Vacation has officially begun!

I am now officially on vacation....and have a bajillion things to do before going heading to Florida on Sunday morning. I am trying to just keep going, but it's always stressful before a trip. I don't know how often I will update during the week...so if you don't see me, I'll definitely update when I get back.

I will never shop at Circuit City again...

There was a story on the news this morning about Circuit City and their new plan for their employees. They are laying off about 3500 employees...and they are basically the higher paid employees and replacing them with lower paid employees. So, they are firing the people who have been loyal to them and been with the company long enough to be making decent money.

Here are a couple of quotes from an article from USA Today:

The consumer electronics retailer announced Wednesday that it was immediately firing store associates "who were paid well above the market-based salary range for their role." New workers will be paid less, although Circuit City did not reveal the pay of the workers.

and...

"We have and continue to pay competitive wages in the stores across the country, but we have to control costs," Circuit City spokesman Jim Babb says. "We've got to get our stores to adhere to wage ranges."

That is so angering to me...that Circuit City has rewarded long time employees...their knowledge and their loyalty with a pink slip. And the kicker is that the execs...their salaries for the last 3 years topped 35 million dollars, but it's the guy mkaing 12 dollars an hour who have to have their salaries cut.

So, yes...I will NEVER EVER shop at Circuit City again. If this is how they treat their employees...they don't deserve my business or anyone else's.

I can find anything on the net...

I am completely in love with the internet....no, seriously! I can't even imagine what life was like before the net. You know, when you had to look everything up in the phone book....or having to call and ask friends for referrals, etc.

I have often said that you can find ANYTHING on the internet by doing just a quick search in places like google or yahoo or even dogpile, etc. I have a friend at work who bellows everytime she can't find something and within minutes I have the info she is looking for from the internet. It's almost like the internet is magic.

Here is a great example...we wanted to go out for Mexican food for my roommate's birthday. There is a local mexican restaurant in town, but it is pretty new. I knew it wouldn't be in the phone book yet. So, I did a quick local search on the internet and by entering in the restuarant's name and the town it is located in, I was able to find the phone number for the place...no problem. If we didn't have the internet, we would have had no choice but to drive out to the place to make a reservation because their number wasn't in the phone book yet. And by the way...the food was mmm, mmm...good!

Search engines and the internet basically make the world go round!

Thursday Thirteen #25

Thirteen Things Shelley Needs to Do Before Going on VACATION! 1. Find the warm weather clothes. All I have been doing is weating sweaters and turtlenecks lately. 2. Do a bunch of laundry. 3. Pay all of the upcoming bills while I will be away. 4. Go to the mall and buy some new, summery clothes. I need some shirts and maybe a new pair of lightweight jeans. I could also use a nice new pair of sandles too. 5. Borrow my roommates portable DVD player, so I can watch some movies when my parents are driving me bonkers. 6. Go grocery shopping to get some snack food for the trip. 7. Go into the Tivo and delete a bunch of stuff I had set to record...since it will get deleted anyways before I get home. 8. Watch about 5 movies, so I can return them to Blockbuster before I go to sunny Florida. 9. Buy a nice easter basket for my nephew. 10. Find my digital camera...since I haven't used it in a bajillion years. 11. Do a quick clean of the apartment. I hate coming home from a long trip to a messy place. 12. Close out all my work files before I leave...and leave my office so that my secretary can actually find something if she needs to. 13. Get a walkman/mp3 player so I can listen to music on the trip...and at night while my parents are snoring away! Think good thoughts for me...on the trip down and back. And I can't wait to get there and see my cute as a button nephew...oh yeah, my brother and his wife too!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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getting paid and getting ready...

I got paid this morning...PAID!!! Why am I so excited? Well..twice a year, I get paid three times in the month and this month is one of those extra special months. When those months happen, I always feel like I won an extra special paycheck lottery. Now...I shouldn't get too excited...because I immediately transferred the money to my student loans...because since I wasn't expecting the money, I didn't want to chance spending it on stuff I don't need...especially since I am going on vacation in 2 days!!!

Speaking of vacation...I am so NOT prepared. We are leaving early morning on Sunday...and I have shopping to do...laundry to do...packing to do...and all that jazz. I think I am in denial about my vacation...mainly because it involves spending two days in a car with my parents...there and back. But well, I am cheap...and that is a much less expensive option!!

P.S. I just looked on weather.com and it says it is going to be in the mid to high 80s! Whoo hoo!

looking for a rehab?

I work in the criminal justice system...I refer clients to alcohol and substance abuse treatment, so I am always looking for different rehab programs. Watershed Rehabs is a Drug Treatment program that provides detox and rehab programs. Their facilities look beautiful. It looks like one of those places where the stars might go to rehab. It looks like a vacation resort! I have never been to their rehab or referred anyone there, but what I do like is that they offer a detox program. It's amazing how hard they are to find...someplace that will get someone through the withdrawls before starting them on an inpatient program. You often have to send someone to the hospital and then send them to rehab...I like that this place does both. And..another thing I really like is that they have dual diagnosis programs. Dual Diagnosis means that someone has an alcohol or drug problem, as well as some kind of mental disorder. It's a huge issue in my line of work...we have a special task force just to address dual diagnosed clients in the criminal justice system.

I am not sure what kind of insurance they accept..but if you or someone you know is in need of a substance abuse rehab, check them out. They have a link on their site where you can list the prospective patient and insurance information....and see if a stay at their facility is covered by your insurance.

the new era?

I have two friends...who are roommates....and one of them made a blog post yesterday saying that she is changing how she is living her life, she is going to be more selfish and care more about her own needs. I am just saddened that her post didn't seem like a new start, it seems like an angry post. I often wonder if "life changes" about having as much fun as possible...while seeming so fed up and angry...have any chance at all. Who knows, eh? And she mentioned that next year she is going away to school. I think that it is great that she is going away to school...I think it will be good for her. Now...I wonder where she plans on going to school. Is it going to be at some of the 4 year schools that are only an hour away? Is it going to be much much farther away...meaning she is going to move?

And my other friend...her poor roommate. She hasn't said anything to her about it. I know that if my roommate posted on the internet that she is going to school next year and therefore...might be moving...and didn't say anything to me about it...I'd be PISSED!

Hopefully it'll all work out...and I am glad that my friend has a renewed sense of focus, but I can't help thinking that her new era of being more selfish is showing to be true...with not even mentioning that she might move to her roommate. But then again...maybe I am starting the new era of Shelley...being judgemental about things that are just none of my business.

P.S. The weather yesterday was WONDEROUS!!!!

a job with a nice view...

The weather is super nice out today...only a little bit of rain and sunny all around. It's definitely in the 50s and maybe the 60s. And now that the weather is getting nicer...it has me thinking of those climates where the weather is nice all year long. I clicked over to this site where you can easily search for Jobs In California. I quickly typed in social worker and I got all these responses. It seems like a pretty great place to do a job search if you live in California. So, if you are in sunny CA and looking for a J-O-B....check them out.

Hmm...I wonder what would come up if I wrote actor in the category box. Click to find out.

Friendly's Update....

So...I sent that email last week...Wednesday I think...and when I got home yesterday I had a letter from Friendly's in the mail. They sent a letter apologizing for the bad service that I got...and sent a giftcard for $15.00. It was nice to get the giftcard, but what was even nicer was the recognition from the company. So...there was go...the squeaky wheel often does get the oil! You know, I really considered not sending anything and just grumbling every time I pass Friendly's, etc...but I felt that it couldn't hurt.

