A MESSAGE

Merry Christmas and do not forget the reason for this day.

WONDERFUL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Today being Christmas Eve and my family coming for dinner I had to pick up a few small things. I was at the local Wal-Mart at 6:45 this morning and what a delightful shopping experience I had. The store was just about empty. I went right to the things I needed, they had them in stock, went to the register with only one person ahead of me. And I was home by 8:00 reading the newspaper and having a cup of Christmas coffee called Hot Buttered Rum. Good stuff.
Well if I don't get a chance later I would like to wish every a very HAPPY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope Santa brings you everything you asked for.

DON'T TOUCH THE PRESENTS!!!!!!!!

The Christmas season is upon us with people humming, singing, smiling and arguing. ARGUING? THIS IS CHRISTMAS! This was the case in a home in Wyoming. A small argument started between a husband and wife and escalated into the wife stabbing him in the chest because he she accused him of opening a Christmas present early. Husbands don't touch the presents until it is handed to you. Merry Christmas.

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today is the last day of school until January 7, 2008. I will have both granddaughters with me all day for those two weeks. One break I might get is when we leave for Texas the day after Christmas so Angelica can see her mom. She is very excited. Yesterday the girls had parties in their rooms and came home with loads of goodies of which I can't have because I am diabetic. But they sure look good. Today is just a relaxing day for them. Angelica and her class did a report about Emperor Penguins and they will be watching a movie about them today. They were able to wear pajamas and bring a blanket to lay on and also bring hot chocolate mix. I am sure they will have other refreshments. Their room mothers take good care of their class. So after today they all mine. God help me!!!!!!!

I'M DONE, I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!

Yes fellow bloggers like my header says I'M DONE. Done, finished, over with Christmas shopping. 90% of the items I ordered online from JC Penny's because it was free shipping. The other 10% was gift cards. I parked my car and went right down the line to Circuit City, Loews and Kohls. Now it's time to wrap. I get everything out, make sure I write down how many batteries I need so that on Christmas morning I don't hear "where are the batteries". After I get everything ready to go I put on Christmas Carols and pot of Christmas coffee. I found individual packages of coffee such as Chestnuts by the Fire, Tiramisu and Hot Butter Rum and they are great. I sit down and wait for the coffee to finish brewing, get a large cup and start wrapping. It really gets me into the spirit of things. Both my granddaughters are in school so I have all the time in the world to enjoy this task. Then comes the last, when I have finished wrapping, of where am I going to hide all of this stuff. I know, I will put them up in attic in the garage. Problem solved. For the rest of you, HAPPY WRAPPING.

BAD CREDIT LOANS

Hows your credit? Not so good huh. Well there is a place you can go that understands that things happen and these folks are willing to help you. That place is called Pay Day Loan. Click onto Bad Credit Loans and see what they have to offer. You can apply for FREE and there is instant online processing. They make all kinds of loans. Mortage refinancing, auto loans and simple cash loans. All you need to get a payday loan is a steady income of at least $1000.00 per month, a valid checking or savings account and be a resident of the United States. And you may be able to get up to $1500.00. Also ask about their No Fax option. How simple is that. I know with the Holidays here, it is not hard to overspend and find yourself needing that extra money. Another site that you can visit for your loan needs is Personal Loan. If a Pay Day Loan is what you need you can count on Best Leading Lenders to treat you right.

WOMAN STABS NEPHEW

I read the paper looking for something that I can share with anyone who reads my blog. I try and find something amusing but this article I found turned my stomach. This happened in Florida. A woman stabbed her 12 year old autistic nephew, who is also mute, in both eyes with a military style dagger likely leaving him permanently blind. Then she stabbed herself in one eye. I guess she didn't do the other eye because she wanted to still be able to see. The other kicker is that there were other relatives there but those idiots waited, yes waited ten hours before they called 911. Now the big question is, who do you charge with a crime. For sure the woman who committed the crime, but what about those who waited before they called 911. I say do them all.
What do you think?

HUMAN TOUCH ZERO GRAVITY MASSAGE CHAIR

If you are like me, I like to be pampered. I like the comfort of a massage chair with heat. You can visit a website that offers you such chairs and more. It is a site that offers Massage Chairs and you can find them at http://www.humantouch.com/! They are adding to their line of fine chairs a zero gravity chair and I would like to tell you a little about this amazing chair. They call it the HT 7450 Zero Gravity Massage Chair. This incredible chair virtually reverses the adverse effects on the body. It has what they call the Quad Roller System that makes it feel like a massage professional, with percussion, kneading to work out knots, rolling and compression. The experience is like hands tapping on your back, gentle rolling, alternating strokes and relieving spinal pressure. Speed, location, intensity and technique can be adjusted to suit your need. The Massage Chair adjusts to your body to give you the perfect massage. Additional options include heat or a wonderful foot massage. These features are customized to your preference. In addition to these wonderful Massage Chairs, Human Touch is the creator of the best products in foot massage and foot pain, and chairs for body massage for relaxation or sensual massage. Whatever your need for massage Human Touch products are made to reach every part of your body and bring relief to you. Look into their products and I'm sure you will be glad you did. Go ahead, pamper yourself.

SICK GIRL

Angelica came home from school yesterday and said she didn't feel good and was going to lay down. She did and slept for a little over an hour. When she got up her cheeks were flushed and she felt warm. I took her temp and it was almost 102. Not having to deal with anything like this since my kids were small I got a little nervous. WHAT DO I DO? The parent thing kicked in and I knew just what to do. I gave her childrens chewable Tylenol. Within a half hour the fever was gone and she was her old self. I still made her lay on the sofa and watch tv and not run around. I checked her throughout the nite and took her temp this morning and it was normal. She said she felt good and had a good breakfast. Glad that is over.

Beach Cruisers, The Bike For You

If you like to ride a bike and don't want to spend a lot of money on a well built bike, consider getting yourself on the cruiser bikes available at XYZBikes.com. At this site you can find your dream bike, design you dream bike and not spend hundreds of dollars on it. If you want chrome fenders, they have them, wire baskets, they have them. The manufacturer thinks that cruiser bikes should cost less than $100.00 and they do. If you like daisy's, you can purchase them thru the site and easily apply them to to your beach cruiser. Check out their blog and see what new items and features are presented about beach bikes,and also check out their catalog. For those of you into choppers go to the site and check out the CUSTOM VENTANA EL DEMONIO CHOPPER. What a great looking bike. It was introduced at the Interbike show in 2004. Look at it and leave your comments to this great looking bike. This company is a Internet based company and sell a great looking bike beach cruisers for very low prices. Should you purchase a bike from them they have local pick up and professional assembly available.
If you are looking for free stuff, and who doesn't these days, you can get FREE design labels if you blog about you biking experiences. Look at their website for more information about this offer.
If you are looking to become a reseller, wholesale pricing for over 10 bikes is available. Order one or more as a samples and once satisfied with the style and quality, order a larger amount.
We also offer people the opportunity to sell on e-bay.com and make money. So if you are really interested in doing something like this look us up. No matter if you are looking to buy one of our cruiser bikes or want to be a reseller, please look us up.

Chicago Light Parade

Saturday night I watched the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade from Chicago. I'm sure that those who waited most of the day for this extravaganza were disappointed. No bands were to be found, no fancy floats only floats advertising the entrants wares. All through the parade the announcers were saying "Can't wait for the American Girl float to get here. They are going to sing (can't remember what song). Finally the float arrived with about 10 girls on it. They did not sing, what dancing there was, was not in step with the music and they did not even lip-sync to the music. What a let down. It looked like the retailers wanted to get you in the Christmas spirit to spend money. Hopefully it will be better next year.

LOANS FOR YOU

Do you find yourself needing money for a trip, home improvement, new car or that perfect wedding that you have always dreamed of. Well did you know that this is all possible by applying and getting a loan. There are two types of loans you may apply for, a secured or unsecured loan and Nations Finance can help you find one.

