Don't Settle

Whenever I buy things now I get quotes from several places. There is no excuse to accept just one company's quote with Internet access being what it is. If you want a free life insurance quote all you have to do is email several companies and get a variety of quotes so you know you're getting the best deal. I do that with everything from life insurance to insurance for our boat. Before the Internet it always felt like you had no options other than the one or two companies for a product or service that might be local in your town, or at the most in the state. Now you have national access, or even worldwide for some things. Don't limit your horizons or settle for the first quote you get.

Fun Wastes of Time

Oh yes, I have found brand new ways to waste time on line. Well not new really just a different form. Up until now my sole obsessions for wasting time were Mafia Wars, and games like that. Now I have branched out to Fishville, Farmville, Fish Tank, and Country Life. They sure do waste time in a big way, but they are tons of fun.

Over-The-Counter Aides

There are all kinds of different medical aides you can get over-the-counter now to help with problems we didn't even know existed back when I was younger. As I and my husband both get older we sure appreciate the extra help now, though. Even things like male hormone help is available. Sites such as www.testosteronecreams.org help determine which ones are the best. We always thoroughly check out any type of product we are considering for a first time. Making sure it is safe, works, and has a track record of real people results is important to us.

Addiction's Arrogance

Anyone who is dealing with addiction of any kind can definitely identify with this beautiful and riveting dance. Even now, at over 6 months quit from smoking I can understand the pull and nicotine's seductive arrogance.

Finding Diet Help

If you are at all confused about what types of diet aides will work for you, then it is important to do your homework first before spending a large amount of money on them. I know the many different types of products are confusing to me. There are fat burners and blockers, appetite suppressants and carb blockers. Some work--a great many more don't. Before spending your hard earned money on them make sure you get one that has a good track record for success, and most of all, is safe. They're out there. You just have to sort through the plethora of products to find them.

Oldie But a Goodie

I'm watching "True Lies." I know it's an old movie, but it is one of my all time favorites. I like the Arnold movies that have a little more to them than just violence, although I did like the Terminator movies (after the first one). This movie, though, is priceless for all the great "one-liners" it has in it. The supporting actors were fantastic in it too. Both Jamie Lee Curtis, and Tom Arnold had great parts and made the movie fun to watch.

Online Shopping

There are ups and downs to buying online. However, the good far outweighs the bad for me. I get so many packages delivered here weekly I'm sure the postman, UPS, and FedEx drivers all know my address by heart. I'm pretty sure the postman is tired of having to drive all the way up our driveway and get out to bring packages to the door when he would just have to put envelopes in the mailbox by the street. I get everything from acne solution and beauty products to movies and electronics online. Rarely am I ever disappointed, and when I am it is usually because I haven't done enough homework and just rushed into an impulse buy. Even then, most of the time I'm happy. It saves me so much time, and shopping frustration. I've never been a big fan of window shopping or spending big parts of my day looking through stores for a specific product. The Internet makes finding exactly what I want and getting a much bigger selection to choose from so much better.

Much Too Young To Die

I die a lot. Well... online anyway. In fact, I was informed by a fellow Mafia Wars player that he attended my funeral. Oh so sad. I was so young and viberant. Too young to die. I was looking forward to the weekend boat show at McCormmack place too. Oh well. I knew I felt kind of icky this morning when I got up but I had no idea it was this bad. :)

Parco San Marco is a Dream Vacation Spot

Luxury spas, great fun including giant water slides by the pool, elegant dining, and beautiful European scenery. Those are just a few of the things I think of when I dream of pampering myself on a European vacation. Italy is one of the most unbelievable places on Earth, as far as I'm concerned. The tradition and history mingles with modern accommodations and activities perfectly. It's one of the places I want to see before I die. However, If I'm going to go all the way to Europe for a vacation, it only makes sense to stay in the best Italian Spa Hotel where I can get long, relaxing massages, beauty treatments, and manicures/pedicures to relax after a long day sightseeing, or playing on the resort grounds.

Spending time by the northern lakes of Italy looks like it has the best access to many great recreational areas like Lake Como Golf, and lots of great water sports to keep the entire family happy and busy. A Lake Lugano Vacation offers great incentives for any type of vacation including weddings, family getaways, romantic weekends,or retreats. for me it would just be a place to go and unwind from the day-to-day stress of life, but that is more than enough. There are great restaurants, fantastic beaches, pools, and everything I can think of that would make a great vacation.

Support That is Support

I don't know if other companies are better, or not, but I can promise one thing: I will never buy another Hewitt Packard Computer. The laptop I have is only one year old and I'm always fielding error messages. That's not too mention that the built-in webcam stopped working only a few months after I got it, and numerous frustrating calls to HP tech support only made me want to throw the machine out the window, pull out all my hair, and drive until I found the source of their tech support (can you drive to India?) and kill someone.