Oh...and what was best is that I saw the letter to me was copied to the Regional Director and the Store Manager, so that it does look like the issue might be looked at, etc.

So...there ya go! Friendly's did GOOD by me!

I wish I could buy a house today....

I am so sick of renting...just throwing my money away to someone else each month. I really wish that I could buy a house RIGHT NOW, but sadly..I need to get my finances in order and save for a down payment first. But just because I am not ready to buy a house right now doesn't mean that I am not in complete research mode. I have been looking at houses and seeing what the market has right now, but more importantly I have been researching mortgates. I am researching the best types of mortgages out there, where I can get the best rate, how much I might qualify for, etc. I want to be ready and prepared when it is time for me to actually buy that house I want so much. I did go to this site and check out their Mortgage Calculator. It shows what kind of mortgage rate you might be able to get given some information. My favorite calculator that they have is called an affordability calculator...where they really assess how much you can borrow from a bank given your finances. That is probably the most crucial piece to me...I can find the perfect house easy, but finding the perfect house in my price range is another story.

observations sermations....

Hey y'all....I can't believe I haven't posted since sometime on Wednesday...that's just so not like me lately. I didn't do a Thursday Thirteen...I didn't post about my weekend or movies I watched. It's not because I was incredibly busy...and I did log on a couple of times, I just didn't feel like I had a heck of a lot to say...ya know?

But I decided to make this post...the things I would have said over the end of the week and the weekend.

* * * * * * * * * *

First off...my heart goes out to Elizabeth Edwards and her family. That woman just seems so amazing and this cancer return just seems so unfair. And watching the Press Conference with John and Elizabeth...it's just so apparent how much they love one another and are committed to one another. I don't think John will have much chance of being President...but I admire him and especially his wife so much. My heart just breaks for them.

* * * * * * * * * *

My dad had a job interview on Friday with a company in town...it's actually the company he used to work for back in the 90s. He said the interview went well...and expected to hear an offer. And he was right...he got the offer in the mail on Saturday. He is pretty sure he is going to take it...the money is about the same...and he won't have to commute anymore, which will be such a gift. It will save thousands of dollars a year in gas money...and it will also give my dad 2 hours back in his day. I am so happy for him.

* * * * * * * * * *

I am going to Florida next week...and I am excited. I haven't seen my brother in a few years and I actually have never seen my little, adorable nephew. I can't believe he is 2 and a half and I haven't made it down yet. Money has been tight, so I did the best I could....but I am so excited to see him. Now, I wish I hadn't spent the last 6 months gaining weight...as I am preparing to head down to sunny Florida, but well...it won't be the end of the world, eh?

* * * * * * * * * *

You know...I am kind of a sarcastic soul. No, you say! Well...I think that is just a little bit of an example of it. I often try to be funny...and sometimes I am successful at it, but it is often a sarcastic joke, etc. A couple of times my roommate has mentioned in a joking manner that I am just mean...and well, once okay...but a couple of times or more...it makes me think that she means it. So, it is something I am going to work on. I am not sure how good I am going to be at it...since i have been sarcastic since birth, but I am going to try. I like that I am a funny person, but not if it hurts people's feelings.

* * * * * * * * * *

I have been feeling a little more blue or down lately...a smidge depressed. It's not like I can't get out of bed or anything...just haven't been feeling great. I think part of it is that I haven't been sleeping all that well...and the biggest part is that I have been gaining or at least not losing weight. Plus...I haven't been working out like I need to. So, when I get back from Florida...I am getting a real, honest to goodness plan. I know I feel better when I move more. I know I feel better when I eat better. So, I need to take all these things I know...and actually start doing them. I think it will help my mood...and help me get back to the perky, smiley person I usually am.

* * * * * * * * * *

I think that's about it for now...see, I had plenty of stuff to talk about, I just didn't feel like writing anything. That happens sometimes!

squeaky wheel....

I decided to write a complaint letter to Friendly's today. Why, you ask? Well...a little over a month ago, I ordered some take out from the local Friendly's here. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a small cheese quesadilla (with no sour cream) for an appetizer. I went to Friendly's, paid for my food and drove myself home.

I opened up my food and immediately got cranky. The grilled cheese was fine, but the quesadilla was another story. First, there were no little tubs of sour cream and no salsa. *grumbles* No biggie though...I can use my own salsa and the sour cream isn't on the quesadilla, so I can survive. But then I took a closer look at the quesadilla...and it wasn't a cheese quesadilla, it was a chicken one. Now...being a vegetarian...that's a problem.

I live about 20 minutes away from the Friendly's store, but I called to complain anyways...just cause I was mad. I knew I wasn't going back to the place, but wanted them to know that they didn't give me what I ordered. I ended up on the phone with the manager...and he said that I could come back and get a new one. I said I lived too far away, but I wanted him to know. So, he took down my name, address and phone number. He said he would talk to his manager and either comp my next meal or send a gift certificate or something in the mail...he'd be in touch.

It's been over a month...and no gift certificate has come in the mail...and no phone call from the manager. nada. It's not about the 6 dollar quesadilla....it's about the poor service. It's about the lack of follow through. So, I emailing a complaint form to the corporation. I don't really care if I get a gift certificate, etc...I just want them to know that one of their managers dropped the ball.

I know...complain, complain, complain...but hey...

A way to save online!

Anyone who knows me knows...that I am one of the cheapest people alive. I am always looking for a way to save a couple of bucks, a dime, heck...a penny. It's one of the things I love about online shopping is that you can get really awesome deals....and you don't have to drive all over town comparing prices.

And then there are the online coupon sites. MyCoupon is pretty gosh darn cool...it's a community where they list TONS of coupons. They have over 12,000 coupons on their site...and they range from products like shoes to candy to flowers to baby stuff to pets to clothes, etc. You get my point...they have a lot of coupons.

How their site works is that you actually get coupon codes instead of actual coupons. You know when you are checking out somewhere and they ask if you have a coupon code...that's where you would enter it in. I always wonder where people get these codes. I am definitely going to check out this site next time I am ordering something online and want to know if I can save on shipping or get 10% off, etc. I did a quick search on shoes and came across all these listings...since I desperately need a new pair of work and running shoes.

Check em out...and start saving!!!!

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9 Steps to Regain Your Self-Esteem...

I found this article when I was surfing around online...and thought I would share. I am going to just list the 9 Steps and then my response to them, so if you want to read the whole article, click here.

1. Beware of fake promises: Magazines and TV ads promise you thousands of ways to attain happiness and self-esteem via the products they sell. Some of these promises are as outrageous as can be. Be aware that your commitment to a better life with a healthier body can come to you overnight, but the end goal rarely does. It takes work. Embrace that fact and you will not be fooled by all the fake promises.

I can't agree with this more...I get so easily sucked into those "quick" scams which will make me prettier, thinner and just more popular in 2 easy steps... I always have to remind myself that the race is slow and steady...and that if I reach my goal weight, etc...it's not as if a magic wand will be swished around and all will be right with the world.

2. Understand that what you see in the media is not reality but a moment that has been created and adapted to fit a stereotype. A stereotype is a belief that is applied to all members of a particular group, which is deceiving to say the least.

This is true...but it effects me less, kind of. I mean...think about Friends for example. It's a show where everyone is a size 2 or less...where they all have great jobs and live in a swanky apartment...and in the middle of NYC...there are NO black people...no MUSLIMS.... TV isn't reality...it's there to entertain you, not much more. The Real World is another great example...I watch it...cause it horribly trashy, but it's just about the most unreal thing I have seen in the last decade.