Unsecured personal loans are available to homeowners and tenants. Being a unsecured loan means that no collateral is required by the lender. The one catch to an unsecured loan is that you have to have good credit. Usually those with bad credit have to turn to a secured loan. If you have good credit you will be able to find good interest rates and repayment terms to suit you. The amount you can borrow will be based on such factors as employment status, income, outgoings, credit history and rating etc. When comparing personal loans you need to look at several things such as interest rates, monthly repayments, terms and conditions and penalties. Check out this website and Compare loans before you decide, http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/loans/personal-loans.html.

If you are looking for a secured loan, look into this site, http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/loans/secured-loans.html. Again Compare loans before you decide what is best for you. A secured loan is one that is available to persons that have a mortgage and have equity in their home. The lender will of course want to know the value of your home, employment status, income and outgoings. With a secured loan you can spread your repayment options out over a longer period of time than unsecured loans. If you are really interested in a loan look into the the sites available here.

IT SNOWED, IT SNOWED!!!!!

Yesterday it snowed. As a matter of fact if snowed during Tuesday night and when my granddaughter, Angelica, woke up the next morning there was snow on the ground. Being from Texas she has never seen so much snow and she was very excited. Thank God I listened to the weatherman and went out and bought her a pair of boots. When Delaney arrived, the two of them we chattering like a couple of new born chicks about getting out there and playing. I told them that after school they could. When they came home, it was cold so I only let them play outside in the snow for about 15 minutes. Angelica had a ball rolling in the snow and trying to make snowballs. The snow was not wet enough to make a good snowball but she and Delaney had a great time anyway. When they came in they was cold and full of show. I had them both jump into a pair of PJ's and made them some hot chocolate which they drank and talked about what a good time they had in the snow.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

What would be the perfect Christmas gift or the perfect gift any time of year? I bet it would be a wonderful vacation to a far distant country, a cruise or a nice getaway near your home. I have found the website that can get you there for just the price you have in mind. It is called Hotel Reservations and that is just what they do. Hotel Reservations can connect you with great deals for your getaway. Wonderful deals for Las Vegas, New York, London and more. The really nice thing is that they are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, whenever the thought jumps into your mind Hotel Reservations will be there. Visit their website and choose one of the many destinations and deals they have to offer. I'm sure you will be pleased at how competitive their prices are with great discounts they have to offer on vacations, hotels, motels, resorts, vacation rentals and more. Check them out for that perfect gift or surprise.

DECORATING

What a glorious time of year. Christmas. My granddaughters have been waiting all week for me to put up the Christmas tree. Each day they came home from school and were disappointed that it wasn't up yet. Well Friday, much to their wondering eyes did appear as they came through the door after school, the beautifully lit Christmas tree. This put them in the Christmas spirit because they haven't settled down yet. Yesterday was spent, by me, going through the closet looking at what beautiful things that were going to go on display for the season. I must admit it was all I found. The house looks so bright and cheery and I'm sure my wife had a hand in whispering into my ear as to where things should go. Even though she is not here she is a big influence in the Christmas decorating. I think we did a good job and Santa will bring a lot of gifts. The manger is in a place of honor for all to see because, lets face it, it is HIS time of year.

OPTICS PLANET

Guess what holiday is coming up and you need to give that someone special something special. You got it, it's Christmas. I have just the place for you to go to get that perfect gift and it is called Optics Planet Inc. and you can check out their website at http://www.opticsplanet.com/. They deal in things from flashlights and binoculars to sunglasses and rifle scopes. Everything in optics that you can think of and top of the line brands with prices to fit your pocketbook or wallet. One of the nice things they offer is FREE ground shipping on orders of $29.95 or more. Look at any of the sites they have like http://www.opticsplanet.net/best-gifts.html Gift Guide to see the thousands of gifts available or go to http://www.opticsplanet.net/besandtopsta.html Best Sellers to see what everyone else is getting. I'd like to have one of those flashlights that you tap the bottom of it with your hand or shake it to get light. I bet they have it. You can go to http://www.opticsplanet.net/guarantee.html to find out why you should buy from Optics Planet. Give them a look and I'm sure you will find just the right gift.

THE COACH

Guess who's is coming to this little town of Schererville and to a local grocery store in this little town of Schererville. It's not Mickey Mouse or his friends and it is not the President. This person is more important than that. It is, YES, YES, YES it is The Coach Mike Ditka. The ex coach of the Chicago Bears. He will be coming to this town to promote his new line of wines. He will be signing items for the fans who come to see him ONLY if they buy a bottle of wine. If it doesn't taste like Mogan David, then it is not worth buying.

LAPBAND BY JOURNEY LITE

Are you tired of being heavy and not looking good in your clothes? Well you can change all that by having a procedure done called LAPBAND. What if does is reduce the stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. During the procedure your Journey Lite surgeon will use laparoscopic techniques. What this really means that the surgeon will make tiny incisions (rather than a large incision) and insert special longshafted instruments through these tiny incisions in order to wrap the inflatable silicone band around the upper part of your stomach. In doing this a new stomach pouch is created and that limits and controls the amount of food that you eat. You will be monitered so that any adjustments to the band can be made for your comfort and controlled weight loss. They have offices in Los Angeles, Houston and Tampa. Look them up at http://www.journeylite.com/.
My daughter had this procedure done and she really looks great. She lost 50+ pounds and has a new wordrobe. So lapband Tampa, Houston or Loa Angeles is where to go.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

I'm Christmas shopping on line. I have just about finished with my grandkids in Texas. I have sent Aiddin a wooden table with a wooden train set. 80 pieces. My daughter says he is into trains and at 4 years old I think he will like it. Spencer on the other had wanted a guitar. I found a electric guitar that comes with a stand up mic, and amp. I KNOW he will have a good time with that. I will be up to his mother to get him lessons. Another thing I got Spencer are Night Vision binoculars which I know he will like too. Had it sent straight to their house, so no wrapping (moms job) and best of all, free shipping.

DELIGHTFUL DELIVERIES

If you are like me, I like to shop from the comfort of my home with a cup of coffee next to me and not having to bump shoulders with a lot of people. Have lunch at your own table and not stand in line. I have found the perfect website to do this and it is called DelightfulDeliveries.com.
Gifts and more Gifts. This is what they have to offer you to give to your loved ones, friends or business clients. DelightfulDeliveries.com the premiere Gift Retailer and America's number 1 Gift Basket Website, announced it has been named one of The Hot 100 Retail Websites by leading industry magazine, Internet Retailer. Now with a record like that how can you not go to this website and look for yourself at what they have to offer. With the Christmas Season here they have many unique gift ideas for you to choose from. Their items include popular brands likeGifts from Mrs. Fields, Ghirardelli, Dancing Deer, Mrs. Beasleys and Lady Fortunes. And too they have Hanukkah Gifts, Baby Gifts, Get Well Soon Gifts, Thank you Gifts, Sympathy Gifts and more. They can show the Top Rated Gifts, Corporate Gifts and International Gifts. Not only do they sell candies and cookies, they also have beautiful flower arrangements. You can offer a gift that is sent monthly or even send a gourmet meal. And keep in mind that all of their Gifts and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. When you go to their website, make sure you look at the gift towers. There are unique and beautiful and will get your mouth watering for a taste of these delicious goodies. There is another good this in dealing with this company to buy your Gifts, they have free shipping on thousands and thousands of their items. This is something every shopper looks for and DelightfulDeliveries.com offers this. Look them over and order from them, I will. In addition I would like to tell a little about DelightfulDeliveries.com. is a privately held company with one of the largest and most unique selections of gourmet gifts, ranked alongside larger sites such as Dell, Nike and Amazon.com. They offer over 2000 unique and delicious gifts from America's best brands. Their award winning website was started in 1998. Look them over. I'm sure you will be pleased at the beautiful and wonderful items they offer.

