Pea Coats

I should have known that Pea Coats and other military outer wear would be making a come back. They say that all that is old becomes new again and that usually holds true all though I’m not sure when we will be seeing the roaring twenty dresses that the Can Can and Black Bottom dancers used to wear. That would be a sight to see on the streets in this day and age!

I remember back in the 70’s when I just had to have a Pea Coat and my mother searched high and low trying to find me one and she ended up having to go to an Army/Navy surplus store to find one, but she found one and I wore it proudly for years and years. I’m not sure where it ended up at, most likely it got donated to a thrift store, since my mother never tossed anything out.

This year I would like another Pea Coat and have found several at Zappos.com. Zappos.com has always had wonderful selections from various well known manufacturers. Right now I have my eyes on a nice looking French Connection Dawson Coat and I plan on sending the link to several people that have been asking me for gift suggestions for my birthday.

Check out the looks of this Pea Coat. It is a classic double-breasted look with an extended length for warmth with full button front closure. It sports front hand pockets and long sleeves with banded cuffs. Dry cleaned only but that is to be expected with a nice coat such as this, so I’ll just have to be careful when and where I wear it. Certainly not outside around the farm and all the animals!

Zappos offers free shipping, both ways and 24/7 customer service along with a 365 day return policy. They accept Pay Pal which is something that I always look for when ordering online. They are still accepting orders and guaranteeing delivery before Christmas. So if you are still looking for good gift ideas you can count on Zappos!

My Dream – A Gibson Les Paul

As much as I would like to think that on one of these Christmas mornings that I would wake up and find the awesome Gibson guitar that I have been drooling over for some time now, I don’t think that it will happen. First of all it is only me here at the farm, second is I don’t put up a Christmas tree anymore since it is only me here and third – no one has a clue that I would love to be able to play the guitar.

I have always wanted to play the guitar. I used to beg my parents to buy me a guitar, telling them that I didn’t need for them to pay for guitar lessons, that I would learn to play it on my own, it never came to be, which I never really understand. I come from a very musical family and if I couldn’t figure out how to play it on my own I would like to think that one or more of my relatives would certainly take the time to teach me a few things. Alas it never happened and most likely it never will as there really isn’t a lot of extra money for such luxuries these days and it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime soon due to our lovely government and the election that just took place. But that is a subject for another time.

The Issue of Surveys

Professional Quest is now offering software, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and a 30 day free trial, that will help with many types of surveys. They are and “out of the box” solution for surveys that are such a valuable marketing tool for companies with their survey designs, distribution and analysis. Even offering an effective employee evaluation program as well as much needed and wanted market research.

There is a lot of competition out there and conducting the appropriate surveys have become a necessity in today’s market place. You can go to their website, Professionalquest.com and view a demonstration video to see what they are all about and what they have to offer.

Looking Into Health Insurance

Now that Brandon is turning twenty four he has started looking for health insurance in nc. As most of us know, the health care system has turned into a huge nightmare all across the country. It seems like every month we are being told that there are cliches in the Affordable Heath Care act and their website, which isn’t helping the general population one bit.

One has to wonder when this will all be straightened out. As hard as it is on people looking for health insurance, I have to imagine how hard it is to be in the health insurance business. I have a good friend that is in the life/home/auto and health insurance business that I just might have to call and see how he is fairing throughout this whole mess.

He is a good guy, who opened his agency in 2008, right when the economy went south. He has two young kids, a new house with a mortgage and a business that he sunk everything he had into, that is just barely hanging on. It would be good to hear his voice again.

 

Summer Vacations

A few close friends and I were talking a few months back about taking a summer vacation together, to spend a week or so relaxing, having fun and bonding. The idea got me so excited considering I haven’t actually taken a vacation in about four years now.

We never really talked about the subject too much afterwards until I had brought it up at a backyard cookout we all attended together about month later. I’m very happy that it was brought up at the time because our friend’s mother that was hosting the cookout had over heard our conversation about our interest in a much needed get a way for the summer. She recommended a site that she told us offers some unforgettable summer experience options.

I took a look at it on my iPad that I had brought with me, and found that planning this vacation that we wanted so ever badly, was going to be easier then we all had thought. Not only was it easy but the site had found the absolute cheapest prices compared to others. I’m looking forward to our time together doing something we never thought we would do in our lifetime and am eager to treat myself to an awesome time with my closest friends. You can bet that we will be taking a boatload of pictures to share with friends and family.

vacationing in the summer months
Summer Time Vacations

PA Systems

Brent, who is the author of a valuable website I just found online that gives so much good information about everything you ever wanted or needed to know about PA Systems. And if he can’t provide you with what you want you can find even more information by clicking on any of the numerous provided links that he has taken his time and researched to find more. After all more is better, right?

I remember going and picking up one of my sister’s kids from school to take him to an important dentist appointment that she couldn’t take time off of work to take him herself. I had to sign in on a small sized computer at the front desk. It wanted to know my name, the relationship to the student and it took my picture. It was pretty impressive technology for a back country elementary school that has been forced to work even harder on really pinching pennies just like all our schools around the country with the economy still in such bad shape.