3. Be truthful to yourself about your shape and size. Most likely, your body is a result of genetics and environmental history.

Well...this is kind of true. I do think that people need to accept and love their body, no matter what shape or size. Now, I say this...but I do a piss poor job of actually doing it. I look at myself and my expanding waist line and just shake my head, but we shouldn't let it define WHO WE ARE. Now...do I think it is all genetics and environment? Well...sure, but let's be clear that enviroment is also the choice to eat at Taco Bell twice a week and not workout. Are they habits we learned when growing up which are hella hard to break? Sure...but that doesn't mean that we are destined to be a certain shape and size...we have control, even if it is one of the hardest things in the world.

4. Be aware that your body will change with monthly cycles, eating habits, and even mental state. It is normal, and it happens to all of us.

Well, yes...but it also can be a nice excuse. My body doesn't change too much during my cycle...as long as I don't hunker down and eat tons of chocolate and pizza. My body doesn't change too much when I am depressed...unless I eat uncontrollably. I think that for people like me..who are emotional and stress eaters...it's important to note our moods and at least realize why we are eating more or working out less, etc. It's not something to ignore...and to realize that if we punish ourselves we are just making it worse.

5. Be gentle with yourself. Accept yourself as the perfect creature that you are.

Hardest thing on the planet to do...but yes, we should. It's interesting because I feel that way about other people ALL the time...that they should see their positives and should love themselves more...but do I love myself for "just who I am." Well...not on most days.

6. Stay away from using stereotypes or terms that are degrading to women (or anyone for that matter). Negative thinking will only bring you negative energy.

Okay...except when they are funny...cause sometimes we all just need to laugh. I use the c word...I think it is hilarious. So, it isn't negative thinking for me...calling myself a fat piece of sludge is negative thinking...calling myself a snarky bitch, now that's just comedy.

7. Remind yourself of all the beautiful things that make you an individual.

I do this a lot better than I used to...because I know that I have gifts and that I bring things to the table. I know I am a good friend. I know that I speak the truth. I know that I try my best to be considerate of other people and their feelings. It's nice to remember the good...so we don't get toppled by the bad.

8. You do not have to do this alone. Ask for support from friends and family.

I am lucky. I have a great group of girlfriends...and a wonderful set of work friends. It's nice to have people around you who value you...and who you value. Plus...I couldn't ask for a better family....there was a time that I completely took them for granted, but not anymore...nope.

9. Stop obsessing over it. The world around is so much bigger than us (infinite to be exact) and is moving so fast that your life may pass you by and while you were stressing over your image. Isn' t it more worth it to spend your energy with friends and family enjoying life and having fun?

It sure is...easier said than done though. I am working on it...work in progress...work in progress! give me a break...or I will have bad self-esteem about my bad self-esteem! *giggles*

If I won the lottery...I'd go here!

That's right...if I hit the jackpot tomorrow, I would take a nice vacation to Hawaii. And no, not just to stalk the cast of Lost, even though that would probably be on the list. I have obviously never been to Hawaii, but it seems like the most beautiful place to visit...the water...the sun...the food. It just seems like paradise.

And if I was to actually go to Hawaii and didn't get Matthew Fox to leave his wife and kids and let me stay with him...hee, hee...I would consider staying at one of these places. Kauai Ecotourism Vacation Rentals has some really nice spots on all the different islands. Ecotourism? What is that? Well, they are vacations or rentals that are environmentally friendly. I think that is such a plus. These trips leave you with a great experience, but don't damage the land and the environment as a cost. For someone who once camped in a tent on the Virgin Islands, I definitely believe in this concept. I am often so saddened to see such natural places become ruined because of the tourism industry. And...they even have some rooms for less than a hundred dollars a night...that was shocking to me. I mean, you can't get a room at Disney for less than that. And look at this place...wouldn't you just die to stay there. I know I would.

Oh gosh...now I am just praying to win the lottery!!! And maybe if I do...and you're lucky, I'll take you to Hawaii with me.

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grumpy...and the lengths some people will go to get a date!

I am grumpy this morning...I couldn't even tell you why. I think that bothers me even more...than I don't know why I am grumpy...I have no reason to wake up with a case of the grumps. grrr...

I watched a movie last night which I found to be hilarious....well, I am almost done watching the movie...I have like 10 minutes to watch tonight when I get home. It's called My Date With Drew. It's about this guy....Brian...who has had a crush on Drew Barrymore since he was 10...and he wins $1100 on a game show, so he decides to use the money to make a guerilla documentary trying to get a date with Drew. He buys a DVD camera from Circuit City (which he plans on returning because they have a generous 30 day return policy)...and he attempts to use the 6 degrees method to meeting and getting Drew to accept to a date with him. Now the funny thing...is that the guy is so much in debt that his parents have to wire him $100 for him to put in his checking account or bad things with happen...the boy has no job, etc. But...he puts his winnings all to this documentary. It's pretty cute and kind of endearing though...and of course, he interviews Corey Feldman and that's worth the price of admission all in itself.

So, does he get a date with Drew???? Well...you'll just have to watch the movie to see.

Unsigned Talent, just a click away...

I am a huge music fan...always have been. When I used to live in Bloomington, I would often go to the local clubs/bars on Friday and Saturday night and listen to the local bands. Most of those bands were unsigned and just played their hearts out. For the regular joe, it's often really hard to get signed and then even if you are signed, to get people to actually hear your music. I came across this site which has a whole bunch of unsigned artists. You can search for those rare gems on this site and maybe find a rockin' band. For example, if you like Reggae...there is a whole section on Reggae Artists. I happen to be a huge fan of rock bands, so I immediately headed over to the Rock section.

It's pretty cool...you can listen some of their music, etc. I did a quick search for bands in Indiana and found a couple of those bar bands I was talking about. Cool, eh? If you know anyone out there who has a band and they aren't signed by a label, I would definitely get them to sign up.

I just a call from my mom...well, she actually called last night, but I didn't hear the phone, etc. (that is one downside of a cell phone...you could be home and not near the phone and therefore miss the call).

Anyways...my mom called this morning to tell me that my brother's wife and their son got into a car accident last night. Both of them are OK...but the car flipped over three times as a result of the accident. Some guy pulled out right in front of them and cause the accident. My nephew is fine...the car seat did him A LOT of good...I can't imagine how scary that must be though. My sister-in-law was brought to the ER...and she has some stitched and it shaken up, but other than that...she is okay. Of course...the guy who hit them doesn't have insurance, so they are without a car and not much they can do about it. Grrr. You know I think there should be something more legally you can do to a person when they get into an accident and don't have insurance. I have insurance on my car...not because I like throwing money out the window and hoping that I never need it, but because it is required by law. It just sucks that someone else's lack of responsibility is going to negatively effect someone else...and unless he pays or they take him to small claims court (which takes a while)...there isn't much they can do about it.

Grrr...sometimes people just suck. I am glad that everyone is okay though...phew. I am kind of glad that I missed the call last night because we didn't know everything was alright until this morning...and if I got that info last night, I probably wouldn't have slept for the entire evening.

Since....

I'm Irish...and have red hair...and pale skin...

I just have to say....




Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone....celebrate like the Irish do!

Birthday dinner...

First of all...it SNOWED yesterday!!! YEAH! I love snow...it's just a fun time for me when it snows...even when it sucks. I love snow...it's fun, it's childlike and it's almost time for snow to go bye bye for the year, so we had one last tryst before it heads away and we plunge right into spring. SNOW! YEAH!