COLD MORNING

It was cold this morning. Colder than usual and poor little Angelica felt it. Being from Texas, she is not used to this king of weather. I asked her what she is going to do when it really gets cold. She was bundled up as if it were 90 below zero, but said she liked this weather and couldn't wait until it snowed. Soon enough young lady, soon enough.

ULTIMATE PAINTBALL

When you were a kid did you play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and had fun doing those things. As we got older we got away from those things because they were childish. I bet you still think about doing that kind of thing. Well guess what. You can by getting a group of friends together and getting paintball gun packages from one of the world biggest suppliers of paintball gun packages and anything else you need. The company I am referring to is Ultimate Paintball and you can find them at paintball gun packages. I have a camper in northern Indiana and every time I go up there I pass a sign that says Paint Ball Course. Every once in a while they will advertise a Paint Ball Tournament. The more I think about it, I will stop there and see what it is all about and talk to people there. From what I have seen on tv it looks like a lot of fun, back to playing cops and robbers again. When I am ready to purchase equipment I will look into paintball gun packages from Ultimate Paintball. I have checked out their website and they sell the top of the line equipment like Tippman, Spyder, Ion and more. You can see all the different products that they carry by going to paintball gun packages and seeing for yourself. One of the best things they offer is FREE SHIPPING, that alone can save you a bundle. Another nice feature about Ultimate Paintball is that when you are on the site and you have a question about paintball gun packages or any of the products, you can chat with a live person who can help you in making a decision as to what you need. That is what I am going to do after I talk to some folks at the paintball course and am ready to make a purchase. So look into their site to get what you need and start having a ball. Another site you can find them on is paint ball guns

CELTIC WOMEN CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

With Christmas coming and my wife being gone no two years I find this time of year hard to endure. I see other couples shopping together, dining together and in my mind I know this will not happen for my wife and me. There were so many things we did and prepared for together I can't fathom her not being here. But I just wanted to tell you that I am enjoying one of the most beautiful Christmas shows. It's called Celtic Women Christmas Celebration. The women are a total of five. Four sing and one plays the violin. Absolutely wonderful. They are singing a combination of your favorite Christmas songs and traditional Irish (Celtic) Christmas songs. They should be called the Celtic Angels because their voices are just that. They are pure talent and elegance. There are no jeans with holes in them, tattoos, just beautiful evening gowns and voices. They are backed by a 100+ choir and a large orchestra. I can't say that there is not a tear in my eye fore I can imagine how my wife would enjoy this program. She loved this time of year with family and friends.

GOTH DATING

Are you looking for that someone special. I mean really special. The place to go is Darkyria.com where you can possibly meet your soul mate, match and meet other Goth singles. This is a singles, dating and personals website aimed at Goth, Dark, Fetish, Vampire, Heavy, Extreme Music and Alternative Culture. If you like free stuff keep in mind that member ship is FREE. Yes Goth singles membership is free and when you do register you can browse the thousands and thousands of profiles and pictures of other singles like yourself. Darkyria.com allows their members to not only upload photos but if you see someone you like, there's what they call the "Send a Wink" feature to help you get that person know that you are interested, a Dark Cupid who will find your Soul mate, a free Video Chat, Forums, a World Map Seeker, and much, much more. If you are interested, log on now and explore the Dark Side of Love for yourself. Goth singles is not for everyone but for those of you into it, this is the place where you can express yourself to others and find others who share your thoughts and would love to meet and chat with you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It's 8:40 am and I thought I would put out this post before getting the house ready for company that are coming for dinner. It was supposed to snow last night, 1-3 inches, but that didn't happen. That's a good thing because I know many of you will be on the road today and driving is bad enough on a day like this without having snow or ice or rain. I will probably run to the cemetery and say Happy Thanksgiving to my wife Andie. This is the second year without her and it seems harder than the first. Anyway, life goes on. Being lazy as I am I ordered a turkey dinner from our local Jewel food store. Just heat and serve. Comes with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. Can't wait. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL. BE SAFE.

If you are so inclined you can check out my other blog MY ANDIE at http://ladyandie.blogspot.com.

REPLY TO WIANGUBE

Thank you for your comment about Garden Escape. I see you are in the flooring business and you asked my opinion of the White Oak. If it is the color, I like it. But as far as construction, I am not a contractor nor do I work for Garden Escape. You can contact them directly as I say in my post. Good luck with your project I think it would be beautiful.

TAKE A STEP BACK

I was watching the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade Saturday evening which was a total bust when a commercial came on for the Illinois Lottery and this bozo saying 'LET TAKE A STEP BACK AND REMEMBER WHAT THE HOLIDAYS ARE ALL ABOUT. GIVING. BUY A LOTTO TICKET. Yes, let's take a step back, way back and remember what this is all about. It is not giving it is the birth of CHRIST. Get rid of all this buying and giving. How many families go broke during this time. When I was a kid, a long time ago, I knew what Christmas was all about and we called it Christmas not the Holidays. Lets not buy a Lotto ticket and lets cut back on the giving and make ourselves go into debt just to make the retailers happy. They are the ones who make out in the end, not us. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

GARDEN ESCAPE

You know as well as I do that you can enjoy life, work and exercise in you are in an enviornment that you really enjoy and look forward to coming too. I have found places like that in the form of garden buildings. These buildings are made just for that purpose and can be seen at The Garden Escape. Models can be viewed online. Just imagine yourself working or exercising in a building that overlooks a beautiful garden, lake, city or mountains. With garden buildings you can do just that. Included in the specifications and price of a Garden Escape are: Construction of strong, secure foundations, Connection of electric and phone cabling, Convection heating and stylish soft recessed lighting, Thermal and acoustic insulation to meet the same standards as a newly built home, Internal painted plaster finish, Engineered oak flooring, Double glazing with Pilkington "K" Glass for quiet light. Sided in western red cedar which means no outdoor maintenance. And this building has a Lloyds of London backed guarantee. Visit this site of garden buildings and look at the many designs they have to offer. You can contact them by phone, e-mail or fill out the form located online and someone will contact you. So if you want to live, work or exercise in luxury visit The Garden Escape and look at the garden buildings that are available to you.

LOOKING FOR SNOW

I am babysitting my two granddaughters today, so that means that I am watching three girls, Angelica 10, Mia 7 and Delaney 6. Lots of luck. Right. Well they are behaving to an extent, but the real funny thing is that last night the weatherman mentioned that there would be snow showers today so every few minutes the girls are running to the window looking for a blizzard. I try to explain to them that if they do see snow it will be just a little and not enough to go sledding. They just don't understand and hope they will not be too disappointed when we don't get 10 inches.

CREATIVE TUTORING

If you were like me, I struggled in school. Back in those days we didn't haveInnovative Tutor offered by Score Learning. Tutoring was a non-existent word to my family but was available to families of means. An Innovative Tutor is a person with skills and imagination to create new things to help in the learning process. Maybe this is what your child needs to help them excel in learning. One thing to keep in mind mom and dad is how much easier your job would be if you had the help of an Innovative Tutor It wouldn't take the weight of helping your child off your shoulders, but it would make things a lot easier. My grandson is one of those children who could use a Innovative Tutor to help him understand and enjoy learning. So look into the Score Learning and their Innovative Tutor program and other programs that are available.

THANKSGIVING MEAL AT SCHOOL

As I had mentioned in a blog yesterday, my granddaughters were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner at school. When they came home from school they were all aflutter and eager to talk about the Thanksgiving dinner they had. They mentioned all the different kinds of food they had and that made my mouth water. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, salads and the deserts they described as only gooooooood. The wore costumes they had made in school. Delaney made a vest out of a paper shopping bag and Angelica wore a ladies pilgrim hat they had made in class. I only wish I could have been there with them to share these special moments.

