Sugar Doll Award

Thank you so much to Yaya who gave me the Sugar Doll Award!


And now to list 10 things about myself:
1. I’m going back to school to become a Registered Nurse.
2. I want to be a traveling nurse because that gets my love of traveling in there.
3. I also hope to be a travel writer. Hey, why couldn’t I do both?
4. I’d much rather be too cold than too hot.
5. I consider myself spiritual but not really “religious.”
6. My hair is getting absurdly long (goes to bottom of some shirts in the back) and I need a haircut badly. Any ideas?
7. I was scared of driving after a really bad car accident with a deer a few years ago. I still get flashbacks when I drive sometimes. Kind of makes it hard with my current job sometimes (pizza delivery).
8. I’m currently reviewing The Sims 3: World Adventures. Hopefully I’ll get this posted in a few days. I’m loving it!
9. My bookcases are getting too full. I should really spend a few hours cleaning it up and sorting the books better.
10. I love and appreciate all of my Blog friends and followers. You all keep me going in this thing called blog world. Thank you for everything!


And pass this on to 10 bloggers:
1. Yaya at http://www.yayastuff.net/ (I have to give it back to you too!) :)
2. Lee at http://www.perpetualburnblog.com/ (I know Yaya gave this to you too, but you deserve it!)
3. Andhari at http://littleinsomniaclolita.blogspot.com/
4. Melanie at http://melaniesrandomness.blogspot.com/
5. Jillene at http://jillenecox.blogspot.com/
6. Lucy at http://lucyslifeinsuburbworld.blogspot.com/
7. Nickie at http://learnxtoxfly.wordpress.com/
8. Manju at http://littlem-o-holic.blogspot.com/
9. Paula at http://welcomingspirit.blogspot.com/
10. Wendy at http://wensbittersweetmusings.blogspot.com/

The Mystic Messenger

The Mystic Messenger: Psychic Meditation Kit by Amy Zerner & Monte Farber is one of the many beautifully magnificent items created by them at The Enchanted World. The kit is fully interactive and very easy to use with the guide included.

The booklet that comes with the kit is well written and really explains about the psychic meditation kit. It is easy to follow for the person who is new to using oracles, tarot or any kind of “new age” item.

The questions I asked about my career, future and such really hit it on the spot. While they aren’t all positive (life isn’t ever only positive), I do think that it helps to know that it should be okay in the long run, once I get through everything I’m supposed to.

The kit was very easy to use and the grounding meditations did help to give more accurate readings. This is an excellent kit that I will use many times again in the future.

Book Description:

Want to transform a situation you are not satisfied with into one that gives you great joy and insight? Consult The Mystic Messenger!

The Mystic Messenger is a gentle but potent system for psychic development designed to help you make better decisions, solve problems, and accelerate your process of self-discovery and recovery.

The Mystic Messenger responds quickly and clearly to your questions about relationships, career, finances, and other important issues. It offers you personal, accurate, and inspiring guidance, selecting the perfect response from nearly 1,200 possible answers!

Here’s how it works:
Meditate upon your issue.
Roll the four color-coded dice.
Flip to the corresponding pages of the book.
Read the answer to your question.

You will be amazed!


Contains: 52 page wire bound, mix and match, full color book with 48 illustrations of the elements (fire, air, water, and earth), step-by-step instruction booklet, and 4 color coded 12-sided dice.

* Thank you to Sterling Publishing and The Enchanted World for providing me with a copy to review.

In Case You Ever Wondered…

What would a baby look like if Robert Pattinson had a baby with Kristen Stewart?

Cute, but I don’t think that is what Reneesme is going to look like in Breaking Dawn.


Personally, I wanted to see what a baby with me and Robert Pattinson looked like.

Ah, I see he has his father’s hair here.


Can’t forget about my other British love: Gavin Rossdale.

Interesting.

Good clean fun without the pain of giving birth. Enjoy!

Thanks to Manju for sharing what some celebrity babies would look like too and for posting the link to the Make Me Babies website. Too fun!

Energy Healing

Energy Healing: The practical workbook by Christina Mark is a remarkable source of information on energy healing. In it you will discover how the movement of energy contributes to healing and how you can put it to use.

One of the biggest draws to this book for me was that the author, Christina Mark is a registered nurse (what I’m going back to school for), and she has 40 years experience in healthcare. She is also a licensed tutor with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers. She really knows what she is talking about!

My Aunt Judy taught me how to do reiki when I was rather young (somewhere around 9 or 10 maybe), and I still practice it to this day. For those that don’t know, it is a form of energy healing. While I am no reiki master, I have had quite a few successes with it. So, this was the second draw to this book for me.