Hello y'all....yesterday we went out for dinner and watched movies for two of my friends who had birthdays back to back. We went out to dinner at a Mexican food place in town. It was authentic mexican food...served by people who barely speakin da english. It was great food...even though my roommate almost got killed by carrots (she's allergic and they had a hard time understanding her that she couldn't have carrots). And...they sang happy birthday to her and my other friend...and gave us a free dessert. I had bean burritos and then ate a smidge of dessert...cause I was about to explode. I wouldn't definitely go there again.

And then we came back to our apartment and watched Flushed Away...which was SO funny. I was laughing through the whole thing. I didn't expect it to be as funny as it was. *giggles*

It was a good time...only downside...I was so tired all week that I was exhausted by 10pm...and looking forward to my bed.

Happy Birthday y'all.....

Happy Birthday to my roomie...

Today is a very special day....



I am going to anchor this post so it stays on top until the end of the day. Today is my roommates 29th birthday! I am never one to celebrate my birthday, but she does. So...wish her a happy birthday for me.

Happy Birthday dear Shelley's roomie...
Happy Birthday dear Shelley's roomie...
Heappy Birthday dear Shelley's roomie...
Happy Birthday to you!!!

We are celebrating by having dinner tomorrow with some friends...and watching some movies.

and tomorrow is the birthday of another friend of mine...celebrating all around!

Sometimes I just need to laugh....

At work, I often surf the internet and look for articles to peek my interest and sometimes I just surf the internet looking for a good laugh. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor and I am always looking for something that will really make me chuckle.

Funnypop.com is a website which definitely had made me laugh. It's a site that has Funny Pictures, Funny Cartoons and even Funny Ecards. I spent a good 20 minutes looking at the stuff on the site and it is hilarious.

Check out this picture of the cat...giggles...I am so tempted to save it as my screensaver, but I don't think the boss would like that much.

And check out this pic...definitely had me giggling.

Check out their site...it definitely brought a giggle to an otherwise mundane day.

Thursday Thirteen #24

Thirteen Things Shelley Has In Her Bag/Makeshift Purse I am a complete pack rat, so I thought this would be a good TT...the stuff in my purse (it's not really a purse...it's a bag, a big clunky bag). Sometimes I feel like Alley Sheedy in the Breakfast Club with all the stuff in my bag. 1. A Hannaford Bag with my lunch in it (frozen dinner, orange, yogurt, a protein shake, etc). 2. A bottle of water...actually I have two in there. 3. The bill for my dentist...I need to remind myself to send it to Aflac. 4. My checkbook...for which I paid bills with this morning (Yeah! I got paid!) 5. A scarf...I love this scarf, it's warm and not too itchy. 6. A pair of gloves....to keep my little digits warm. 7. A small bottle of Grapefruit Boby Splash from Bath and Body Works...so good! 8. A pair of sunglasses. 9. A folder from a time management seminar I went to. 10. A reminder for the Diabetes Walk...in SEPTEMBER! 11. A bottle of Excedrin Migraine...just in case. 12. Some of my business cards. 13. And another orange...couldn't tell ya. Can you tell that I might not be the most organized person on the planet????

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Is Politics Ever a Fair Race?

As the race for the President is heating up, it is also heating up my political side. I am someone who has always been interested in politics..and an avide voter. I have voted in every election since I have turned 18 and I just don't mean the Presidential ones. I vote every single November...in local politics...in state politics...in national politics. I just think it is so important and as a woman, I feel an obligation to vote since women struggled for that right back in the day.

This Presidential election will be a little different though because there really isn't an incumbent, etc. Cheney won't be running for President and there will be new faces from the Dems side too.

There is a website out there called No More Incumbents which is calling for the removal of all incumbents from office. No More Incumbents is a movement to get political bloggers to cover the campaigns and political events in all 50 states during the upcoming election and beyond. The site talks about how there is an unfair advantage to incumbents when running for office...and that new voices don't get the chance to get into office.

Do I think that incumbents have an unfair advantage when it comes to getting elected? Kind of, but in reality I don't think that is the biggest problem in our political system. Yes, I think incumbents almost always have a leg up. I think it is natural that people are more likely to vote for someone who they know, who has already been in the job than someone they don't know. As people...we don't like change. We will stay with something broken before moving to change it. It's kind of sad, but it's how we work. I saw the re-election of President Bush as a prime example. The country was unsatisfied with Bush (he had horrible approval ratings during the re-election campaign), but he still won the election. I think people came out and voted for Bush because the evil they knew was better than the possible evil they didn't...and because they were terrified of gay marriage (but that's a topic for another day).

An example of an incumbent not winning happened here in New York with Kirsten Gillibrand beating John Sweeney. Sweeney had been in the House of Representative for years...decades, I think. Many people thought he was unbeatable, especially by a woman. Gillibrand and Sweeney both ran one of the dirtiest campaigns I have ever seen...and Gillibrand's dirt worked. Sweeney was ahead right up until early November...Gillibrand went ahead and never looked back. She won the election...and people were shocked. She worked hard and played dirty...and in reality, that is the only way she could win against someone with such experience and power as Sweeney.

Now...I mentioned that I didn't think incumbents was the problem. I don't, I think that money is the problem. Only those rich enough to afford a campaign can run...or those with enough connections to raise millions and millions of dollars. There is a reason why the front runners in the Presidential Election are Rudy, Hillary, Obama and the Johns...because they are stinkin' rich and they can raise millions and millions of dollars. So many people are locked out of running for office because they just can't afford to engage in the process.

How are we supposed to get a Congress or a President to truly represent us when only the rich can participate??? It just doesn't seem fair to me. I think that there should be fundraising and spending limits on campaigns, but I know...I am dreaming.

So...now, I wouldn't vote every single incumbent out of office. In all honesty, I think that is silly. I think that I will always vote for the best candidate...whether it be an incumbent, a fresh face, a third party, etc. I think there are some people in politics who have been there for a long time and I would not want to see them go. The Bernie Sanders of the world...for example. He's an incumbent and I want him to stay right where he is.

What do y'all think?

youth conference redux

So...the youth conference has come and gone...and now I am home and a tired, tired girl. It was definitely an interesting day. I helped run two groups on "Hot Topics/Speaking Out." The kids...and the things they had to say reminded me of when I was their age and the passion I had for things. They talked about the war a lot. One kid started off our first session by saying, "I think Bush is an idiot" and it went from there. We talked about Bush, his policies, the war, if we should send the troops home, terrorism, 9/11, immagration, health car, poverty and hunger, drugs, gangs, etc. I am amazed at the diversity of the things the kids talked about.

The thing that annoyed me most...was actually my co-facilitator. I mean...the session was supposed to be about the kids speaking out, not us. He just would not SHUT UP. And he is quite conservative...and so it was influencing what the kids were willing and comfortable saying. So, I ended up having to say more than I wanted to...to make the kids knew that saying liberal things were okay too. I don't know...I just think it would have been better to have a session where we said little to nothing...and let the kids battle it out with each other.

It was still interesting hearing what these kids had to say...and how dedicated they were to not just complaining, but making a difference in the world.

Online Savings Accounts!

I got an online savings account when I was in grad school and wanted to have a safe place to put my money so I wouldn't spend it all in one place. So, I have been a happy customer of ING Direct since sometime in 2001. When I was selecting an online savings program, I did a little research, but basically I just selected a bank out of the air.