MATH TUTORS

Let me ask you a very simple question. Can you help your child with math? How much do you still remember and how much have you forgot. I have found a place that can supply Math Tutors to help your child with their needs. That place is Score Learning Centers. If your child needs that one on one personal attention, Score, with their Math Tutors can supply just that. They have ways to make math fun and this is one thing that hold your child's interest in math. I wish that they had Math Tutors when I was a kid going to school, I sure could have used one. So if your child is having trouble learning and understanding math and you find that you don't have the ability to help them, please don't hesitate to look into Score Learning Centers, Math Tutors.

THANKSGIVING DINNER

Today is another special day for my two granddaughters attending Protsman school in Dyer, Indiana. They are being treated to a full blown Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all of the trimmings as well as some wonderfule deserts. They will even be in costume to fit the times.
Each class was assigned to bring a certain item for this dinner. Angelica's thrid grade class had to bring Ranch dressing. With 25 children in her class, that is a lot of dressing. Delaney's first grade class was assigned to bring one pound of butter. That too is a lot of butter, but with the amount of kids, teachers and volunteers to feed, maybe not.

I think this is wonderful to let the children live the past and see what the first Thanksgiving was like. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

HOLIDAY CHEER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Everyone looks to save money for the holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and the big one coming up, yep, Christmas. In today's times saving money is the thing and I've found just a place called CouponChief.com. They are there for you. Make that special wishlist for the family and friends, and oh yes don't forget your pets or you will never live it down. CouponChief.com strives to provide a one stop coupon deal and discount resource for their site visitors. They focus on customer support and providing up to date coupon codes and promotional deals. Go to directly to sites like http://www.bestbuy.com/ for their special offers and savings or for the pet in you household go to http://www.petsmart.com/ where they have free shipping on orders over $50.00. Let me tell you this is the way to shop and save your hard earned money. Check them out.

DECK THE HALLS

Here it is 10:30 in the morning and I just finished watching a movie that I didn't finish last night because I fell asleep. Not that the movie was bad, just that I couldn't keep my eyes open at midnight.
If you are not doing anything special today I suggest that you get to your local video store and rent an extremely funny movie called Deck the Halls. This movie stars Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. It will definitely get you into the Christmas spirit and even bring a tear to your eye at the end. So if football is not your thing, rent Deck the Halls and get ready to laugh.

ONLINE COUPONS

With Christmas just around the corner wouldn't it be nice to shop and save money? You can't look at every newspaper and find every coupon that will save you money, that's hard work. Well let me tell you something. I have found a found a website that has hundreds of coupons ready for the taking. That website is NCNatural Coupons. This site is updated everyday with offers from hundreds of your favorite merchants. One of my favorites is http://www.jcpenny.com/ where they have a large selection of name brand merchandise and good coupons offers. Those of you who will visit WILL save money using these coupons. The site is laid out so you can find coupons quickly and easily. Another place that I enjoy visiting is http://www.kohls.com/ . Here too you will find many good coupons. So don't look in the papers and clip coupons when you can go to NCNatural Coupons and get the coupons you want. If you are looking for computers, check out Dell at this link for coupons and good deals, http://ncnatural.com/Resources/Coupons/Dell.html . Also available for viewing is the following link where you can get InkJets at low prices. These deals can be found at the following link, http://ncnatural.com/Resources/Coupons/123InkJets.html. Be sure to check out all of these sites for great savings.

TOO MUCH CHRISTMAS

As I was driving from Long John Silvers where I had dinner I was listening to the radio, 93.9 The Lite and they were playing Christmas music. If I remember correctly they started playing these songs either on Thanksgiving Day of the day after. This is much too early, we will be so sick of seeing Christmas decorations and listening to Christmas songs there will be nothing to enjoy when the season really gets here and that won't be until after Thanksgiving. So as a result I will not be listening to The Lite until that time and I will enjoy the music even more. I hope some of you will do the same.

THE MIST BY STEPHEN KING

Stephen King, by using words, can make one stay up all night to read one of his books or send fear up you spine watching a movie while you cling to your mate or sit in their lap. I recall watching The Shining. That was one scary movie. From the empty halls where people or things would appear to the moving lawn sculptures. Jack Nicholson played the perfect part. The scenes where Shelly DuVall and her son were hiding from Jack made your nerves tingle.Even without playing in The Shining he looks scary and I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley. While watching the film you could put yourself in that big hotel all by yourself and that is one of the things that bring out the fear. It gets you thinking and puts you in the movie.

Well Stephen King has a new film coming out November 21st that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It is called The Mist. The Mist by Stephen King is a story about a group of people trapped in a local grocery store by a strange otherworldly mist. David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his son are the first to realize that tings are lurking in the mist, creatures not of this world. As reason crumbles in the face of panic David wonders what terrifies him more, the monsters in the mist or those inside the store. Survival depends on everyone pulling together but David wonder if that is possible. A must see movie by the master storyteller Stephen King. Be sure to see The Mist by Stephen King opening November 21st. For more about this movie go to http://www.themist-movie.com/ and view the trailers, learn about the stars and more.

A great cast brings this movie together: Thomas Jane - Boogie Nights, The Punisher and Deep Blue Sea. Marcia Gay Harden - The Hoax, The Dead Girl and American Gun. Laurie Holden - The Majestic and will be on The Shield this season.

WATCHING TWO KIDS

I don't know how you mothers do it. Watch kids I mean. I watched two girls yesterday and today because they had only a half day of school. I was picking up after them constantly. I no sooner had one mess picked up and there was another. Mom's how do you do it if you have more than two. My wife and I had three and she babysat three. It never seemed to bother her with the cooking, cleaning (I must add in my defense that I helped) and all of the other things that need to be done. I must say mom's you don't get paid enough. God Bless you.

GARAGE FLOORS

How would you like to have a garage floor that you have designed, have the colors that you want and have a garage floor that would be the talk of the neighborhood? The place to go for garage flooring is the website for CarGuyGarage.com. The have floor tile, floor coating, grated flooring, ribbed flooring and garage flooring. You can see the colors and patterns right online. You can design your garage floors right online. If you choose to coat your garage floor they have step by step instructions for preparing and applying the coating, which is epoxy, online so you can see if you want to go that route or put down tile. Tiles come in different colors and garage flooring tiles are interlocking and measure 17.68 inches and are 1/4 inch thick and are easy to install. So cover your cracked ugly garage floors by going to CarGuyGarage.com. Also don't forget to ask for your free catalog that will show you all of the other items that they have to offer.

NEW DAY-NEW CHALLENGES

This is a new day. It is Angelica's tenth birthday. We will have a small party for her tonite and the big party Sunday. Today the kids have only a half day of school. What am I going to do with them while I have all these errands to run? They can watch only so much tv and movies. Maybe I'll take them to McDonald's and play on the indoor gym set. By that time Delaney's mom will be home from work and she can take over, I'll order a pizza, my son and his family will come over the party will begin. Seeing that Angelica's mom, brothers and grandparents are in Texas and have sent gifts, I will let her open those because she will have more to open on Sunday. Ahhhhh to be a kid again and get two birthdays.

DENTEMP O.S.

When packing for a vacation, we never think of the important things, such as tooth ache medicine. I wish I had when I was driving to Texas. I was chewing a piece of gum and yep, you guessed it, a filling came out. The pain was so intense I almost drove off the road. Luckily we were near a good sized town where I was able to get help. What if I wasn't, I know a product that I wished I had, and now carry with me. It's called Demtemp OS. A dental repair material that was invented by a dentist. It provides fast temporary relief of pain and discomfort. It's easy, just remove it from it's plastic vial and it's ready to use. No MESS!, NO MIXING! and there are several applications in each vial. It also replaces lost fillings and may be used to temporarily cement loose crowns. It's so strong that you can eat on it with 30 minutes of setting. And most important, all products have been tested and fully comply with FDA regulations for Oral Care. Also check out the temporary repair link http://www.majesticdrug.com/demtemp_os.htm and see how these products work. You can order this product on line, so while you are there why don't you do just that. You can also get full instructions on how to use this product. So remember Dentemp OS for you medicine cabinet or suitcase.

