Category: Life

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Ice Sculptors

Recently, while flipping through the TV channels I found this really cool new show.  It is called Chainsaw Ice Sculptors.  They are some really talented people.  This has to be one of the more dangerous hobbies to have.

The artists on this show are very detailed oriented and create some really elaborate sculptures.  The sculpture they were
creating on this episode involved creating a horse and carriage with flowers frozen inside it.  These artists do multiple weddings and functions.  I imagine the price for these creations is scaled fairly high.  The labor and skill involved is quite great and they earn every penny! I think it would be pretty neat to have one of these sculptures at one of my BBQs.  I will have to see if there is a local artist who does this kind of work.  The biggest worry will be the warm weather and the risk of having it melt too soon.  Either way it would be the hit of the party for a while.

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Extra Coverage

Lately, I have been considering extended coverage on my vehicles.  Most are not brand new so their original extended warranty has run out.

Automobiles cost a great deal of money to repair nowadays.  Sometimes it is not a bad idea to protect yourself and your vehicle by keeping track of your auto warranty.  Often times I have seen the cost of a car repair be far more expensive then the cost of the warranty.  Therefore, purchasing the warranty was wroth it in the end even though it is usually a large sum up front.

Tomorrow I believe I will research a car warranty for at least one of my vehicles and then see if they can get me a deal on the rest of my vehicles.  If I buy in bulk maybe I can really save some money in the long run.  Vehicles are not build like they used to be and so the only way to ensure that your ride is going to cruise along for a while longer is to put some money up front on warranties.

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Easter Presents

I received the cutest set of lamps and picture for Easter.  As I have mentioned before, my kitchen and living room motif has a woodland theme going on.  These lamps are the perfect for the living room because right now I have mismatching living room lamps.These lamps are in the shade of trees and each has three bears trying to climb up the tree in search of honey from a beehive.  There is a pot of honey at the bottom waiting for any collection.  The shade of the lamp is cool too.  It is textured like tree bark and has a leather lacing across the top and bottom, very rustic looking.  The picture looks like a painting.  There are four bears looking across a body of water at a camp site that has a tent pitched with a campfire.  It is nighttime so the moon is shining and the water just glows.

I hung the picture up and plugged the lamps in immediately.  Now, at night when I watch my television I can enjoy all three of them.  Those three little things set off a mood of relaxation and a true down- home feeling.

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Goldylocks

Gold has been around for thousands of years.  Just recently, I heard on the news that the demand for gold is increasing.  I especially saw this happening in the state of California.  The price of gold is on the rise.

The anchor on the evening news suggested that people start buying and stocking up on gold over cash.  According to the anchor the gold price is going to be worth ten times more than the monetary value of currency.  I am very surprised over this but I guess things change.

After hearing this news I think I will plan a trip to California and join the gold rush.  Perhaps I will strike some excellent gold prices and than be able to put it away for the future.   I have bever been to California so this will be a much needed vacation.  Let lady luck be with me or it is going to be a very sad trip home!

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Extreme Weather

Extreme weather has been affecting a large part of our country this past week. I am very concerned for family and friends who live in the South and the Midwest.

There are wildfires in most counties across Texas. The fires are also in parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico. Not only have they gone without rain for a very long time, they are having high winds that fan the flames anke the fires very difficult to control.

Other areas are getting too much and areas along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are flooding. The threats of levees breaking and even more homes and business being lost to flood waters is an everpresent threat.

Throughout the South and up the East Coast have been violent storms with tornadoes. Over 200 people have lost their lives yesterday in tornado related accidents.

My heart goes out to all the people fighting for their lives against Mother Nature’s recent furies.

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Nostalgic Favorite

The Kodak Company has been around for many many years.  Their products have proven to be very good quality and reliable.  I have purchased a few Kodak products in my day.  They have never steered me wrong.

This is one reason when I was in the market to purchase my Mother a new printer I decided I was going to purchase a Kodak printer.  I went onto the Internet and searched for Kodak printers.  Naturally I found the Kodak website.  I was very impressed and saw the large variety of  Kodak ink.  The prices were also quite reasonable for the Kodak printer ink.  Surprisingly, their prices were less then what I have seen in the department stores.

Usually I have a difficult time with picking out ink cartridges but not this time.  The Kodak website proved to have just what I needed for Kodak ink cartridges.  I was relieved since I would hate to give someone, especially my mother a new printer without any ink!  She is just going to love this printer!

 

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The Most Beautiful Woman of the Year

Jennifer Lopez was named “most beautiful woman of the year” today by People Magazine.  The award recipient for this award always surprises me.  I don’t know why except that I always expect to see a different winner then who is chosen.

Jennifer Lopez or J-Lo has been actively involved in many projects lately.  I wonder if they chose her due to her “big come back?”  I have noticed lately she has produced a new song, has multiple shampoo commercials as well as being a judge on American Idol.  She has certainly been a busy woman. And let’s not forget she is married with twin children.

One moment that was comical happened tonight on American Idol.  The producers of American Idol decided to exemplify Jennifer Lopez’s award by placing a spot light on her and playing a song that repeatedly sang about a beautiful women.  In a way it was overdone but Jennifer Lopez
didn’t seem to mind the extra attention. I wonder if she will score some additional business opportunities from this publicity?

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Trading one for another

Stocks and bonds have never been my area of expertise.  I had a relative who was a stock broker for over 20 years and retired from that line of work.  They were really good at what they did and because of their strong abilities they now are all set for retirement.  During those times there was no such thing as online trading.  Calculators were the size of computers now used.  There were no such thing as an online broker.  There brokers were always met in person or on the telephone.

Many things have changed in this field.  One area that has not changed is stock trading.  Stock trading may have changed in method of trading but not in what they actually are.  Cell phones are now in high use so naturally the stock market has turned to mobile trading as a form of trading.  I have always heard people discuss their IRA accounts but I have never learned much about them.  Maybe I will look into them and see if it might be a good idea for me to set one up.

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Flip- flops are near

Well, it is almost sandal season!  I am so excited!  Every year when mud season begins and we receive a few days of warmer weather I start thinking about my flip- flops and other sandals.  I do not have a shoe fetish but when it comes to sandals I get a little weak in the knees.

I especially like flip- flops.  They are almost always cheap so nearly anyone can afford more than one pair.  Since they are so inexpensive they are also dispensable.  This means that if you break running after your dog on a summer day it is no big deal.  For this same reason, I almost always make sure I have a spare pair in my vehicle or beach bag.  It is good to have a back up pair.  This also comes in handy after a hard day’s work in heels and your feet are tired.  You can slip into your flip- flops right after leaving the office.  Here’s to a summer full of flip- flops and bare feet!

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Deep in the heart of Texas

Some friends of mine are thinking of moving to the big state of Texas.  Both of them are from the North but since the economy has declined, their jobs are in jeopardy of downsizing.  They have recently been looking for different jobs all over the country.  One of the most important areas to check out besides securing employment is securing a place to live.  They have been concentrating on Dallas real estate.  The husband is much more concerned about the available of Dallas homes for sale than his wife.

In my spare time I have helped them search as well for not only jobs but for Dallas homes for sale.  They are some- what picky about what kind of home them want.  the biggest attraction for them is having a large backyard and central air conditioning.  I do not think that any home in the state of Texas comes without central air conditioning.  That state can be so hot that it is nearly unbearable to anyone not used to it.  My friends will definitely will have some adjusting to do because they are used to 20 below winters and 70 degree summers.