I used the skills provided in this book to use energy healing on my dog. She is getting pretty old and has issues going up and down the stairs sometimes. After a few healing sessions, I can noticeably see a difference in her level of activity being increased and a little more ease going up and down the stairs.

Book Description:
Christina Mark examines the seven levels of energy, starting with the auric field and progressing to the physical processes of the body via the endocrine and nervous systems, the meridians and chakras. She guides us through the effects of stress, love, nutrition and exercise on our emotional, mental and physical health. This practical workbook demonstrates how to work with energy, step by step, to improve all aspects of our well-being. The final section explains the healing process and the need for professional conduct and practice, and provides a plan for holistic healthcare. The clear, informative diagrams and exercise series may be used in both a personal and a professional setting.

Energy Healing gives so much knowledge that it is truly an essential resource for all those who are in the energy healing field from the beginner to the more advanced healers. I highly recommend this book for people interested in this field of study and those already in it.


* Thank you to Watkins Publishing for providing me a copy to review.

Celtic Messages Book and Card Set

The Celtic Messages Book and Card Set by Joules Taylor is a beautiful set that “reveals the symbols of the Celts and shows how to harness their wisdom in your everyday life.”

The set contains 52 cards for affirmation and divination with a book which explains about the Celtics, how to lay the cards and give a reading and then how to interpret the cards.

“Illustrated with the ancient and magical symbols of Celtic lore, the cards fall into four suits: The Helpers are deities and mythological heroes; Totems are animal guides; the Places cards reveal the sacred landscapes of heart and soul; and Tools show the talismans of Celtic ritual and festival. The book presents ten ways to lay out the cards to reveal your past and present, and foretell the future.”

The cards are brilliantly illustrated and when used properly can help you make decisions or answer questions you have about your life. Even though it is for “entertainment purposes only” it really is fun and helpful to use.

I used the cards to ask about my day, career path and life in general. I got very relevant cards about it. Not really something to share (readings are private), but hopefully it does come true and lead me on the right path.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the Celtic Messages book and card set. The book explained so much about the Celts that I never knew and was an incredible resource for using the card set.


* Thank you to CICO Books and Ryland Peters & Small for providing me a copy to review.

Proxy 2: Remote Access to Your PC, or Another PC

The first time I ever had someone access my PC with remote access or viewing was when I was on the phone (for a few hours) with Garmin’s customer service. It rather amazed me because they could gain control of my PC (with my permission) from wherever they were and help fix the problem. It was an immense help because while I am computer savvy, I am not as advanced as their technical team is. I could see what he was doing, and he talked me through it (which made it a little bit less weird or scary).

Proxy Networks Proxy Pro 7 is software that offers secure, state of the art 256 bit encryption Remote Access via the internet for troubleshooting, the ability to access files or data or collaborating with a work team from different locations.

It is an ideal solution for large and small companies that aren’t all located in the same building. It is also great for companies that would need to help their customer’s with troubleshooting with remote access.

Individuals with a work computer and a home computer would also find this software useful in case they need to do work at home or forgot something from their home computer before leaving for work.

If you’re unsure if you would need this for your personal use or business purposes, Proxy Networks offers a free 30 day trial of the software.


* Disclosure: This is a paid post from Proxy Networks. All opinions expressed are honest and my own personal opinions.

Recession Fortune Cookie

The recession has even hit the once positive and inspiring fortune cookie.

I opened one last night that said this:

“You shouldn’t overspend at the moment. Frugality is important.”

Well gee, thanks. I know I shouldn’t be buying a new computer, HD LCD TV, Blu-Ray player, Wii, PS3, etc. Not that I don’t want those things, because I really, really do. I just know I can’t afford it right now, at least not all at once.

I don’t really want my fortune cookie reminding me of this. Aren’t they supposed to be cheerful and uplifting (at least to some extent)?

I miss the days when I got one that read:

“Fame and fortune are coming your way.”
“You will be unusually successful in an entertainment career.”
“The project you have in mind will soon gain momentum.”
– all real fortunes I’ve gotten before and are even taped on my desk.

Not long ago I got one that even said:

“Focus on your long-term goal. Good things will soon happen.”

What do you think of fortune cookies? Do you ever save any? What do you do with them? What did your most recent one say?

So Blonde: Video Game Review

So Blonde is a PC video game where you play as Sunny, a rich, pampered 17 year old who washes up on a 17th century island after she falls off a cruise ship.

What attracted me to this game was the fact that it revolves around a ditsy blonde. I’m blonde and actually think “blonde jokes” are funny. So naturally, I wanted to see what this game was about.


