Brand loyalty?

Did you really think I wouldn't notice? Come on...don't even start with me!! Hello, I know you too well! As much as we are together all day long, you have to know I would catch on to your scandalous scheme. I am with you several times a day and with all that handling, trust me...I know you. I know when you are *different* and I do not appreciate your sly moves. I feel cheated!

Dear Quilted Northern,

I have used your bathroom tissue, the 12 pack of double rolls, for the past 10 years. I do not buy any other brands. Ever. Quilted Northern double rolls are exactly what I look for in TP. Absorbent in all the right ways, sturdy yet gentle, never leaves lint and I know exactly how many squares I need for every job that arises. Yes, I have OCD much.

My complaint is that without warning, you have decided to cheat each roll by 1/2" and did not bother to lower the price! How dare you charge the full price and not trade a full sized roll?!? Here, let me demonstrate. I had a roll left from the last pack I purchased. You'll notice the old roll on the left. Exhibit A:

Compare this to the roll on the right purchased last week. Now, I will include a ruler in the shot just to show the actual 1/2" difference. Exhibit B:

Shame on you! I've noticed a trend with companies starting to make smaller packages for the same prices. Candy, toilet paper, what's next? So much for brand loyalty. The brands we are loyal to are NOT loyal to us these days.

Yeah...I noticed. If I were still in school, I would get myself one of those cardboard displays and make a great showcase with percentages and shortages, instead I will blog about your sly dirty secret that is now out of the bag!

Back pain go away, don't come again another day!

Seriously.

My back has been on again / off again (mostly off) since before I went to Branson! I know the unforgiving hotel bed did not help the already brewing situation any...and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been covered under travel medical insurance anyway. It's most likely due to my old, hand me down mattress that I desperately need to replace, but my back is killing me!

This morning I woke up feeling better and stronger and then WHAMMO! Standing over the sink doing dishes and it was good night Betty! Back spasms prompting side muscle spasms that wrap around....making me jerk...which makes my back spaz out more!!! I put ice on both spots today trying to calm it all down. I also took some Motrin but I think I need more.

I have been putting off doing laundry because I just can't imagine carrying loads of heavy laundry down the odd back stairs of my apartment but I just can't put it off anymore. This is one of those times I wish I had a nice strong helpful husband to carry all the laundry down for me! Of course, that would just mean that I would have even more laundry to do!!

Please pray for my back to knock it off and be strong for the next 4 hours. Thanks!

Prayers for...everyone!

Hi all, I'm sure you've noticed by now that I haven't been blogging as much as I would normally like to. It's not like I've been distracted & out searching for the best eye cream for dark circles...but I could cause trust me, I got 'em right now!

No, since my last post about leaving on the road trip down to Branson, there has been alot going on in my world. Saturday night around 2:30 am, the otherwise dark Branson hotel room was illuminated by the light of my cell phone. On the other end was my cousin Lil' Tony who informed me that they airvacked my dad from the country to St. Louis University hospital with blood clots in his legs that had gone to his lungs and that he was doing very good at all.

So once I was home from Branson I spent every night that week at the hospital with him. They were trying to get his blood to a therapeutic level of 'thin' with the various meds so he could go home. He is home now as of last Friday, trying to adjust to new foods and taking new meds. So please keep him in your prayers, pulmonary emboli can be fatal. And I'm not so sure he is ready to meet his maker yet.

Friday also brought yet another trip to the ER for my friend Jen. She has been suffering with abdominal pains of various kinds and degrees for the past 2 years and they never seem to be able to figure out what's actually wrong with her. Needless to say they are extremely frustrated and disheartened. The ER sent her home with pain meds. Again.

Saturday, the pain was THE WORST and she went back to the ER begging them to help her. Ultimately, they sent her home with more pain meds. Again.

Sunday morning she collapsed at home and after arriving by ambulance to the hospital and running some tests, they discovered that things were all twisted up inside and dieing. Emergency surgery was a must and they hoped they would have enough in there that she could survive. That was a tough phone call to get, let me tell ya. I don't want to imagine the pain in her husband's heart and her family too. She came through that surgery ok and had another one on Monday to fix some more and seems to be recovering at a rate they are happy with. I will keep you updated a bit when I can.