Well there is this site where you can Compare online banking, find a savings account or checking account and earn more interest today with SavingsAccounts.com. It's pretty cool. It lists a bunch of online savings programs, including ING. It lists the basic program of the bank and their interest rate. The interest rates range from 0.40% to 6%...ING is correctly listes at 4.5%. If you are interested in that program...you just click on the name of the bank and it brings you to their site. I think it is a pretty great site...and highly recommend that anyone that wants an online savings account to use it. I wish I had this site when I was looking for an online program.

P.S. Since I am sure people are wondering...in my 6 years now of having an online savings account, I feel it is incredible safe and secure.

youth conference

I have kind of a fun day at work today....we have our annual youth conference where high school kids come and here a speaker and go to a few workshops. I am co-facilitating one of the workshops with another co-worker. It's called "Speak Out on Today's Issues"...so I imagine there will be a lot of talk about Bush and the war...energy...global warming...maybe abortion...women's rights. Basically the group decides what topic they want to talk about it...and then shockingly, talk about it.

It's always interesting...and I just hope they keep it civil.

Anonymous emails and IMs...

I saw this and it just made me giggle. It's a website where you can send Anonymous Email or IMs Anonymously to your friends or anyone else for that matter. Now I cannot wait to sign up for this. I will admit it, I am a natural prankster and this just opens tons and tons of doors! Of course, I did wonder if people could use it to harass or threaten other people anonymously...and of course the answer is no. They have a security department that investigates if that were to ever happen.

This is just for fun folks...and I can't wait to start having fun with it. You can send emails. You can send IMs. You can even send anonymous TEXT messages!!! and you can read any replies that you get from the emails or the IMs. Pranksters unite!!!

Dancing with the stars...

I was watching GMA this morning...and they had a story about Dancing With The Stars and Heather Mills. I gotta tell ya...I am intrigued by this....mainly because Heather was in an accident and is missing one leg. I know she is a really active person, but I just have to wonder how this is going to work. If you have watched past seasons like I have...there are a lot of intricate and complicate moves in the dancing that they have to learn, etc. Heather said that one of the main reasons she did the show...is to show people how people with disabilities can succeed at things. I am definitely interested in checking it out...and seeing how Heather makes it work.

Who's Watching You Out There On The Net???

I was watching one of those news shows...To Catch a Predator, etc...last week. I am constantly amazed at how many sexual predators they catch, especially since these shows have become so popular. It's kind of scary that the constant attention in the media isn't a deterrent at all.

I was reminded of programs like that when I heard of keylogger. It's this program where it can track all of the keystrokes that someone on a certain computer makes. Now I will be honest...the idea of this program just scares me a tad. Why? Well...basically because I am writing this post at work and well, probably shouldn't be. But I guess that is the point of the program...it is designed to track all of the key strokes that a person makes and it can be a really powerful too, especially for parents.

I don't personally have kids, but I would like to think we would want to trust our kids. However, with the internet out there...you have to be careful. Kids can come into contact with some seriously bad people out there on the net. This program could show you not only where your kids are going, but what they are saying. I'd love a world where we didn't need something like this, but I live in the real world. I have seen enough internet cases where some kid took off to meet their "online love" and then was never seen again. Knowing what websites they went to would be valuable, but imagine how much easier it would be find them if with the click of a mouse you could see what they were saying and who they were talking to. I imagine a lot of missing kid cases might be solved differently if more parents used this program. Yes..we want to trust our kids, but don't we want them alive and well more. Plus, trust is earned, yes?

Florida here we come!!!

That's right....I am going to sunny Florida. I am excited to go on vacation....to be in the sun...but most of all, I am excited to go see my brother, his wife and most of all my adorable cute little nephew!!! I had initially planned on flying down there and back up...but since it is the first week in April (when Easter falls)...the airfare is just outrageous...so I am going to be traveling down with my parents in our lovely mini-van. It'll be fun as long as I don't kill em before we get there! *giggles*

My boss signed off last week on my vacation...and that's awesome!!!

YEAH...FLORIDA....VACATION....YEAH!!!!

P.S. 24 is going to be on in less than a half an hour....WWJBD???

My Future's So Bright...I Gotta Wear Shades!

*giggles* Today is the first day that it really feels like Spring. It was still a little nippy when I woke up, but the sun was shining and the air just smelled new and clean. I threw my sunglasses on and headed my way into work. I am horrible when it comes to shades...I always have to buy at least a couple of pairs each year. I break them, I lose them, I loan them out and don't get them back. I was amazed I still had my sunglasses in my car this morning when I went to go look for them. But even with that one pair, I have to buy a couple more pairs this spring/summer and who knows...maybe I will even buy a pair of Designer Sunglasses. At Optics Planet they have a lot of different types of shades...aviator sunglasses, polarized, prescription sunglasses and they even have practical things like shooting glasses and safety glasses (remember those bad boys from middle school science class). I usually end up buying a cheap $10 pair from some place like Target or Wal-Mart, but I might give their site a second glance especially since all orders over $29.95 have free shipping and handling.

I am still so excited that it is actually starting to feel like spring...and I might need to consider buying a new pair of shades.

Damn Daylight Savings Time

I am not used to changing my clocks this early....I don't like...my computer doesn't like it. grr. My alarm went off this morning at 6am (or so I thought)...and I snoozed it a couple of times and lounged in bed. I started to get up at 7am (or so I thought) and then I heard my roommate ask if I was up...because she knew I usually need to be at my mom's for church at 8am and it is 8am now.

So...thanks Daylight Savings Time...for making me almost late for church. I quickly got dressed, ran out of the house, drove like a carzy woman to my parents' house...and then was off to church. We made it in time for the 8:30am service, but just by the skin of our teeth.

I think I liked it better when I lived in Indiana and Daylight Savings Time didn't exist.

Wanna know why I HATE American Idol?

I'm still gonna watch it, but seriously...I hate the damn show.

I hate AI...because it isn't a singing competition...it's just a cruel popularity contest. It's the same reason why I hate Survivor, Big Brother and other shows like that.

For years I haven't watched AI because I couldn't stand seeing talented people go home each week while people who don't deserve to be there get to stay. Last year the show won my heart with the talents of people like Daughtry and Taylor...but still...the show sucks dude...it just sucks.

It reminds me of those class officer elections when we were in school. When some geeky or dorky kid...with some insane math skills...was running for treasurer, but when the votes were all counted some popular schmuck with a failing grade in math won. That's like what American Idol is for me....

Why did Sundance go home?? Can people really think that Sanjaya should still be there?? Please...the most talented person did not get to stay. It's no one else's fault but America's...since people don't vote for the person who does the best job...they vote for the person they like the most(and let's be clear...I don't vote at all).

*grumbles*

P.S. I still love ya Daughtry!

Another chance at a free ipod!

Check out this site for your chance to win a free ipod every day. I have seen a bunch of sites where you can win a free ipod and usually it takes a LOT of work to win that gosh darn thing. Often you have to get people to sign up for things...or you have to fill out survey after endless survey. And from my experience...very few people actually end up getting an Ipod.

For this one,all you have to do is go to the site and fill in your email address in the box provided. That's it....nothing else is required. Now to be fair...they do explain that when you sign up with your email address you are agreeing to have them send you emails with offers or possible other ways to win a free ipod, etc. But I figure...I have a delete button, right? They also SWEAR that they will never sell your email address to anyone. And every single day...someone wins an ipod. So what are you waiting for??? Get a Free iPod from iPodSweepstakes.com Now!

Time Management

I went to a work training yesterday....all about time management. It was really interesting. There weren't a lot of new information, but definitely showed me areas in which I needed to apply better time management. There were 9 people in the class and 7 of them were from our office...so we kind of dominated the session. I felt a little bad for the other people there because I am not sure they got their needs met.