Game Info:
So blonde is a point- and- click PC adventure game, with all of trappings of such: puzzle-solving, humor, pop culture references, cel-shading, multiple endings, and between 20 and 25 hours of gameplay. So Blonde is an universally accessible game thanks to the game play, the art style and the narrative. If hard gamers can get past the introduction, and the meaty part of the game, then they'll find a light-hearted and fresh adventure to keep them occupied. On the other hand, players that they are new to adventure games will find a simple, yet effective, introduction to the genre and mechanics.

A captivating adventure story with:
- 55 impressive backgrounds divided into 4 chapters
- 16 funny mini-games
- 35 characters in color and 3 that you can control
- More than 5 hours of funny dialogues
- 4 different endings
- Funny and mysterious enigmas…but with sense
- More than 50 references to find (TV,cinema, reality shows, video games) and a lot of humor guaranty!


I like some adventure style games. However, they have to keep me engaged and interested. So Blonde sadly didn’t do that. The blonde, Sunny was sort of funny in her ditsy way and getting slapped around was comical.

The graphics were quite nice for the style of gaming it is. The island was beautiful and the locations were well made graphically.

The voice acting for the game was spot on for all characters. Sunny was the best with her airhead blonde lines she was given.

Movement in the game is point and click (or double click for faster movement). I didn’t like the right clicking for interacting with objects and seeing something or picking something up or talking to someone though. It became quite annoying.

Load times in-between zones was also irritating. After you have been to a certain area it should have loaded faster – especially when moving between them often.

Overall, I found the game to be funny yet somewhat lacking in the amusement department. I would recommend the game for people who like humorous adventure style video games. However, I don’t think that someone who likes fast paced games would enjoy it very much.


System requirements
Windows® 2000/XP/Vista
Pentium® 1.6Ghz
512 MB RAM
64 MB DirectX® 9-compliant video card
DirectX® 9-compliant sound card
DirectX® 9.0c or above
3 GB free hard disk space
Windows®-compatible keyboard & mouse


Thank you to the publisher of So Blonde, Anaconda and Gamers Gate for providing me a digital copy of So Blonde and allowing me to review the game.

Healthcare – Seriously?

I made an appointment last month for yesterday to see a doctor at an organization that bases it on your income – it isn’t a free clinic. I have no insurance because I can’t afford it and working at a pizza place obviously doesn’t help provide anything for its employees. So, I had to go to this place. I’m not going to say its name to bash them because they probably do want to help people, maybe. I’m also still pissed about my experience from yesterday, but here is how it went…

I arrived 30 mins prior, like they said to fill out paper work. My appointment was at 9:30. Not that many people were in the waiting room and there were 2 doctors there, so I didn’t think it would take too long to get in.

They call me back to take my blood pressure, weight, more medical history, etc. Then they sent me back to the waiting room where I waited for at least an hour. Then they call me up to – fill out another paper medical questionnaire. Hmm, okay? I didn’t get sent back to the little room to wait for the doctor for another good 30 minutes. I waited in that room for at least half an hour too.

I didn’t see the doctor until around 11:30. I’m quite perturbed by now too. He BARELY looked at my “questionnaire” I filled out. He didn’t listen to me when I talked and if he did, he didn’t respond 80% of the time. Oh and since celiac disease is “rare” (in his words) he "probably" doesn’t think I could have it, even though most of the symptoms I do have and the doctor I saw before that treated me for IBS didn’t do anything same with “acid reflux” and other things. He didn’t even look at the rash I have that could be the itchy skin rash too. Then, he heads to leave when I’m not even done talking! Seriously?!? How is this guy a doctor? Then to top it off he says he’ll prescribe… and walks out. I didn’t even hear what he said (if he said anything) and he’ll be back to bring the prescription in. Um.. what? 15 minutes later I hear him walk into another patient’s room while I’m still waiting – again. I open the door and find someone who works there and ask why I’m waiting so long on a prescription I don’t even know what it is. She explains the nurse (or someone) is working on it and something about labs. What labs? He didn’t even say anything about that?!? My irritation level is about to explode. Oh, and I hadn’t eaten anything yet because my Mom said not to if I get blood work done.

Finally the prescription is ready and the person walks my Mom and I over to the lab area. I didn’t have to wait there for too long to be called back. I had to wait in the blood-drawing area though for at least 20 minutes and for what? I wasn’t told. I didn’t even know what tests were going to be ran with my blood – I had to ask the lab tech lady. Apparently he ordered 3. One general one, one for thyroid and another for how I digest things, I guess?