REPLY TO VENOMOUS

I agree with you. Don't panic until there are30 shopping days until Christmas. The stores are doing this because, supposedly they had a bad year, last year.

GET CAR QUOTES, LOANS AND MORE.

Are you in the market for a new car and want to get the best price you can? I have got just the place for you to go. It is carsblvd.com. By going here you will never pay full price for a new car! Compare quotes at carsblvd.com with wholesale prices by letting dealers compete for your business. You'll get up to two (2) quotes -it's FREE and FAST. By checking out this site you will have the opportunity to check on used cars, car loans, police impounds, insurance and auctions. They will even guide you to where you can auction off your car, donate your car. You can sell your car by reaching local shoppers by going to one of the related links available. You can even get a Honda Car Quote if you are interested in that type of vehicle. So look them over and select the type of service that you are interested in.

ANGELICA'S BIRTHDAY

Tomorrow is my granddaughter's birthday. She will be ten years old. My how time flies. We will have a small party for her with just my daughter Julie and Delaney and my son Kevin and his family, Mia, Gage and Karen.

On Sunday is when we will have the big party with all of the friends and relatives. I am expecting about 30 people. This poor child has not had a party this big since she moved to Texas. Those parties consisted of about 6 people. She will be overwhelmed. Here she will have her aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She has no idea how many people are coming.
Looking forward to a great time.

PAYDAY LOANS

When you find yourself short of money and it's still a week from payday, there is a place that can help you out for that short period. It's called Payday Loans.

What this is, is a loan or cash advance that is quick and easy way to get you through this period, get this, without a credit check. It is a small short term loan that can range from $100 to $1500. The money can be electronically deposited and repaid from your checking account on mutually agreed dates.

With the simple online application process, you'll find out within minutes if you are approved. There is no faxing or waiting in line, apply 24/7 from home or work and the application process is instant and secure. So check out Faxless Payday Loans to get the short term money you need.

NOT LETTING US FORGET

I had the privilage of going shopping to our friendly Wal-Mart yesterday and in at least two spots I saw their friendly reminder that there are only 51 shopping days til Christmas (now there are only 50). I thought that it was wonderful that they did this as a public service. NOT! It's bad enough that they are now showing Christmas commercials. Remember the days when this all started the day after Thanksgiving? Don't get me wrong I love Christmas and decorate my house to prove it. But lets not push it.

MORTGAGES FOR YOU

When looking for a mortgage there are many things to consider. Rate, length of the loan, closing costs and other things your mortgage broker will tell you about. There is a place that can connect you with a mortgage consultant who can get you a great rate. That place is NationsFinance. Visit their website for fixed rate mortgages and they will help you. Even if you have bad credit they can help. For a cheap mortgage visit them at http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/mortgages/compare-mortgages.html and see what they can do for you. You can apply on line by filling out the application form, just as simple as that. Or you can go to http://www.nationsfinance.co.uk/mortgages/ and see what they have to offer. There are many different types of mortgages for instance, Interest Only and Repayment. Repayment mortgages are when you pay a piece of the loan and interest in the repayments you make. Interest only mortgages is when you pay only the interest part of the loan, leaving you owing the initial loan sum in full. So apply and let them do the work for you. I'm sure you will find this to be a interesting and rewarding experience.

HOW I WISH SHE WAS HERE

How I wish, how I wish that my Lady Andie was here on Halloween night. She used to love to see the children dressed up in their costumes and hand out candy. I know she was here standing behind me as I did this ritual because every once in a while I would feel a pinch on my backside. I must say all the children looked great in their costumes and I hope they had a good time trick-or-treating.

HALLOWEEN

Today is Halloween. A day for young and old to be what they want to be. My granddaughters are going to be princesses decked out in beautiful dresses. The are going to have a parade, in costume, around their school and the parents are invited to be there to watch as the children parade around the outside of the school. Then the children go into the school for their parties. Parents not invited. After school the girls will go trick or treating in the neighborhood. I hope two things happen. one being that the teacher doesn't assign homework and second that the weather is nice. The kids have waited a long time for this. HAVE A GOOD TIME KIDS.

MR. COOL FALLS FOR MCDONALD CUSTOMERS

Today my granddaughters didn't have school. It was fall break thursday and friday. See that I had to fill their day with activities I called my son and asked if he wanted to go to lunch with us at McDonalds in Highland which has a outdoor playground. He accepted and I picked him up from work and off to Mc's we went. After ordering our meals we chose a table and ate. After the girls finished they went outside to the playground and my son and I stayed inside. We were talking when I noticed a young man come strutting in. He had a red head dress on, I don't know what you call it but I call it a rag. Pants with pockets hanging down to the floor along with the crotch of his pants. He had on a white shirt with red trim and attached to a loop on his pants was a chain which was attached to a wallet. He strutted his stuff so that everyone noticed him. He placed his order and waited for it to be put together. In the meantime an employee came to the spot the young man just passed and mopped the floor and placed a bright yellow plastic horse with the words "caution wet floor". At this point Mr. Cool got his order, turned to exit by means of the same route he entered and not looking down, up or sideways walked right into this yellow horse, fell and rebounded like a professional who did this all of the time and was out the door. Those who noticed, which were quite a few started to snicker and when everyone looked at each other burst into full laughter. Can't wait to go back and see if Mr. Cool comes back and what his encore will be.

GARAGE SALES

With the camper being closed up I can now take advantage of the last of the garage sales. Yes I said last because the weather will be getting colder and the garage sales will stop until next spring. I am going to 6 of them today. I got maps from Mapquest and go to them in hopes of finding treasures that I can sell on E-Bay. Not only will I look for E-Bay items, but it is also nice to talk to people. You meet a lot of nice people at these garage sales. So off I go in hopes of finding my treasures of the day.

Have a nice day.

REPLY TO COMMENT FROM KAREN

Hello Karen. Thank you for your comment. Yes Andie was a special person and I thank you for your thoughts. Yes I will always remember the goods times, that is what is getting me through the days. Hugs back to you.

THE TEQUILA GUY

Remember when you were in college, or out, and you drank Tequila? It was the cheap, anything you could afford type. Well I found a website for Tequila and other drinks and mixes and the website is http://www.thetequilaguy.com/. It is a site that can answer your questions about Tequila. With over 700 tequilas to choose from, The Tequila Guy it there to help answer your questions about this wonderful drink. If you are looking for something for that special occasion or special person contact The Tequila Guy let him know what you want and he will do what he can to get you where you want to go. This site will let you know of upcoming promotions and festivals. He will give you recipes and also give you names of restaurants that serve top shelf tequilas and great Mexican food. So check out The Tequila Guy now.

CLOSING THE CAMPER

This past weekend was kind of a sad weekend because I closed my camper in Plymouth, Indiana. I made arrangements for someone to winterize it and brought home food stuffs that I could use here or might spoil had I left them there.

I must say it was a beautiful, beautiful weekend. High in the 80's, nice and quiet because I was alone. We had a nice fire Saturday night although being so warm we all sat aways back from it. We joked and laughed about things that happened over the summer. Sunday I took a golf cart ride with my dog, Mandy, said goodbye and have a nice winter to some folks I know, packed up the van about noon and left for home.

See you next spring friends and camper.

PRESENTS FOR GUYS

Do you have the problem of not knowing what gift to get your favorite person or maybe you just want to get a gift for yourself. I have found a website that makes it easy with over 1000 items to choose from. This website offers many, many items for the garage such as cabinets, designer tile for the garage floor. They also have accessories like clocks, watches and signs. All the things that you would need to make that dream garage they have always wanted. Turn that garage into a functional work place. All you have to do is log onto http://www.carguygarage.com/ , look at all of the items available and don't forget to as for your free catalog. You will find all the gifts for him that you will need.

