My last $20.....

....so, there is this website I go to sometimes and they have this feature called 'Writer's Block' - basically it gives you a question or topic you can write about in your blog when you can't come up with anything. So, here is today's question/topic :

List three things you'd buy with your last $20. One practical, one frivolous and one of your choosing.

OK, I guess I have to make some assumptions here in order to answer this....so I guess I am going to say, this is my last $20 and I homeless, in other words, I don't have all my other stuff.

Hmmm, one practical, probably some kind of container, something I can eat out of, maybe drink out of and carry stuff in. Frivolous, hair clips or rubber bands, I guess...and my choosing, a deck of cards.

What would you buy, assuming the same thing....you are homeless and this is your last $20.

Chinese food, good.

Didn't go to eat Chinese the other night because my friend Charles had to work late. So we went last night, it was yummy. I don't go eat Chinese that often and it is kind of mine and Charles's one thing we still do together I guess. I forgot to bring my fortune home but it was something about working as a team this week.

I started thinking today about what clothes I am going to bring for vacation. I checked the weather.com website for average temp in Navarre, FL for that time of year, and it looks like it could get cool in the evenings. Here are the averages for the timeframe we are there [graphic didn't turn out very good - sorry] :

So this looks perfect to me as long as it is sunny. I think capris and shorts are definitely the casual wear required and possibly a couple pair of pants. Crocs, flip flops and one pair of tennis shoes and I am golden. More planning to come.

Contracts

OK people....I wasn't going to have a topic to blog about today but my customers have given me one, well, one customer in particular.

When you sign a contract with someone, READ IT.

Now, I am not necessarily saying read EVERY word, not many of us do...thus the jokes about the fine print but for goodness sake, read SOME OF IT, like the part that says TERM and the part that says FEES and the part about CANCELLING/RENEWING.

I had a customer call today saying her bank account was overdrawn by $800. Why? Well, I am looking at two contracts she signed with us. One for a retail store and one is for her internet business. Each of them are 3 years contracts, with a monthly minimum fee of $25 and a statement fee of $7. So even if they do not have a single sale, they are billed at least $32 a month. They've been open since 10/2007.

She says she has called in before and cannot understand this and that when she signed the contracts she wasn't really opening her business yet, just getting things in order and never put ANY money in her business bank accounts. So we have been billing her $32 for each location each month for 4 months - we charge non-sufficient funds fees every month, her bank charges non-sufficient funds fees every month and now she is $800 overdrawn from all the fees and she hasn't sold a thing at her business yet.

People, read contracts. Once you sign one, make sure you have money in the bank in case there are fees, which you should know if you read the contract. And, lastly, don't wait 4 months to call and figure it out.

That is all.

About me

I decided it was time to do an update on the "about me" section at the top right of my blog so I revamped it a bit yesterday. I updated the number of years my parents have been married and added a little more about me and what I enjoy and do in my offtime. Any questions ? Ask them here and I will blog you an answer.

Had a fun night at No Frills Grill last night, when Barry [Corbin] got there for dinner there were no booths available [which he prefers] so I waved him over to sit with us until there was one. He did and sat with us for about 30 minutes. He was super nice and chatted with us quite a bit.

It's a rainy cold mess here today - no big plans all day except to hang out inside and then I am meeting Charles later for dinner - Chinese ! - Yum !

Cactus Farmer

So, I am trying to grow cactuses [I guess that is the plural of cactus] - anyway, I bought this little cactus greenhouse. You've seen 'em at WalMart or around. It is like this little plastic container and it has 6 little pots, 6 little soil pellets and seeds. I planted them like 2 weeks ago and so far nothing, not one little bit of life poking through yet and I thought I would see something by now.

My grandfather used to have cactuses in his office, so I thought I would continue the tradition in my home office but perhaps I do not have the cactus green thumb .... we'll see. More cactus updates to come.

Yay, Ouch and Ugh

Yay ! - the writer's strike is over. I'm sure the deal isn't EXACTLY what they wanted but I am proud of them for holding out for something they can live with as fair. PLUS I will now get a few new episodes of my favorite shows before summer.

Ouch ! - somehow, and I have no idea how, I pulled a muscle in my side while I was in the shower Sunday, and now it is like a charlie horse. You know, the pain is gone 90% of the time, but if I move just so, it wants to hurt again. I think I need to start taking a multi-vitamin.

Ugh ! - it's official, I am old. Yesterday, Sony BMG and Michael Jackson released a new album THRILLER 25 which is a special 25 year anniversary edition of the original album which I feel certain was just released a couple of years ago......apparently not.

Here I am....

.....so here I am. Alive and well. Apparently, I have been so busy doing nothing it has kept me away from the blog. So, I am going to school and working.

Recent news :

I'm getting excited about vacation - one week in sunny Florida in March with the whole family [sans brother-in-law] at a campground with mom and dad's trailer and a cabin. Can't wait for a week of rest and relaxation. I plan to visit, play games, hang out, write and generally chillax. I need to add a countdown clock to the blog.