I told the lady before I need the small needle and I have rolling veins. It isn’t fun to be stuck multiple times in each arm and I’ve passed out before. Honestly, it is NOT fun. Well, guess what almost happened? That’s right! I almost passed out because she didn’t get in the vein or something after the 3rd time she poked me. Ouch! My Mom came back there and helped walk me out.

Apparently I could have eaten before the tests and that would have helped with the blood work. So, we go to eat lunch and come back and guess who is not there? The lab tech lady is the only one who works in that area and she is now at lunch. So, we have to wait for her and 2 more people to go through. Not fun, but that is fine because the pharmacy people aren’t back until 2:30 – talk about a long lunch hour!

This time the blood is drawn fine because she gets it from my hand and warmed it before. I’ll have to remember that the next time it ever needs to be drawn.

After waiting for the pharmacy people to get back, I’m just told that they are out of one of the prescriptions which would cost $70something and generic version at that and the other is $50something with their discount. I said no thanks!

We were at the medical center from 9am to 3pm. Talk about ridiculous!

So, we went to Wal Mart’s pharmacy to see what their prices are for those. Both are in the $30s. I’m going to pick one of them up today and not get the one for IBS because it never helped me before and I tried a few different ones for that so why waste $30?

I also do not plan on ever going back to this medical center. I’m going to call for my results and then cancel my “follow up” appointment next month. I don’t want to waste another $20 on a quack doctor who doesn’t even listen to his patients.

If this is anything like what the Obama healthcare reform will be like, people will seriously be beyond pissed. Sadly, it will probably be even worse than this.

Save Big by Elisabeth Leamy

Cut Your Top 5 Costs and Save Thousands

Who doesn’t like to save money? Not anyone I know that’s for sure.

Elisabeth Leamy is one of the experts in the field of saving BIG money. Maybe you’ve seen her on TV, she is a Consumer Correspondent for Good Morning America. She doesn’t go for the small savings that most people suggest like cutting out lattes or canceling magazine subscriptions. She goes for the savings of thousands of dollars – anything less than that didn’t make the cut in this book.

The BIG savings in this book target on our top five costs: houses, cars, credit, groceries and healthcare. Leamy says, “The key is to identify the areas where you spend the most money, because that’s where you can save the most money.”

Here are some examples of how to Save BIG with Leamy’s tips:

HOUSE:
• Fight junk closing costs when you buy a home and save $2,530.
• Refinance into a shorter mortgage. Save $103,536.
• Appeal your property taxes and save $1,265 a year.

CAR:
• Buy a “dark horse” car instead of the most popular make and model and save $ 6,814.
• Pay cash for your car and save $2,608.
• Exercise a “secret warranty” where the dealer fixes flaws for free and save $1,400.

CREDIT:
• Ferociously guard your credit score and save $2,916 a year on your mortgage.
• Undergo rapid rescoring before finalizing a mortgage and save $72,000 over the life of the loan.
• Negotiate for a lower credit card interest rate and save $1,272.

GROCERIES:
• Price match using simple online tools and save $4,628 a year on groceries.
• Stockpile and save $5,772 a year on groceries.
• Master creative couponing (Click don’t clip!) and save $7,956 a year.

HEALTHCARE:
• Raise your health insurance deductible and save $2,700 a year.
• Take the over-the-counter version of a drug instead of the identical prescription version and save $1,763 a year.
• Hire a medical billing advocate to fight hospital billing errors and save $6,858.

Save BIG is a tremendous source of savings for you, the consumer. I learned many things from reading this book on how to save BIG rather than save small. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to save thousands or possibly millions in a lifetime by just some simple adjustments to what you do.


* Thank you to Wiley for providing me with a copy to review.

Snow Pictures and Video!

Here are some of the pictures I took yesterday when it was snowing. We didn't get 3 inches, but we had several snow flurries and it stuck around for awhile.

Now it is just icy mostly. There are quite a few places in our yard that are still covered in snow though. Our road is also pretty undriveable with the ice too, so again no work for me today. It hasn't been above 25 degrees here today I think.

Anyways, here are the pictures - enjoy!





Here is some short video of it falling down by my car... I would have gotten better footage but it was hard to catch falling down with other backgrounds. Enjoy the first video I posted on here that I've taken myself!

Alabama – 2009 National Champions!

Anyone else watch the college football National Championship game last night? It is a big deal here in Alabama. My whole family are Alabama fans and most of the area I’m in are too. There are some Auburn fans (the other team in the state of Alabama) but who counts them really?

The game was great and Texas put up a good fight for awhile, but Alabama won 37-21. Here are some highlights of the year with the Ala Freakin Bama song playing!



Roll Tide Roll!