One of the things that they talked about was PROCRASTINATION. I am a huge procrastinator....I will leave things until the very last minute. I often tell myself that I think I am more effective with the time pressure on my back...and part of that is true and part of it is an excuse. The interesting thing we talked about though...is that when we are procrastinating something that we don't WANT to do...we will fill our time with other things that are usually pretty productive. Here is an example...times when I was in college and had a paper to write...when I was putting that off...suddenly I would have time to clean my room or mop the kitchen floor. And a more current example...I am mass amounts of filing to get done...which I don't want to do...so instead I went through and closed all my outstanding cases. It needed to get done, but avoiding the filing gave me the perfect motivation.

So, what kind of stuff do you do when you are procrastinating??

News coming from PayPerPost.com?

I was reading over some of the different opportunities this morning at PayPerPost.com and I saw that there is some BIG NEWS coming from them...sometime soon! If anyone is living under a rock or doesn't read my site, PayPerPost is a site which provides online advertising for businesses and also allows us lowly bloggers to make a little bit of money writing opps for those businesses.

Anyways...back to the point...I wonder what this BIG NEWS is. Hmm. Well...it could be that monkeys are taking over the business, much like the CareerBuilder ads. It might not be good for business, but lord it would be funny. *giggles*

Maybe it is that they are starting an opp lottery. That would mean that everyone time you get an Opp...it gives you a ticket and once a month there is a drawing...and someone wins for extra $$$$$.

Nah...don't think it is any of that.

The only serious thing I can think of...except for the monkeys because I am hoping for that...is that maybe RockStartUp is taking off...and might actually be seen on TV. That's my guess. I am probably wrong...I usually am...but there is my guess.

Thursday Thirteen #23

Thirteen Things Shelley Would Have Done If She Won the 370 Million Dollar Lottery!! Hey...I didn't even play the lottery, but here is what I would have done with the winnings if I magically did win. 1. I'd take the lump sum and then immediately pay the taxes on it...so figure I would end up with about half. 2. I would pay off my school loans...and my brother's school loans...and probably and student loans of my friends. I am not going to pay off a bunch of people's debt, but I believe in education...so I would consider paying that off for people in my life. 3. I would pay off my parents' mortgage. 4. I would buy a house for little ol' me...a basic, normal, run of the mill house. I would be one of those people who bought a multi-million dollar home...just a normal basic house. 5. I would also pay off my brother and his wife's house. 6. I would put 5 million dollars in trust for my nephew. 7. I would buy my parents a house in Florida so they could live there for part of the year and be close to my brother. 8. I would buy a car. I would buy a mini cooper. I just think they are adorably cute....and gas efficient, etc. I would keep my grand am, but also get the coop for driving around town. 9. I would buy my dad a new truck or whatever kind of car he wants. He's been driving a beat up truck for long enough now. 10. I would learn how to fly a plane. I've always wanted to, but it just seemed so impractical. 11. I would buy a small plane once I knew how to fly it. 12. I would invest my monies wisely...and hope to continue to live off the interest for the rest of my life. 13. I would consider quitting my job...but only to start a local non-profit. There is no local shelter for adults here and I think it is hugely lacking. I would start a local homeless organization that offered shelter, transitional housing and a day center.

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There ya go TAX MAN!

I finally hunkered down and efiled my federal and state taxes this evening. I popped in a movie (Shut Up and Sing...the movie about the Dixie Chicks..their fall and rise after making those anti-Bush comments. It's a real interesting documentary, you should check it out).

Anyways...I was watching the movie and checking boxes and clicking Yes or No or Continue, etc...and about an hour later my taxes were done. Phew. I am always happen to get them done and out of the way. And....wait...EXCITING...I don't have to pay for either the federal or state this year. I am getting about 700 bucks back from federal and about 75 dollars back from the state.

Can't wait til I actually get my return...even though I am just going to apply it bills, but still...I am so glad my return is actually done.

1/2 day from work

Today...I am taking a half day off work. Because I want to? Because I have something else to do? Because I just can't handle work and need the time? Because a Dawson's Creek rerun is on and I just have to be home to watch it?

Well...no. I am taking the day off because I have to. I am not able to work over 40 hours without extra special secret permission because then they have to pay me overtime. And...since I worked for half a day on Saturday...I needed to shave hours somewhere else.

What am I going to do with my half day off? Nothing special. I am going to watch some crap tv. I am going to watch some movies that came in the mail from Blockbuster. I am going to do some laundry....and dum, dum, dum....do some cleaning!

Sounds exciting, eh?

Stuart Smalley Had It Right!

Do you all remember those SNL skits where Stuart Smalley said, "I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone It, People Like Me"??? I sure do. It was one of my favorite skits. Stuart would talk through his day and the negative things he had to deal with and at the end of the skit...he would say that mantra to himself over and over again.

Well...jokes aside, Positive Affirmation is something that is often used in behavior modification and self esteem therapy. Affirmation basically is saying something over and over again in your head. There can be negative or positive affirmations. Imagine if you said to yourself every single morning, "I am beautiful" for a month. Do you think you would feel more beautiful at the end of the month? Probably. Now on the flip side..if you said, "I am ugly" to yourself every morning, how beautiful do you think you would feel at the end of the 30 days??? Probably not so much.

Unfortunately, we often listen to those negative voices and thoughts much more than we listen to the positive....unless we make a constructive effort to listen to the good. This exchange from Pretty Woman just proves my point:

Vivian: People put you down enough, you start to believe it.
Edward Lewis: I think you are a very bright, very special woman.
Vivian: The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?

You know what...let's make a commitment to start telling ourselves positive things...to start listening to the good and start challenging the bad. I can call myself fat every single day...or I can call myself smart and beautiful and caring. I truly believe that if we do that every single day...over time the bad stuff won't be easier to believe. You with me???

suckered in...

Alright, I admit it...once again...I am watching American Idol. I have a bit of shame when I admit this. *shrugs* You see, usually I only watch the show during the auditions and then once the actual voting starts...I stop watching. But last year...Chris Daughtry just won my little rocker heart. So...I actually kept watching and cared who won...onc Chris went home...I really wanted Taylor to win and that McPhee girl to go home empty handed.

And this year...my fav is the Jack Osbourne clone. He's darling sweet...got quite a voice and tells the jokes.

So...yes, I watch AI...what about it??? *glares*

some information on rehabs

I wrote a post earlier in the week about how to find therapists, etc...because I think access to information is so crucial. I think most people know that I work for a criminal justice agency and that my job is to find appropriate drug and alcohol programs for offenders. I often refer people to both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. I usually refer to programs in New York such as Conifer Park, etc.

Well...I came across another rehab that I wanted to talk about a little bit. Stone Hawk is a drug rehabilitation program that is based in Battle Creek, Michigan. It's 1 1/2 hours west of Detriot and 1 1/2 hours east of Chicago. Basically, it's snap down right in the midwest. It's an inpatient program which incorporates native american traditions and beliefs into a standard rehab program.

Now, I have never been to this inpatient program, but there are a couple of things I really like about their website. One, they have a lot of information on their webpage about addiction and drugs of abuse. A lot of people (especially family) don't know a lot about addiction other than one of their loved ones needs help. It's really wonderful to be able to get some information and education while looking into treatment. An example, the site addresses the topic of whether or not marijuana is addictive or not. (Check it out...it's an interesting read)

Two, they also give information about how to pick the right treatment program. Let's face it...every program is not a one size fits all. They give a bunch of questions to ask before picking an inpatient program. That impressed me. It told me they want the right people in their program, not just warm bodies in the beds.