TWO YEARS TODAY

We all remember things. Birthdays, wedding anniversary's, and every occasion that reminds us of someone or something. Today is no different because it is the second, would you call it anniversary, that my Lady Andie was stricken with a stroke that took her from me and her family. It is a day that I relive in my mind everyday up to the time she was called to Heaven on February 13, 2006. The memories are sad ones except for the times I think she recognized me, said my name or hugged me. Those days are forever burned into my memory and those days I will never forget. The times that we spent alone holding hands are very special to me, for only I know what thoughts I had and the look in her eyes expressed her thoughts which, I hope were "I love you".

October 9th we would have been married 42 years.

LAP BAND

Do you want to lose weight? I mean really lose weight. Not with pills or starvation diets, I mean by a system where comfort comes first. I found such a procedure called Lap Band. Richard Collier is the foremost Lap Ban Surgeon in the cities of Woodlands Lap band, Houston,Conroe and Kingwood Texas. They want you to understand that your comfort is of great importance to them. That's why everything in Dr. Colliers center is designed with your needs in mind.

Dr. Collier specializes in the LapBand System and what it is, is a adjustable gastric banding procedure that limits the amount of food going into your stomach, thus helping you lose the weight that you want to get rid of. All procedures are performed on a outpatient basis which means no hospital stay. You will be closely monitored so the band will be adjusted to your specific needs.

If you really want to lose, you should call them at the Woodlands Lap band to find a location near you.

EXCITING WEEK

Monday was the start of a new week, long week. I got the girls off to school and went to have a potty break to discover that I had blood coming from a place where it shouldn't come from. Being the chicken that I am I waited for my daughter to come home from work to get Delaney and I told her of my problem. She made an appointment with the doc for the next day because like I said, being the chicken that I am I would not go to the ER. When I went to the doc the next day he sent me right away to the ER. I was in the hospital Tues, Wed and came home Thursday. Seeing the I had not had a good physical since I left the Army in 1965 he found this to be a great time to give me the works. X-rays, CT scans, scopes and EKG. Thank God I went there were things in my colon that could have turned into the big C. All I can say that I will be going to the doc on a yearly basis and doing whatever he says. I suggest that you do the same.

LOVE THAT TOILET PAPER

My daughter in Texas called me today and asked if I wanted to hear what my grandson Aiddin did. Of course I say yes. She said she was watching tv and Aiddin said he was going to do potty. It's always a good thing when the young ones can do potty by themselves. Aiddin was in the bathroom for awhile and then Lorri heard his cry for help. She told him to hold on, that she would be there in a minute. Then a more distressed cry came from the bathroom with the added words of bring towels. Hearing the last two words made her go running, and yes she did need towels, lots of towels. Aiddin had done the big stuff, and being in the learning stage of wiping himself he doesn't know quite how much paper to use. Half the roll was making its home in the toilet and the water overflowing into the bathroom. She said she had almost 2 inches of water to clean up. Never again will she respond to a second cry of help. She will run on the first cry.

BLACK FRIDAY

Do you like to shop with the crowds the day after Thanksgiving? The newspapers that come out on the day before and on Thanksgiving are about a foot thick with ads promoting ads for the Friday after Thanksgiving. That day is know as black friday. These stores open at 4, 5 or 6 in the morning with super buys. People line up hours before the opening bell rings. Standing in cold or rain to get these deals. Well let me tell you something. You don't have to do that because there is a site out there called black friday. With the help of this site you can sit in the comfort of your own home, in front of your computer and shop at your favorite store on line and still receive the deals you would get if standing in a line for hours. Be connected to you favorite store by black friday to purchase clothes, toys, jewelry, electronics or whatever you want for the special person or persons.

Myself, I sign on to JC Penney to do my shopping. By doing this I get great deals on the things I want and best of all I will, at times, get free shipping. Do you know what it costs to ship an item? It is not cheap. So I take advantage of especially when I have family in Texas.

Keep in mind black friday and let them steer you in the right direction for you shopping needs.

WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR

I was reading the Sunday paper and looking through the ad's and it appeared there. I went shopping yesterday and I saw them there. I went to two stores today and sure enough there they were. You may have guessed it by now, yes Christmas decorations and trees. Lets get the Halloween stuff off of the shelves first. Then comes Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I think it is a shame how the merchants are forcing the seasons upon us. It is not the season any longer it is the bottom line $$$$$$ now. Lets go back to the old days when you didn't see holiday decorations until about two weeks before that particular holiday. I liked it much better that way and didn't get tired of seeing them and glad when it was over.

REPLY TO JENNIFER

Thanks for the comment. We are up front near the ranger station and we do have a part model. We have been at the park for 10 years and enjoy it.

LABOR DAY

Well it's over. I'm talking about the Labor Day weekend. We look forward to Memorial Day which is the big kickoff to summer, enjoy summer and then all of a sudden it's Labor Day and summer is over. Vacations end and kids go back to school.

Well I must say my weekend was great. I spent it at my camper in Plymouth Indiana Yogi Bear Campground. Weather was perfect and since I have someone cut my grass I was somewhat work free. Enjoyed the neighbors, food and campfire as well as good conversation containing jokes and what not. All too soon it ended. Four days of good times. This was the weekend also of the Blue Berry Festival in Plymouth Indiana where thousands of people gather to look at arts and crafts, listen to good music and eat lots and lots of good food. My wife and I used to go every year for the last 10 years but since she is gone I really don't have the desire to go. Maybe someday.

Hope you all had and pleasant and save holiday too.

FOOTBALL AT HIGHLAND

Is the sport of football so important that it overlooks family morals? It must be to coaches at Highland High School. Why do I say this, it's because the coach has called for a football practice on Labor Day, a national holiday. This is the last hurrah for summer and probably the last chance for families to get together. Is his life so lacking friends and family that he has to call a football practice on a holiday. Do they also practice on Christmas and New Years?

Vontoo Voice Messaging

Do you remember last week when those terrible storms came rolling across the midwest? Well, they brought a lot of destruction to the area and with a grandchild in school it was a surprise to get a recorded message from the School Superintendent letting me know that my "student" was safe at school and ready to be picked up. I was impressed that they managed to take the time to get this message out to all of us parents who were worried.

I was also wondering how they managed to put that together so quickly, and after a little investigation I found that services like Vontoo voice messaging do just this. You set up an account and upload your "call list" and then in just minutes you create your phone message and send the message out to all of your contacts. Or, you can create the message and schedule a time in the future for it to be sent out.

Do you remember LaKisha Jones from American Idol? She worked with a promotion going on at a local nightclub--if your phone rang--and you answered it--it was her voice telling you all about the upcoming event at the nightclub. How brilliant is that? Get a star to take 3 minutes out of her day--and your message is recieved by thousands! I think she should have used the service to call everyone and tell them to vote for her on American Idol.

For emergencies, this really was a nice system to have in place-I just hope they don't need to use it for anything worse than a storm warning.

CAR SHOPPING

Have you ever gone car shopping. What a joke. My daughter asked me to go with her to look at a car she wants to buy. We get to this place and the salesman comes out and of course that greet you like you are old friends. My daughter had been talking to this guy on the phone so he knew what car she wanted to look at. Oh, by the way we got there at 6:25 p.m.. After this family greeting he takes us to see the car. He opens the door and we each take turns sticking our head in to look around. Then we walk around the car one, two, three, four and five times with nobody saying a word. Finally I said "can we take it for a ride". He got the keys and a plate and my daughter, myself and two granddaughters get in and take it for a ride. The girls wanted the radio on as Julie and I tried to figure out how to turn on the air and the radio. When the ride was completed, the salesman came over and of course asked how we liked it. Again we walked around to car one, two, three, four and five times with nobody saying a word. Finally I broke the ice and said lets put some figures together. Well to make a long story short, figures were put together and the credit man said it would be ten minutes for him to get a answer for her. We went into the waiting room and sat, sat, sat until he finally came out of his office and said he would have to call her tomorrow because there was nobody at the banks right now. He said not to worry she will get the car and he would call her tomorrow. I HATE SHOPPING FOR CARS.