Photo Copyright Scammer

While going in and checking over the comments to be published on here I came across two that screamed SCAM at me.

Dawn (who did not include an e-mail address or correct “blogger” profile on the comment) apparently thinks I infringed on some copyright with a lily image that I badly blacked out. She didn’t say it good grammar though.

Here is what she said (on a page which had nothing to do even with flowers) “please remove the photo of mine that you posted in contravention of copyright law on your flickr site--it's the one of the lily that your (badly) removed the black background from.”

Okay “Dawn” what image are you talking about? I don’t recall ever placing such image on my Blog and furthermore, I never even posted a single picture on a flickr page.

Then there is another comment (which I won’t approve either) but she says this “You posted an image of mine in contravention of copyright law on your Flickr page and a few others pages--please remove it immediately. Please note a formal complaint has been filed with Flickr and Yahoo.”

Again, no Flickr so what are you talking about? You can’t scam me.

Anyone else having issues with little scammers like her (or him, or it, whatever it is)?

Update: "She" e-mailed me and said same stuff. I responded stating that she needs to only contact person she thinks stole the image, not any random person who uses Blogger. Waiting to hear back now. Unbelievable!

I Wished For It… So What If It Is AYear Late?

Perhaps you remember all my posts last year about how I wished it would just snow already. It gets cold here, where it could snow. However it rarely ever does. Maybe that is a good thing because a little snow in the south makes people crazy and shuts everything down. No exaggeration there.

Much of the nation is in winter weather or cold/freeze advisories this week. Alabama is not excluded. In fact – we’re even getting snow today!



We’re having snow flurries right now where I live. I’m excited. The weather people are saying that we are going to get 1 to 3 inches of snow!

Not only do I love snow, but now it is also going to get me a free day or two out of work. I live on a very long, curvy, mountainy road along a river. It isn’t the best road in normal weather, so add in snow and ice and well nobody should be driving on it. Plus, our normal roads even aren’t equipped to handle snow/ice. Therefore… I can’t get into work.

Hazardous driving conditions don’t make for pizza delivery. I think our store will either shutdown (not likely) or go to carryout only during this weather. Honestly though, if someone wants delivery they are insane. If they wouldn’t drive in a certain weather type they should never call and ask someone else to do so either.

On other news, I was able to squeeze into another class this semester. Now I’ll be taking psychology and biology. I hope that I am able to get A’s in both. I’m going to study really hard. My job also is cool with the new hours change for me and days of availability so that is a relief too.

I’ll post pictures of the snow and stuff later today or tomorrow – assuming we don’t lose power or anything (::knocks on wood::).

I’m A College Student… Again…

I’m moving forward in the right direction with this year and my life. Today I enrolled at the local college here and am going to become a registered nurse. I applied late though so I’m only able to take one class most likely this semester. One is better than none and now I’m enrolled so I can apply for scholarships and financial aid for later in the year.

I have a B.S. Criminal Justice and minor in Sociology yet I can’t find a decent job. I tried going back to school for journalism but they really wanted to screw me over, so I only went for one semester there. At least most of those general education courses needed for the nursing program will transfer just fine and I’ll only need to take a couple. After that it will be all nursing classes.

My hours/days at work will need to be adjusted so I hope that they are understanding and work with me. If not, I’ll have to find somewhere else to work because I am going to put this above that job for sure. Hopefully it won’t come to that though. I will also still be able to do some freelance writing to help cover some expenses.

Overall I’m rather excited. Going back to school for this isn’t just a thought anymore – it is a reality.

Words to Live By

I love this quote for many reasons.

This year I am going to do more things than previous years.

I’m not going to care about what others think.

I’ll have no regrets.

Hopefully along the way I will discover and explore areas of myself and the world I never knew.


What does this quote mean to you?

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and day. I had to work so while I can’t say that I had much fun I at least made some money!

2009 was not a very good year for me. I really hope that 2010 is going to be better for me and from what I know of mostly everyone that reads this, better for you too.

I need to work on editing my “Vision Board” for 2010. For now though… here are my top 10 things that I want to see happen in 2010 for me:

1. Get more paid writing assignments (hopefully more travel ones).
2. Finish the novel I started writing last year.
3. Go back to school and become a RN.
4. Lose weight and be healthy. Goal is to lose 5 lbs a month.
5. Pay off at least 1 credit card. Credit cards are evil I tell you!
6. Make some real, honest and loyal friends.
7. Meet my special someone and fall in love.
8. Go on at least 1 very cool vacation to somewhere I’ve never been.
9. Read more.
10. Do more artistic things like painting, drawing, photography, etc.