I miss the old days when tech support really was tech support. The old Gateway computers we had were fantastic, lasted forever, and when we did have tech problems their tech support (any time day or night) was fantastic. I know that the current problem is not just a "HP" problem. Gateway's tech support went down the tubes by the time I got my second desktop computer from them. It's too bad too. I think it was about the time it became fashionable to farm out tech support and call centers to other companies (overseas or not). I miss in-company tech support with real people who actually knew something about the products they were 'supporting'.

Proper Medications for Each Type of Acne

Before you treat any type of acne it is a good idea to know what you are dealing with. Back when I was young we knew about blackheads and white heads, and just pimples, but really didn't know there were other types. The same is true about when my kids were teens. Acne medications are much more sophisticated now. There are treatments for nodular acne and other types so that you get the right medication for the type of acne you have. That is very important to help prevent scaring or other acne issues. Some acne like nodular acne isn't even affected by medications not meant for it, and you can't, or at least shouldn't, attempt to squeeze or open that type of eruption without a doctor's care. Getting the right type of product is vital for clearing up the skin without the danger of scaring or infections.

If The Levy Is there--Jump It

Probably a hillbilly move but it sure is fun to watch.

A Painful Subject

When my mother-in-law lived with us while going through chemo she suffered from many different problems both related to treatment and unrelated to it. Hemorrhoids were one such problem. She had them before the chemotherapy, but the chemo treatments, and diarrhea from the chemo made the hemorrhoids worse. A visiting nurse suggested a great product to help her get hemorrhoid relief. It was a pad with a wet solution on it that stayed on the area instead of just a wipe on, or squeeze on ointment. Finding the right hemorrhoid treatment for your needs can be difficult so you need to know what to look for. Online sites with information on what makes these products work are very helpful ways of finding the best product for your needs.

Finished Boat House

I never did post the final picture. It was a busy day here because the shed they put up wasn't the color we'd ordered. I'm still dealing with the company for a resolution on that issue. The building is nice though.

The truck is just in there temporarily while preparing the boat to move.

Nature's Trick

I think one of the hardest parts of getting old is the fact that we don't really think of ourselves as "old." Aches and pains that creep in and become a constant in our lives can actually be very confusing. I know for myself, the idea that I needed some form of arthritis treatment actually came as quite a surprise even though the pains I'd been having were quite severe and re-occurring. I just assumed they were something I'd injured, or there was some reason for it, not age. It's kind of nature's cruel trick. I mind trick that keeps us from seeing ourselves getting older until suddenly it seems to happen overnight. Maybe it's not so much of a cruel trick as a way to keep us from being swallowed up in self-pity and worry about something we can't stop anyway.

The Great Wars

I've been having a great time playing "Mafia Wars" on both Facebook and MySpace. I use the Facebook account for a little bit of socializing, but don't really use MySpace at all for anything but playing MW. I used to play a bunch of other games too, but found it just takes away from working time too much so stick to Mafia Wars.

Scoping the Neighborhoods

Before we buy a place down in Florida to retire we are planning to go down and visit the various areas. We'll have to scout out some hotels in miami to stay at while we investigate the various areas. All of the places I've found so far that I'm interested in are in the Miami area with a few exceptions on the gulf side around Ft. Meyers. I don't know for sure if I have a preference for the ocean side or the gulf side but I think I am leaning toward the ocean side. If we ever want to go boating on the gulf side we can just trailer over there and do it. We'll have a better idea once we have scoped out the neighborhoods a bit and seen what there is to offer in the various places. I've only been down there once on the gulf side, and I was born on the ocean side in Fort Lauderdale, so that's my only gauge to judge it by.

Boat Building

The carport company is outside right now putting up the carport I ordered 6 weeks ago. I was beginning to think they didn't really exist it had taken so long, and was so far past their initial agreed upon date to construct this. Here is a picture of the area before they got here:

Here is a picture of the structure framework:

I'll post the finished picture when they're done.

New Year Project

I spoke with an old friend yesterday who asked me if I were still writing books. I had to admit, not so much anymore. I still love to read though. I just received a book I ordered in the mail yesterday. I've ordered and received 12 in December alone. That will be my winter's reading. I get more reading done in the cold months when I am trapped inside by my dislike of cold and snow. In the summer I still read, but it ends up being 1 or 2 a month vs. 5 or 6 a month in the winter. I still enjoy a good novel, but most of my reading is non-fiction. I love to learn new things. Hubby will be here over the next couple of days and I already have him committed to a shelf building project because I have run out of book room in my den. He's just thrilled. Happy New Year.

Old Classics

It's pretty sad to be sitting here on New Year's day watching old movies, but that's what I'm doing. I've been watching movies all afternoon on television. The one on right now is "Die Hard." The first one. The one where Bruce Willis still had a full head of hair. Actually considering the fact that the Die Hard movies were somewhat low budget movies of their day, they were really good, and stood up to the test of time. Even the sequels were good, which is so often not the case. I don't know what's worse, really. Watching movies on New Year's day, or the fact that I consider a movie from 1988 "old".