Part one of job changes, I am getting a new schedule effective IMMEDIATELY - I am now working 8a - 5p CST Sunday thru Thursday [off Friday/Saturday] - this still fits with my school schedule and puts me back on days, which I am actually happy about....other than I have to adjust my sleeping and quit staying up until 2am....more on this later.

There was a coupon in the paper this weekend for M & Ms, for Valentine's Day, they are selling bags of ALL GREEN M & Ms....ha ha !

That's all I got right now.

I love THE DAVE

What is THE DAVE you may be asking. Here it is :

There is this store called IKEA which is a home furnishings store - kinda, I don't know, Swedish style I guess, they name stuff weird names and this is my new laptop desk - called THE DAVE. I bought it yesterday and I may never leave my apartment again. I love it.

OK - so, what else. Last week I spent getting my major switched over to Math and now I am registered for Spanish I and Pre-Calculus for this semester. Once I get thru pre-calc, I can sign up for all kinds of math classes to get the show on the road.

I'm trying to figure out a unique and creative way to get in on the textbook buying selling thing, because surely when you sell me a book for $108.00 and then you buy it back for $18.00 there is money to be made, right ? UGH.

Classes start this week - I'll post a schedule some time this week. All of my favorite shows are winding down on new episodes, only one or two weeks to go - very depressing. I hope the writer's strike is resolved soon.

Check ya later, calculators.

If they are singing, it is not scary.......

Okay, so a few days off from blogging and I am back again, you haven't lost me yet.

First off, I'd like to send a shout out to my friend Jeffrey, who after reading the tragic news that I was out of candles at home, quickly lit two in his to put me at ease. Thank you, Jeffrey.

So I worked New Year's Day - BY MYSELF - and it was supposed to be a SLOW day since last year we only had 6-8 calls. Well, guess what, I had over 25 and I am sure some dropped, it was crazy. No more working by myself.

So, now my friend Mandy [Hi Mandy!] gets to be on my blog.....a few weeks ago, we talked her into going to see 'I am Legend' with her husband...she was worried it was going to be scary and we told her it really was not scary.....a few things jump out but it is predictable, so not scary. Well, it "scared the crap out of" her - her words. Whatever.

Last night, at No Frills we were all talking about movies that are out that we want to see and she wants to see Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp.....and I am like I am Legend scared you and you want to go see a movie about grisly revenge by Benjamin Barker, a man unjustly imprisoned by a lecherous judge. It's subtitle is The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and it's rating - R for graphic bloody violence.

But, apparently, it is a musical.....so I guess if they are singing, it is not scary. Who knew ?

I hope you are sitting.....

..because not only have I blogged three entries in a row in less than five days....but also,

I am candleless.

I know.

I have no candles in my apartment. So, number one on my list of things to do when I am off on Friday, is to go to Garden Ridge, IKEA, Target, Pier 1, somewhere and get candles.

A moment of silence, please.

New Year's Resolutions

What is the end of a year without New Year's resolutions ?

So, I looked back to see if I blogged any last year and I did not. Here are mine for 2008 [in no particular order] :

1. Eat healthier
2. Increase movement [nice way of saying exercise]
3. Get a clear focus on school goals and timeframes
4. Spend more time with friends and family
5. Be a better blogger
6. Keep writing [semi-secret guilty pleasure]

I have two weeks of vacation this year and I am already in the planning stages on using it for number 4 on the list.

Let's see....this week. I am working a short shift on Monday, New Year's Eve. No plans for the evening. Working New Year's Day.....by myself. Supposedly this is a slow day and I will be able to get stuff done around the apartment. Yay !

I know this blog entry is lame, but I am trying to get back in the habit. Stay tuned in.

P.S. You may have noticed I also added a new banner header to the top of the page, I really like black and white nature pics.....hope you like it.

I think I will blog......

So, before the inevitable New Year's resolution to blog more, I will post one more 2007 blog entry.

Of note :

• Thanksgiving was at my sister's with mom and dad there
• Mini-Christmas with mom and dad at Thanksgiving
• School is done for the semester.
• I am changing my major, yet again - to Math
• Christmas Party at Jeffrey's
• Came in 2nd on the Fantasy Football League
• Real Christmas spent in Abilene - not the same without mom and dad
• Morgan and Mason are now addicted to Guitar Hero - lol
• I am still addicted to Ugly Betty and Criminal Minds
• No Frills Grill is still a Friday night ritual

Most recently, had a great time spending Christmas in Abilene. Although it wasn't the same without mom and dad there, it was still fun to be with family. I got great presents, including a beautiful new quilt for my bed made by JoLynn's mother-in-law. I think everyone was pleased with their gifts.

Joey, Dina and I got Morgan and Mason, Guitar Hero III for their new Playstation 2, this is the game of the stars, as I read everywhere that celebrities play this game all the time. Here are some pics of Mason and Morgan rocking out :




And, if you thought I was kidding about this being a celebrity thing, here is a pic of Matthew Gray Gubler [Dr. Spencer Reid] from Criminal Minds rocking Guitar Hero, also.