INNOVATIVE TUTOR

How did you do in school? May good maybe not so good. I did alright but I think I could have done better if I had the help of an Innovative Tutor. Score Learning offers these types of special people to help your child want to learn and do well in school. An Innovative Tutor is a person having the skill and imagination to create new things. Maybe that is what some children need to help them progress. My granddaughter is one of those children that could use this help. Imagine mom and dad how much easier your job would be if you had the help of an Innovative Tutor. It wouldn't take the weight of helping your child off of your shoulders but it would make it a lot easier.

REPLY TO NLYNNECT

Thank you for your comment. I know the feeling of excitement for your daughter. She is going off on a new adventure and yes you will miss her but keep in mind she will share these adventures with you when she comes home from school. Enjoy the time to yourself.

LAP BAND BY JOURNEYLITE

I am overweight and want to do something about it. My daughter did and she looks great. She opted for a procedure called lapband. What it is, is a Adjustable Gastric Banding that reduces the stomach capacity and restricts the amount of food that can be eaten at one time.

JourneyLite is the company that can do this for you because they are nation wide. During the procedure the JourneyLite surgeon will be making tiny incisions and inserting long shafted instruments through these tiny incisions to wrap the inflatable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach. A small camera is passed through the incision so the JourneyLite surgeon can see the operative site on a video monitor. After the lapband is in place a small stomach pouch has been created to hold a smaller amount of food so food storage in the stomach is reduced. You will be monitored to be determined if the lapband has to be adjusted to create a smaller of larger opening to the stomach.

My daughter has had this procedure done and for the first time in 13 years she wore a bathing suit this year. She has lost 42 pounds since having this done. The lapband procedure does work so look into it at JourneyLite at one of their many locations.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Yesterday was the first day of school for my granddaughters Angelica and Delaney. Wanting to make sure they got there I drove them myself and walked with each to their room. All school personnel were wearing sailor hats to highlight the theme of Sailing to Success. There were enough people to help you get to the proper room that you couldn't get lost if you wanted to. After I saw that they were safe and sound I left the building with a smile on my face knowing that I was going home for a few hours of peace and quiet. As I looked around it was if everyone was smiling. I wounder why.

4th GRADE READING TUTORS

Does your child like to read but has trouble reading and understanding what they read. I would suggest a Reading Tutors help with this problem. A place that I am going to look into on the advice of my niece is Score Learning Centers.

At Score, they know that reading becomes a lot more challenging in the fourth grade. If your child would like to become a more advanced reader, Score will provide your child with a fun and positive tutoring environment. Their Advanced Program allows your child to progress at the own speed. Your child will develop a strong understanding of the subject matter after each lesson with the help of Academic Directors. When you think about it , the only struggle your child should have with reading is putting the book down. I will certainly look into this program for my granddaughter who is going into the fourth grade.

NOT USING TURN SIGNALS

Today there was an artical in our local newpaper about people using turn signals. Now that I think about it there are many drivers that either choose not to use them, don't know how to use them or don't that it is against the law not to use them. I'd like to know the stats of how many accidents are caused by people who don't use their turn signals. Better yet what about the people who don't turn them off after making a turn. I always wait before I pull out when I see a car coming toward me with their signal on. I can't remember how many time that person does not turn but goes right on by. If I had pulled out I would have been involved in a accident. So to you don't choose, don't know how and don't know the law, WAKE UP before you become a stat.

REGISTERING FOR SCHOOL

As a 67 year old widowed male person, I never thought I would be registering someone for school again. Well I am. It is my granddaughter from Texas who will be living with me because people say I shouldn't be alone. Now I can't have any lady friends over. Don't get me wrong I love this child dearly and she has such a beautful name. Angelica. Isn't that pretty.

I thought I had all of the necessary papers when we went to the school corporation headquarters to prove residency. Yes, I was missing a birth certificate even though she has gone to school here four years ago. They filled out the papers with my promise to produce a birth certificate at the time I was registering her at school. So off the the Dept. of Heath we went in Crown Point. When one does this they always have visions of waiting hours. Much to my surprise, once we got her birth date correct, I was out of there in less the 10 minutes. After that we went to her favorite place, believe it or not, Tractor Supply.

Today we went to her new school to register her and dish out some money. I don't ever remembering paying to go to school when I was a kid. So anyway with that phase of registration complete I was $125.00 poorer. $100 for book fees and $25.00 for a debit card to be used to buy breakfast and lunch. I see it as going for a good cause, her education. The school bus even picks her up in front of the house which is good for the both of us.

SCORE LEARNING CENTERS

When I was a kid going to school I don't think the word tutor even existed. If it did it was only. for the rich kids. I sure could have used tutors to get me through school. I will be looking into this tutoring program for my granddaughter.

At Score they know that fun and engaging learning is the best way to keep your child involved in learning. Their Academic Directors are dynamic tutors who can answer questions, but can also provide positive feedback and help motivate your child to keep moving forward. If your child needs that one on one personal attention with a Math Tutors, Score provides the support they will need. At they make sure double digit divisors don't turn into double-digit headaches. Look into this great program like I am going to do for my granddaughter.

REPLY TO ELIZABETH EDWARDS

Thank you for your reply. I think that it is wonderful that you are doing the 2007 Lansing Memory Walk. Walking 5K and raising $200 to help fight this disease is a great effort which I am sure is shared by others who will join you in this walk. My thoughts and prayers will be with you and all who participate in this walk. God Bless you all.

Alzheimer's Association Walk

If there is one cause that most people in the world can get behind it's Alzheimer's disease. Did you know that there isn't an age that is safe from this terrible illness. I've read cases where young people as old as 19 have been struck with this disease that robs them of their life, and their parents of their children. It is horrific at any age, and most commonly it is thought of in regards to our senior citizens.

The Alzheimer's Association is currently putting together a "Memory Walk", where teams of walkers can accept donations and sign up to walk in this great event. It is nationwide, and they are currently looking for Team Leaders, Team Walkers and Individual Walkers to participate. I will have to check into some of the plans for the Indiana area, but if there is a Charitable Cause that anyone can get behind, this is it. There is a cure out there, we just need the funds to find it. The faster we do, the fewer people will be subjected to this mind robbing disease. There really is a lotof hope out there!

I know my niece is planning to sign up as a Team Leader in the Chicago Area--but teams are needed everywhere--the more people we get walking--the more funds we get for research. I really don't know if it's too late for my generation--but if we work quickly enough--we can eradicate it before it affects my children and grandchildren s generation.

REPLY TO NLYNNECT

Thank you for your comment to my post about the weekend in Wisconsin. Yes it was really fabulous. I know of the Great Wolf Lodge in the Wisconsin Dells and that too is very nice. I found that the place we were at is not as pricie as the Dells. I guess the Dells has only so much time to make their money whereas this Yogi Bear Resort is open all year for winter sports. Im
sure there are many places just as nice in Texas. My daughter lives in a little town called Shiner Texas about 90 miles SE of Austin. Once again, thanks for the comment.

COUPON CHIEF

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It's getting to be that time when you should be thinking about the upcoming holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Make that wishlist for you favorite person and check out CouponChief.com. I like shopping for Christmas and one of my favorite stores is JC Penny where I know they have good quality merchandise at affordable prices. They are even more affordable when using coupons. Another place that I like shopping at is toysrus where they have any toy you can possibly imagine. Toys for the young and old. Learning toys, challenging toys. Toys ranging in price from 99 cents to 900 dollars. Something for everyons pocketbook. Check out these sites and see what valuable coupons they have to offer you.