All in all..Stone Hawk seems like a pretty comprehensive program from all the information that is found on thier site. If you are in the midwest (or anywhere else in the country for that matter), you should check out there site if you or anyone you know is in need of treatment. There is a toll free number right on their site for more information.

Happy Tuesday...and some TV reviews!

Happy Tuesday everyone! For some reason, it doesn't feel like Tuesday to me...it feels much later in the week.

I know it's very late...but I am going to give a Lost recap from last week's episode. We Tivo the show and I finally got around to seeing the episode this weekend. I *heart* Lost...think it is great...and am always wondering where it is going next.

One...I love that Hurley's dad is Cheech...just makes me giggle. I was disappointed with them for making the obligatory fat joke with his story...that dad gives him a chocolate bar as he is leaving forever...and that Hurley then turns into a 300 lb guy, etc. I thought it was a cheap joke and a little pandering. But I digress...bygones.

I loved that Hurley has an episode all about hope...because it is something that is so needed on the island. This is one of the few episodes that really centered on him...which I thought was cool.

You know what I didn't understand???? Why was no one excited about the possibility of a car on the island? Am I dumb? Am I not understanding something??? I would think that the castaways would love the idea of a car to help them get around this mysterious island. I would think that Kate would be interested...thinking that she could just use the car to drive over to the Others' camp and get Jack. I mean...come on...how much time do they spend walking and running, etc. Why wouldn't the idea of a car be a jack pot??? I just don't get it. But luckily...Hurley got it and was excited enough for the rest of them.

You know..one of the benefits of not watching Lost until Saturday is that you don't have to wait long to see what is going to happen next. I gotta wonder what Locke is going to do...and why playing computer chess changes everything! LOL

And let's not forget about 24. I watched 24 last night...and once again it is taking us on such a wild ride. I was so gosh dar tired when I watching 24 last night that I almost fell asleep...and that is saying a lot.

But back to the episode...you'd think that Jack would learn to not break into consulates and trying to threaten or kidnap people....it never ends well for him. I have thought for a long time that Jack has a secret death wish....and this only confirms it. I used to think that Jack was willing to sacrifice anything in order to stop the terrorist threat...and I still think that is true. However...I still think that Jack has a HUGE death wish...he knew what situation he was putting himself in and never even thought to get an exit strategy.

Observation #2: Chloe is head over heels in love with Jack...but come on...who wouldn't be? That woman is willing to break any rule and do anything...just to help her wanna be boyfriend...Jack.

Why must the President or the people who work for him...always be evil!!!

Anyone else but me watching 24??? It's the best show on TV people!!!

Organic and Health Food Guide

This was an opportunity over at PayPerPost.com...I didn't get to select it in time, so I'm not able to make a quick buck of the topic, but I am going to write about it anyways since I found it valuable.

It is a guide for finding organic or health food stores in your area or when you are away on vacation. I clicked on the NY sites and immediately found a organic store near me that I didn't know about.

So...it didn't make me a few dollars, but I know a lot of health minded people read this site...so please feel free to use this to find a bunch of health food stores near you!

Monday Morning....*yawns*

Hey y'all....it's Monday and yep, I have a case of the Mondays! I just woke up tired...and not because I did anything exciting over the weekend, but basically because for both days I woke up with an alarm. I know...it's a smidge whiney, but I like at least one day out of the weekend for me to be able to wake up on my own without the *beep* *beep* *beep*...getting me up.

Yesterday I got up and went over to go to church with my mom. And...then my dad and I went shopping for a bit...went to Hannaford...went to BJs...went to the devil itself...Wal-Mart. So, I am now officially stocked for food for a while.

And in the afternoon...I watched Stranger Than Fiction. It was an interesting movie...and it definitely wasn't what I expected it to be. I thought it would be more comedy because of the trailers and because it has Will Ferrell in it. But, I was surprised to see it was actually more of a drama....with some comedic moments. I think it was definitely a gem of a movie...and got to see Will Ferrell do something other than the comedies (which he does SO well).

Oh...and let's not forget this weight loss thing. I weighed in yesterday...and no loss, no gain. Which is a miracle because I have not been behaving. I need to get something that actually gets me to refocus and I just don't know what that is going to be.

My goals for this week (might look a lot like the goals from last week)
1. Drink 100 oz. of water daily
2. Write down everything I eat.
3. Workout at least 3 times per week.

That's it...let's keep it simple this week!

help finding help...

Hey everyone....just a quick post about Findcounseling.com and what it can do for you. It's a website which can help people find therapists in counselors in their area. The website was launched under the name FindTherapist.com back in 1996 and it was the first searchable index for therapists or mental health counselors online. They have now relaunched their website to make it more user friendly and even better.

The main areas they focus on are Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia. So, for example...if you live in Miami you can easily use the site to find Miami Counselors. Someone might ask...why not just use the phone book? Well, the phone book doesn't tell you more than just a name, address and phone number. At Findcouseling.com you can search for a bunch of different criteria including gender, language, insurance coverage, etc. You can't get that information from a phone book!

And..if you don't live in one of their areas...they also have a lot of information as well. They have pyschology briefs and journals on their site as well as a glossary of terms. That means that if someone says something to you like "I think your child has explosive personality disorder"...you can look up what exactly that might mean. They also have a comprehensive list of hotlines and many of them are national hotlines.

For someone who works in mental health...I think it is a great resource. I only wish they focused on New York, but they are always expanding, so who knows...maybe they will soon.

office conversation

Over the last week....we have had some interesting, intense and often controversial conversations about rape in the office. It started with a conversation between myself and two co-workers about the percentage of women in the US who have been raped. The male co-worker in the conversation was saying that the % was incredibly small...maybe 10% at that. Well...the other two people were women and we felt it was much higher. We felt it could be close to 50%, but definitely not 10%. We also talked about how women don't report it and why...and the male had such a hard time understanding it.

Well...the next day the conversation continued. And this time one of my male coworkers said he found it was a statistic saying that the rape statistic was only 2% and maybe 4% with under-reporting. We got into a pretty heated discussion about it that day....and then the next day a group of women started talking about it again.

A couple of interesting observations came out of this...one, I love where I work. I like that I work at a place where conversations like that can happen. At most places, they enourage you to not talk about anything that might ruffle someone's feathers. In the scope of the week long discussions about rape, how often it happens and how much it is reported...everyone was involved...our director (male), our assistant director(female) and basically the rest of the staff. We even continued the conversation this Saturday when I was in work to teach a class.

And two...there is such a difference in perception when it comes to rape when it comes to men and women. I know that should seem obvious, but it just became clear to me. Women see it happening...basically all over the place while men see it happening hardly ever. I think one main difference...women talk to each other about their experiences with sexual violence and we don't talk to men about it. Women know much more women who have raped then men do because we hear their stories. And...I also think men don't want to think that rape happens because it would men that men would be out there raping women...maybe men they know...men they hang out with in the local room, etc.

Anyways...it was an interesting week discussing things that people usually never talk about inside an office.

A Chance to Win a Free IPod.

Hey everyone! One of my fitness rewards this year is to buy an mp3 player or an ipod of some sort. I would really like to use it as the gym or when I am out for a run, etc. I know that almost everyone on the planet has one, but I guess I am one of those rare ones who do not. Now sometime in the next year, I will buy some kind of Ipod, but wouldn't it be great if I could win one instead.