So, another year about to be behind us. I will post once more before year end with some New Year's resolutions and we'll see how the year goes.

Happy Holidays !

Writer's Strike

So, today began the first strike by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years and it will disrupt everything from late-night talk shows to soap operas. The strike will not immediately impact production of movies or prime-time TV programs. TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.

So, for now, most, if not all of the late night talk shows and daytime talk shows will go into reruns. And the next fall, will probably be soap operas and then depending on how long the strike goes [ the last one was 22 weeks ] - prime time will run out of scripts also and we will be left with reality TV. YUK !!!

I don't really know the specifics of what everyone wants and what the stumbling blocks are to get there, but it seems the writer's are trying to get more of a share of profits from the alternate forms of media distribution, like DVDs, internet, etc. and that doesn't sound entirely unreasonable to me as long as what they are asking for seems reasonable. Whatever happens, the results will likely be used as a guide for talks with actors and directors, whose contracts expire next June.

So good luck to both sides in coming up with a solution that makes them happy and I hope it won't take long.

Uh, did I say November 1st ?

Okay, so I am off by a few days. Sorry.

I am also sorry about my non-blogging, an apology many of you regular readers, the two of you there are, have heard me say before. I don't know, sometimes I feel my life grows so routine and mundane that there just isn't anything I have to say. Nobody wants to read about my obsession with the TV show Ugly Betty, nobody wants to read every week about my trip to the No Frills Grill, nobody wants to read about school when all there is to say is that I went.

Well, now the holidays are approaching so perhaps there is some more to be said. First of all, let me give you an update on the last several weeks. I have started a new ritual of going to the movies on Saturday mornings. I just wasn't seeing the things I wanted to see in the theatre and I decided to change that.....I've seen Sydney White, Hairspray, The Kingdom, Dan in Real Life and American Gangster....with this new little venture, so I feel it has been a success.

I went to the state fair with my friend Jeff....it was fun. I like walking around and seeing everything and watching people. He tried the new fried item of the year, fried guacamole, while we were there, I have some pics, I will try to post tomorrow of that. We also had free tickets, free parking, free skybox tokens, etc. so overall it was quite a low-cost adventure.

I think I've been to Abilene at least once since my last blog.....had lunch with the kids at school, took them to see a movie [The Game Plan] and spent Saturday with them while their mom was off scrapbooking.

So, coming up....JoLynn and Morgan are coming over this Thursday night, hopefully at a time that does not interrupt Ugly Betty.....lol. And then we are having lunch at the American Girl Bistro at the Galleria on Friday and then going to Country Peddler on Saturday. The following week, my parents are flying in on Friday for Thanksgiving.....so lots of stuff coming up.

Hopefully, this rush of activity will help me keep my blogging on track - and as always, please comment so I know you are reading.

Until next time.

Hiatus

For those of you that have been bugging me for an update on the blog, I am kind of on a blog hiatus for the month of October. Blogs will resume November 1st, and I will give an October update summary at that time.

Stay tuned.

Paul Potts

I just saw somethng about this guy a couple of days ago.....I have never been to an Opera in my life but I love listening to Josh Groban, and others sing it. It brings me to tears most of the time.

Anyway, below is a link to the AUDITION of the guy that won Britain's Got Talent reality TV show. Like I said, he ended up winning the entire competition but this audition video brings me to tears every time I watch it - you'll notice it has been viewed OVER 12 million times :

I'm crying just posting it.

I'm back......

So, school has been going on now for about a month and all is well....the classes I am taking are pretty low-maintenance so that is good. I am excited because the new fall schedule for TV is starting next week. I already saw the new KELSEY GRAMMAR show this week and I think it is going to be good.

Not much has been happening lately. We went to the No Frills Grill last night and of course you never know what you are going to see....last night it was two women arm-wrestling...alrighty. This picture was taken with my camera phone so not too great but I think you can see them.

Working today and then off tomorrow....looking forward to resting and doing a little fall cleaning/reorganizing.

Later.

I REMEMBER RAYMOND YORK

Last year, a coalition of bloggers came together to remember those we lost on September 11, 2001 and I was fortunate enough at that time to be given forty-five year old Raymond R. York who was a 20-year veteran of the New York Fire Department as my tributee.

Although, the coalition does not have as organized an effort this year, I have still been thinking about Ray as the date approached and I wanted to remember him again this year. Periodically, I check his Legacy Guest Book when I am notified that new entries have been made by those that also remember him throughout the year.

So - this entry is for Ray and all of the others that lost their lives that day. My blog will again be silent for one week in honor of his memory.

(picture courtesy of RaymondYork.i8.com)

A Fireman's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage;
Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child before it is too late
Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me.
To guard my every neighbor and protect his property.

And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life;
Please bless with your protecting hand, my children and my wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Additional Tributes to Raymond R York

http://raymondyork.i8.com/

http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=93194
(great comments and thoughts by family and friends)