I understand the need for tight security around any and all schools these days. It doesn’t seem like a week goes by that there isn’t a reporting of some type of violence, usually a shooting and people being hurt and killed. It’s just madness and schools are struggling keeping their security as tight as possible to keep all students and employees safe from all the crazies roaming the streets that are determined to cause death and destruction in our schools.

What was really weird though was when I had finished with the sign-in procedure on the school’s computer and had my picture taken and took the printed name tag that it spit out for me to have on my body, the receptionist had to use the school’s very out-dated PA system to contact my nephews teacher to announce my arrival and to send him on up to the office for me to sign both of us out and leave the school hours before the last bell would ring. Their PA system sounded just like the PA system did in that same school (the same school that I attended back in the day). Her voice sounded rough and broken up, with a lot of popping and crackling along with other irritating noises they used to bug me back then and come to find out, still does.

I remember I asked my nephew about the PA system, of course he is oblivious to the whole entire subject. When I asked him what the normal morning announcements were all about in his school each morning, he couldn’t provide me with anything at all. Guess his ADHD makes it hard for him to concentrate and listen so early in the morning. I remember getting a lot of good information each day from the morning announcements, but that was me and my nephew doesn’t seem to be interested. To each his own I reckon.
 

 

Digital Printing NYC

Some times you can do things on your own, but some times you really need to turn to some one who specializes in that particular field. As much as I wouldn’t mind creating and then printing out the brochures, pamphlets and flyers that are needed for the neighborhood watch that I belong to, I really think that they should check out the website that I sent them the link to for custom printing in new york.

Right now is a really busy time here at the farm. With yet another massive snow storm on the way there is so much to do to prepare for. I never seem to have an extra time since the holidays came and went. This has been one heck of a winter so far. Not that I am surprised. We have had some pretty easy winters, these past couple of years, we were due.

If push comes to shove I will do my best, but I’ve heard good things about this particular printing company and I think that they could do a much better job at this point, but we will see what they decide on at the next meeting come the middle of March.

It’s All On Who and What You Know

The number of people that are taking classes to further their education and knowledge in fields that are sure to be going strong well after this economy crisis is over and done with. The medical field and the computer industry are two sure bets for people to turn to. More and more classes are be offered and they are filling up quickly all over the country, such as the Virginia Cisco Course.

There is even a Virginia MCITP Server Administrator course available. I found this information by looking up some sites that are about CCNA training and saw that there is also a Chicago CCNA and a San Diego CCNA class that is coming up real soon but Virginia is a lot closer. I’ve sent the link with this info to my cousin who is seriously looking into this type of course.  So there are a lot of options available out there.

He has always been good with computers and the family certainly could use having a close family member who is a computer whiz. It used to be that a family needed a doctor, a mechanic and/or a plumber, now a days its all about needing a lawyer and a computer geek! Don’t get me wrong, it would be nice to have a doctor, a mechanic and a plumber in the family but things don’t always work out that way now do they?

Oracle Support Services and Marketing

My brother has asked me to help him with his website, as his busy is in a slow cycle and he needs more customers. It is hard to be ready and willing to work to support your family but the phone does not ring. It is hard running a business in the first place – so many things to do and so much on your mind. But I think I can help a little but kick-starting his small business marketing with some changes to his web site and then showing him how to use the internet to bring in new customers.

He is a plumber – and a darn good one. But when I was trying to talk to him at Christmas about local search marketing and something like Oracle support services, all I got was a blank stare and a mumble about not having time to deal with it. I totally understand how you can be kept busy with everything else it takes to run your business, but even in busy times you need to continue working at bringing in new customers. Marketing and Oracle support services are a year long effort. I know a lot of people do not take the time to write out a detailed business plan or a marketing plan. They try to “wing it” and just work that into their daily list of everything that needs to be done. But having something on paper – or in the computer – really helps keep you on track.

I am going to show him how to spiff up his website and then Elevate local listings so that when people type in the search word “plumber” that they can find his business listing on the front page of the search results. If you think about it, most people do not click past the first page when they are looking for a business or a service provider. So getting his web site and contact information on the first page is vital to getting the eyes on his site and the phone ringing again with new business.

Small Businesses

A small business is sounds like it would be easy to handle on your own, but with all my experience I have learned help is sometimes needed. My niece whom I helped raise when she was still in diapers, opened up her own small business in the Raleigh, N.C area after she had finally  earned her degree last year.

She seemed to have everything in order until she had visited last week and had told me that she learned she was expecting a baby in a few months, and she needed help handling some things with her small business. I had asked her if there was anything I could do to help without having to up and leave my farm, to move closer to help. She replied back saying she needed professional help but she didn’t know where to start, so I came up with an idea that might just help her.

We took an evening during her visit here, to search the net for any advice or help. It didn’t take long to find the perfect way to help her out for such a great deal by having local accountant help her with her bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial statements. My niece was ecstatic to see that they were offering what she felt she needed help with for her small business.

She is now working with a great accountant and has been updating me on her stress levels, and it has dissipated tremendously since she had gotten back with the help she needed. I’m so glad I could help her without taking drastic measures to up and move from my home, and help her reduce her stress, since she is now pregnant and expecting.