Thursday my mom is going to have hernia surgery. Same hospital as Jen...how convenient, thanks guys! I'll keep you informed on her progress. When she gets out of the hospital she will stay with her friend Shirley again like she did the last time since we live on the second floor and I have to be at work during the day. Shirley has 2 steps into her house and is retired and can cook for her and everything! What a blessing to have wonderful helpful people in your life when things get tough. I need to take a lesson, I've been neglectful in that area and it's more than time for me to step up.

So please keep all these people in your prayers, I'll keep you updated as things go along.

Road trip! Branson here we come!

Pack your bags and make sure the motorhome insurance is all paid up, we're going on a road trip to Branson, Missouri!

Mom and I are going to spend the next 3 days visiting Branson. Man, I can't even remember how long it has been since I've been there with my mom! I believe I was a child asking her for spending money...of course some things never grow old LOL

The plans are to do a little shopping and a whole lot of looking. I hear this will be a busy weekend in Branson but it'll be nice because it should be decorated all up for the holidays with lights and bows and all the trimmings!! I'll share some pictures when I get home :) Pray for safe travels, there should be a lot of people on the roads this weekend. We will come home on Sunday. Have a great weekend!!

Black Friday shopping plans

Well, now that Thanksgiving dinner has been served, it's time to break out those black Friday adds and plan out your shopping trips!

Please, for the love of Pete...people, leave your anger and your aggression at home when you roll out of bed at 2:30 a.m. to get the best deal on UGG Bailey Button boots and crock pots to mark off those shopping lists. We do not need a repeat of last year's black Friday fatality. It's just not worth all that! Be safe everyone, if you feel cranky when your alarm goes off, just turn it off, roll over and go back to sleep.

Give Me Five Monday Meme #56

Monday, November 23, 2009

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, I will put out a random topic from my list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back here! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.
Sign up for weekly reminder emails @ beccagirl@charter.net


Give Me Five reasons you can be thankful this year.

1. I'm humbly thankful for the love of God and the mercy He shows me.
2. I am appreciative of opportunities to be used by Him and thankful He continues to offer them, to me.
3. I'm thankful for the ability to be content even when things around me seem upsetting or scary or not at all working out the way I thought they should.
4. I'm thankful for good times with good friends and family and looking forward to making new memories.
5. I'm still employed! Full time and as a fill in, I am thankful for every hour I am employed.

Happy Birthday, Me!

Another year older.....another year full of things I wish I had done...things I wish I hadn't. I'm not going to talk about weight loss and diet pill reviews or anything like that. My life isn't all about my weight!

At this point all I can do is learn and move on. Turn the page on yesterday. Much too often I pick it back up and drag it around like a ball on a chain locked to my ankle. Some things happen that I can't control and some I can. So when I can't I will have faith that I will be ok through whatever plan the Lord has for me. Even if it hurts me in the moment.

Lots to look forward to!! Dinner with my momma tonight at Red Lobster, dinner with various ladies in my life at the Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow night, Little House on the Prairie tickets with friends on Tuesday at the Fox Theater, Thanksgiving, trip to Branson with momma over the holiday weekend and then starts the busy and wonderful month of December with all of it's merriment! Holiday parties, caroling, hot chocolate, being with friends and loved ones... who could look forward to all that and not have a smile on your face?? Do yourself a favor, try to see the brightside of things, even if it hurts. ;-)

Home sweet home!

Traveling by yourself can be brutal. If for no other reason that there's no one to share the task of driving with in order to get a break. The good part was being able to stop whenever I wanted to, choose my own route and not stopping when I didn't want to LOL

I left my uncle's house around 6:45 am getting off to a later start than I had wanted by wasting a lot of time moseying around a gas station looking for suitable souvenirs or possible Christmas gift trinkets. I ended up changing my mind on everything! What a waste of drive time.

Later on I decided what I really wanted was a cactus plant so I stopped later and got one from a Home Depot. What better memento of Texas than a cacti and some hot sauce...minus the hot sauce LOL

I also took a big detour to an Ikea store not too far from Dallas and I'm SOOOO glad I did! The closest one to St. Louis is like 4 or more hours away and I was going to be about 22 miles from one so I decided to go. I heart Ikea!!!

So, I traveled for about 28 hours with all the stops along the way...and was actually there for about 36 hours including the time I was asleep. It was worth it though, good to see family after so long. Family shouldn't feel like strangers!!

So now it's back to work for me, lots to do to get caught up. No time for live chat software or playing on Facebook! I won't be doing that much until I get home. :)