu in my home - my 11 year old, my 13 year old, and me.... yes - at 44 years old I had my very first flu - thankfully it was very mild... no fever - just body aches and the coughing.... The coughing is awful... My 11 year old had a case similar to me but my 13 year old had it pretty bad - by bad I mean she had a fever up to 103.5 - but thankfully the fever only lasted 2 days and today 11 days later we are almost fully recovered... In addition to the Swine - I celebrated my 44th birthday... Celebrate or mourn not quite sure on that one.. hmm - had a very nice day...

During the time that the girls and I were sick - I started to think about how lucky I was that I had immediate access to my doctor.. any doctor for that matter. We have a PPO plan - I have no idea what that initials mean but I know with this plan I have never had to wait for an authorization for any treatment..... for any doctor.... I just go... I seriously believe that if I had a HMO several years ago - I would not be alive today.....

In 1994 - I developed pregnancy induced hyper-tension... then it escalated to preeclampsia - then the loss of our daughter.... During the preeclampsia - I was in the hospital for three (3) weeks that time... Less than a year later - I had a fever of unknown origin which turned into kidney failure - During this time - I was able to see my doctor right away - I was put in the hospital right away.... and there was never.. not once any red tape.... any authorizations to worry about....

As you know - my sister Debbie is going to have brain surgery on November 19th... My sister has a HMO and for over twenty (20) years she has been jumping through hoop after hoop after hoop in hopes of finding out what has been making her pass out.... Making her lose time.... I cannot count the times that she has had to wait months for an authorization to go through and then the day finally comes when she can see the medical professional that is suppose to help her only to come home disappointed.... needing more authorizations.. for more tests.. different doctors.. By the time the authorization came through and the tests were done.. so much time had passed that not one doctor knew what the other one was doing.... they each had a different opinion... they each were over worked... and my sister had been juggled around through the HMO system... with no answers and no results.... by the grace of God - a wise doctor in the emergency room (after she had passed out on a public golf course) thought it would be a good idea to do a MRI of her brain..... the MRI showed several lesions that are believed to a product of MS.... of course in the HMO system the doctors have not 100% diagnosed her with MS.... well you know there are about 1543 authorizations - tests and doctors to see.... but because of the MRI tests they found the tumor... I want to personally thank that ER doctor.... for making a "Big Boy" no authorization required decision.... If the ER doctor had not had the MRI done - you know what - I just don't want to think about the what if...... too scary to even contemplate...

I am so very fearful of Obama's health care reform.... It feels to me that the government is trying to take away another freedom..... of course that is not the way it is presented..... I picture the new health care reform being much worse than an HMO...... I picture it being long wait times... wrong over worked doctors..... I picture it being like the DMW - long lines - going no where.... government employees who really don't give a hoot about you..... Have you ever met someone nice at the DMV??? Have you ever been helped immediately at the DMV with an appointment???

What do you think?