FANTASTIC WEEKEND IN WISCONSIN

I had a nice surprise last Wednesday. My sister-in-law, Dottie, called me and asked what me and my granddaughter Angelica were doing this weekend and invited us to accompany them to the Yogi Bears Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Warrens, Wisconsin, This is about 45 minutes past the Wisconsin Dells. What a wonderful place. It has a indoor and outdoor water park, several swimming pools, tons of activities for young and old. I have a camper in a Yogi Bear Park in Indiana and you would put 8 of my parks into this one, that's how big it is. They have tent camping, pull campers, park models and camping sites with cable TV. We stayed in a Villa which slept 12 people. My sister-in-law and her husband and I had our own room. There is a loft that my niece and her husband and two children had and my granddaughter slept on the couch in the living room. It was hot during the day and nice and cool at night where you could open the window for perfect sleeping. I will tell you more about this wonderful weekend in future posts.

THE TIMES MONEY GAME

Our local paper, The Times, runs a auction every year. The way it works is that every day there are money coupons in the paper and you collect them and then on a certin date you bid on various things like cars, trips, jewlrey, and many many other things. The thing that makes it unfair is that all the of the churches and other organizations entice people in the the church or organization to bring in their coupons so that they can bid on the big prizes and raffel them off to get the money. The little guy doesn't stand a chance to get the good things. They should rethink this over and not allow it.

GARY AIR SHOW

I must say I had a very nice day today. In the morning I took my daughter Lorri and grand kids Spencer, Angelica, Aiddin and Delaney horseback riding. After taking several pictures of this motley crew perched upon their steeds, (I wouldn't dare venture upon on of those creatures) this fearless group started their trail ride. Aiddin with tears in his eyes because he couldn't go and felt left out was surprised when I got him not only one, but two pony rides. One was a complementary ride from Southlake Stables in Merrillville, In. After the return of the crew and much chatter about their experiences we left for the Gary Indiana Air Show. I have never been to a air show and thought to myself all your going to see is planes whizzing by. Yes that is what I saw, but what planes they were. It was terrific Army planes, Navy planes, stunt planes and skydivers. What a great day. My grand kids loved to because they will never see anything like this in the little town of Texas where they live. Thank you Gary. Shuttle moved people from parking lots to the beach and from the beach to the parking lots in a very timely manner. Good job to all. And yes I will go back next year and this time bring a chair.

REPLY TO CYBERCELT TRIP FROM AUSTIN

Your right it was not a good trip back to Shiner at that time. Now as we talk about it we all laugh. I did drive them back to Indiana. That is another story for another time.
Thank you for your comment.

REPLY TO DREW ON DRIVE FROM AUSTIN

It was an experience. Spencer did throw up in the car and then again outside. Couldn't wait to get to my daughters house.

SPENCER ON WATER SLIDE

While at the campground we did several things that the kids loved. We swam, ate, fished, ate, watched TV, ate and one day the campground had a inflatable water slide. You pay $1.00 for a wristband and slide to your hearts content for the two hours that is was open. Angelica and Aiddin found it to be a little cold to slide so they only went down three or four times. Spencer on the other hand went down for the entire two hours. Freezing or not he was going to get his dollars worth. The highlight of the day was when he was showing off for the girls. He stood at the top, gave a Tarzan yell, jumped in the air and slid down the first hill. Gathering speed he came down the second hill and with a big splash went into the small pool at the bottom. When the waves settled down he stood up to the laughs and giggles of the girls because his swim suit came off exposing his butt. Talk about embarrassed, I never say a kid with such a tan turn red before. That's my boy.

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DRIVE FROM AUSTIN TO SHINER

As I wrote before I flew to Texas so I could bring my daughter Lorri and her children back to Indiana to spend the summer. Lorri was supposed to pick me up in Austin at !:30 pm and drive me back to Shiner. She was an hour late in getting to the airport. With her she had Spencer, Angelica, Serena and Aiddin. After hugs and kisses we started the 90 mile trip to Shiner. We we hungry and stopped at Jack In The Box and had hamburgers and drinks with all four kids trying to squeeze at the pop machine at the same time. After eating, Lorri wanted a chocolate malt which is what she got as well as small cones for the kids. Big mistake. Not long after we left Jack In The Box is was, I need a napkin, I need a napkin. Aiddin being the baby of 3 just sat there and let the ice cream flow. Thank God for wipes. Once we got the mess cleaned up and on our way again it was, I have to go potty. So a potty stop was in order and made. Once that was done it was on the road again in a rain storm. We were 16 miles from home on a road with nothing around, the nearest gas station 16 miles away and we heard from Aiddin, I have to go potty. With him not wearing a diaper, no place to stop, the only logical thing to do was stop on the side of the road in a rain storm. Aiddin did his thing with he and Lorri getting wet when from the back of the van I hear, Spencer is throwing up, He did. So it was Lorri, Aiddin and Spencer out in the rain. Lorri watching for cars, Aiddin doing his thing and Spencer throwing up.
I was not getting out of that van. When everyone finished and the van cleaned and everyone back in we had three people in wet clothes and three in dry clothes, do we leave the air on or off so those who are wet don't get sick or suffer with no air as it was 93 degrees out. We left the air on low. We arrived at Lorri's house fifteen minutes later. I was never so glad to see her home.

REPLY TO VENOMOUS

Thank you for your comment. I think we have all gone thru something like Spencer went thru with his two tone skin. Your right kids are cute. I have just returned from Texas with Daughter which includes Spencer. I'm sure I will have more tales to tell.

SPENCER DID IT AGAIN

My grandson Spencer called me today with a very special story. Spencer is known to eat any leftovers that may be on a plate, in a bowl or just laying on the counter. While helping mom clear the table and counter top there was a goodly portion of something on the counter. Without hesitating Spencer spooned it up and ate it. After the choking and coughing stopped he asked his mom what that stuff was. The reply made him choke and cough all the more. DOG FOOD.
That my boy.

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SPENCER MY GRANDSON

Spencer never ceases to amaze me. With school out of course he is spending more time outside and living in Texas and it being so hot there he would have a tendency to tan quickly. The other day my daughter, Lorri, and I were talking on the phone. Spencer was in taking a shower. From the bathroom there came a urgent cry for his mother to come in there, she put the phone down and ran to see what he wanted. She returned to the phone laughing historically and had to take a few moments to compose herself. Spencer's urgent cry for her to come there was that he had looked at himself in the mirror and discovered his skin was two different colors. One dark and one light. You can imagine which parts were dark and which were light. Never realizing that he was sun tan he thought he had a skin disease that was changing his skin a different color. After mom explained that he was tan and reminded him that they go thru this every year with him, he relaxed. My boy Spencer.

MEADE MYSKY

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what was up there. Well Meade has introduced a new device called mySky. If you like looking at our universe this is the easiest way to do it. Just point and shoot and everything becomes available to you. The mySky is a learning device. The mySky comes with audio, video, still images and text that will guide you and teach you about the universe. There are other hand held units out there that let you watch the skies but the Meade mySky is the best hand held telescopes and easiest to use and understand. Visit the Meade website to see the many other sky viewing devices available and be sure to ask for their free catalog. Meade also has online help for the learning astronomer.

GOING TO TEXAS AGAIN

Yep, I'm going to Texas again. This time to bring my daughter and grandkids back with me. I'm flying out of Midway in Chicago and flying to Austin. From there it is a short ride to Shiner Texas where my daughter lives. I'm leaving Saturday morning and we will start driving back to Indiana on Monday the 18th. We are not going to hurry. It can be done in approx 10 hours, best done in two days but we are going to take our time and see the sights. If it takes three or four days, Oh well. They will be with me from the time I pick them up, until mid August. We have a lot planned so it should be a busy summer. I'll keep you up to date as to what we do.