How Can I win one...I know curious minds want to know. Well, Productivity501 has an iPod Shuffle Giveaway...isn't that exciting!

How does it work exactly? Well, it is pretty simple. Productivity501 is giving away a free Ipod...like that have done before and this time they are targeting those people who have their own blogs. All you have to do is leave a post up on your blog reviewing Productivity501's site and leave a link back to their site. They will find the Top 5 Reviews and out them in for a drawing. The person who wins...wins a swanky, new Ipod Shuffle. Seems easy and harmless, eh?

Plus, for all those PayPerPost people out there...there is another benefit. Each entrant also gets a link back from Productivity501. Why should that matter? Well...we are always looking for more links in order to raise our page rank, right? And we know that links from high rated blogs are more valuable that low rated blogs, etc. So...you can win a free ipod and also get a nice link from a high rated site. It has the potential to be a win win situation.

I plan on entering the contest...and will put up an entry in a day or so. I figure that it can't hurt. I can possibly get a free ipod...and get a nice link at the same time. One thing I like most about this opportunity is that it is valid for positive, negative or neutral reviews of the site. Many contests would only be valid if you wrote positive "this site is sunshine and roses" review, but this site just wants any review. They want an honest review of the site and I think that is pretty cool. Now this contest only last for one month or until they get 150 reviews, so if you are interested...I would get to it.

And who knows...maybe I will be sporting a new, free ipod sometime soon!

This is a paid post.

Finished one challenge...in the middle of another...

I have finished my 30 day challenge of blogging everyday. Many days I blogged more than once a day...and only a few days did I really have to push myself to think of something to post.

My current challenge is actually more than 30 days...it's my challenge for Lent. I decided not to give up candy like usual...instead I decided to give up those yummy, frosty Slushie's from Cumberland Farms. I just eat way to many of them...and I am glad I gave them up because I really wanted one this afternoon.

Icky weather again...

Today we got even more than snow....we got snow, sleet, freezing rain and then just rain. Ick. At least we got snow before the sleet and freezing rain because it made cleaning off my car so much easier.

And...when I got to work this morning at about 7:30am...and until about 9am...there were only about 2 or 3 people in the office. Snow is so scary, eh???

Today I might leave early though....cause then I can shovel and watch crap movies!

Staph Infections

I wanted to write a little bit about staph infections and MSRA. As most people know, my mom has had a lot of diabetic complications which include bad circulation in her feet and as a result...a bunch of her toes had to be removed. A few years back my mom got a staph infection while she was in the hospital having surgery. My mom was hospitalized last year too where she needed to have a breathing tube put in place. They found staph in her nose during that time and ruled that it was an infection that caused her to get so sick. For a while we worried it was a stroke, but it was an infection. Staph infections used to be rare, but lately they just seem so much more common. Staph infections are so hard to treat, so they say that everytime my mom is in the hospital that she should have a private room so that she doesn't chance giving staph to anyone else. But, guess what? The last two times my mom has been hospitalized she has had roommates. So is the hospital doing everything that they can to make sure that a few get infected or is it all about dollars and cents? grrr.

And then last year...the local jail had an outbreak of staph with their inmates. They tried to keep it down with the public and called it MRSA so that most people wouldn't know what they were talking about, but it was a mess. YOu know what was worse? The jail makes the food for the Meals on Wheels and continued even with the outbreak. Luckily no one on the outside was infection, but it is just gross.

Grrr. I think that more people need to be aware about staph infections and MRSA, especially when you have any contact with a hospital (or a jail too!).

Anyone else ever have a staph infection or know someone who has?

Thursday Thirteen #22

I am glad that TT is continuing...I would have missed it if it ended...one, I like random different coming to my blog and vice versa....and two, it's a nice way to get those creative juices flowing when it comes to writing.

Thirteen Things Shelley Has Spent $$$$ on In the Last Month I am the cheapest person alive, so I thought I would clue y'all in on some of the things I spent my money on in the last month or so. 1. My usual bills...the rent, the cable, the utility bill, my student loans, etc. 2. Dental bills. I got all the work done...and of course it ain't for free. 3. Some groceries....about 20 to 30 bucks a week at little ol' Hannaford. 4. The Windows XP Professional that I bought off ebay. 5. Some hair stuff like mousse and the like at Target...and I looked at clothes while I was there, but didn't buy anything. 6. My gym membership...that I haven't used nearly as much as I should. 7. A new wireless internet card...in hopes of solving some of my computer problems. 8. A pizza from the local pizza joint...mmm...it was good. 9. Take out dinner at Panera twice...about $7.00 each time. Soup in a sourdough bread bowl. It's awesome. 10. An oil change, air filter and car wash for my car...set me back about 50 bucks. 11. Filled up my gas tank...twice. 12. I took 40 bucks out of the ATM...I couldn't tell you what I spent it on. 13. Online membership for Blockbuster...for a little more than 15 bucks a month...it is definitely worth it. So basically....I pay my bills...eat out a little bit...go to the gym (or at least pay for it), take care of my car, try to fix my computer and watch lotsa movies.

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paid and weird dreamin'

I got paid today...whoo hoo! And I immediately paid all of the bills coming up. I've written it before, but I get a sad kind of excitement about it all...paying the bills and such. I had to pay them at work because I still haven't been able to fix my computer so that the internet works and didn't want to struggle with my roommates slow as death computer....so I got to paying the bills as soon as I got in this morning.

I had the most bizarre dream last night...and I usually never remember my dreams. I woke up at about 5am and was hit with remembering the dream I had. Parts of it are missing...but here is the jist of it. I bought a honkin' SUV (which I would NEVER do...gosh...I secretly want a mini cooper to be my next car)...and I ended up staying at a friend's house the night that I bought the SUV. So...the next morning, I wake up and get ready to return home. My mom calls...we have a bizarre conversation. So, I am on the highway (P.S. I don't take the highway to get home, but well...my dream thinks I do). And then...I end up slightly side swiping another car which was like a medium size motor home. The car pulls over and this family gets out...mom...dad and a kid. So...the mom looks at the damage and it is minimal. BUt while we are talking...she starts trying to chip paint away and make it worse. She starts asking me really personal questions....like where I was since I was coming home. I apologized for scraping her and said I would give her my information. I said that I just got this new huge car and I didn't think I knew where my bearings were. Then she said that she was going to get a quote and I had better be ready...cause it will be high. I told her that I would take care of it, but that I was sending the check to the repair place to make sure she got the work done and didn't just pocket it (since it was just cosmetic damage)...and that I wanted a few estimates, etc. I told her that is what my insurance would require. She said that she would not be using insurance and if I gave her a problem...she would sue me and talk about injuries. She was just a weird, mean...lady. Then her husband came over and said that he didn't like my tone and I had better give him a check right now. I said no...and then...he grabbed me and kind of laid on my back and "dry humped" me. Bizarre, eh?? So...I freaked out...and then said that was it...and jumped back in my car. I started to call the police and the guy came over to my car. I didn't know how to lock the doors since it was kind of dark out and it was a new car...so I didn't know where the button was. He grabbed the door open...I think I hit him...and then I slammed my door shut. I started to call the cops...then I got spooked...and drove off...and proceeded to drive right into a ditch. At that point, I think I woke up.

Umm...weirdest dream ever. I seem to only remember strange...kind of violent dreams. I just hope that means that the 99% of dreams I don't remember...are sunshine and lollydrops. I have no idea what that means...but I think it means that SUVs are evil...motor homes too...and that no one should ever buy one. At least that is what I am going with....