Buyers beware!

My last post about being robbed in Brooklyn hasn't even been published long enough to get stale and a friend just called me to say he also has now been hit by card # stealing bandits!! Apparently having a fun day out on the town on someone else's dime is easier than ever!

Anytime you swipe a credit card or debit card, say if you're buying discount office supplies, it gets processed in mass transactions and those who know how to...can and will hack in and gain access to our card #s. Supposedly they don't have the actual expiration dates so a successful transaction on their end is not guaranteed. However, I don't think they care! If they go to one store and shop to their heart's content and get turned down every other time, they just move on to the next store of their choice. I'm guessing they are still happy with those odds. My friend got robbed in Virginia, still on the East Coast but I seriously doubt it's the same person. Unfortunately, there are more than a couple bandits among us. My friend vented, "$160 at Game Stop and then a nice restaurant after; sounds like a fun day...too bad I wasn't there even though I paid for it!"

He'll get his money back, I just hope it goes quickly. I was so very pleased with the way PayPal handled my fraudulent charge. I had the $ back in my PayPal account within 24 hours of it being cleared through and the balance from my PayPal account has now been completely deposited back into my checking account and it's only 4 days later (and the Christmas holidays were in there too!). All-in-all I was only "out" the money for about 6 days. Great job PayPal!

I got robbed in Brooklyn, NY...

while I was in St. Louis! That's right, some crafty hacker got away with $215 worth of liquor in Brooklyn, NY on my dime. It's a good thing there are companies paid to monitor account activity. A local transaction I did here on Saturday prompted a raised eyebrow when a card transaction also was initiated from the East Coast at the same time.

Thanks to Google Maps, this is the actual liquor store in Brooklyn.

Of course, the $215 transaction has to actually post and be deducted in order to be disputed as fraudulent. I will get my money back, not too worried about that. It will just be a hassle until it gets straightened out. Of course, I had no choice but to put off Christmas shopping until the last week due to other circumstances & now because of this, it might mean I won't be able to get anything at all until later. Christmas shopping is not like shopping for cheap auto insurance, you have to actually have *something* to wrap up. It'll all work out, I'm not worried about it, to be honest. If I can't get anything else right now, that's that then. I'm sure everyone will understand. Except the kiddos :(

Something tells me, I've seen this before.

For the past few years, I have saved my own Christmas cards and collected them from anyone else who wanted to give me theirs after Christmas was over. "Why?" you ask? Well, I had this idea of taking the Christmas greetings and refurbishing them into NEW Christmas greetings!

At first I had decided to send the recycled Christmas cards back to the same people they originally came from the previous year. However, once I cut them down into usable 'parts', the signed portion has been disconnected and disregarded. Makes it virtually impossible to keep track of which ones came from where. Now, I'm not talking about recycled Christmas cards as in, made from recycled materials of various other kinds. I am talking about a more hands on and organic recycling, a transformation. Cutting the front off and putting it onto a back color and mounting it onto a new card altogether!

Only trouble is, it's an extremely time consuming process and I haven't yet been successful in completing enough of them to send them out. Normally I go out on Dec. 26th and buy boxed cards for cheap and put them back for the next year. But in an effort to ensure I would work on them enough throughout the year, I failed to buy any last year. Of course, I haven't had the time to work on them enough this year so...in other words, don't get your feelers hurt if you don't get a Christmas greeting from me this year. :( I'll try again next year so keep the cards coming and you may be surprised next year and think...something tells me, I've seen this before.

Un-Silent Night

For the past 4 nights, I have had a hard time falling asleep. Even after successfully falling asleep, I've been unable to stay asleep. It's just not like me, at all. Once or twice a year, I experience a bit of insomnia like this. I can sometimes relate it to stress or other factors but lately I can't pin it down.

Last night was no exception. I cleaned for about 3 hours before turning off the tv and trying to fall asleep. I was *almost* there when I became suddenly annoyed by an unidentified repetitive noise coming from the kitchen. It was like that nagging sound you get in your head when you are trying to remember to pick up ink cartridges after forgetting to do it for the 100th time. So I quickly hopped out of bed to investigate. I have no idea what's going on inside of it to make that gurgling noise but after taking a little aggression out on it by bumping and thumping it, the sound did not relent. In the end, I had to shut my bedroom door and luckily, was later able to fall asleep. Finally.

For the next 2 nights, I am house/dog/teenager sitting for a friend and will be completely out of my element. I hear Mr. Boots, a beautiful brindle colored Boxer, will be my bedmate (something I am NOT used to having) but hopefully that won't affect my ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. I'll keep you updated.

Clown Face

I wore makeup today. "So what, you're a woman! Why is that a big deal?" you ask? Ever since I was a teenager, I always felt like a clown when I have makeup on. Not that I really ever knew the proper ways of applying it. Even when wearing the basics and being told it looked great, I *felt* like I looked like a clown.

I recently decided to start wearing eye liner only. I figure you can't go too wrong with just eye liner, right? Well, like most things I decide to start, it quickly faded and now it's been a few months or longer since I last put some on. Today I wore eye liner. At home I thought it looked ok but in the light of my office...clown face has reared it's ugly head! I don't know if it's because I'm just not used to the look of it or I honestly just don't like the look of it on me. It's just not fair that others can wear some makeup and look great and feel great about it. I guess I also need to find some eye creams that work. Maybe it would help if my face was firm and rested looking before I put it on. Well, anyway, if I just try it again and again, perhaps it will grow on me. Only time will tell, I guess!!

New year, new self?

Why am I asking you? Only I know the answer to this question. I have 3, count them...3 short years before I am 40. The sound of it is unsettling in my soul. Nonetheless, it will come.

Is it possible to be healthier at 40 than at 25? Being overweight and unhealthy is NOT new to me. I've been increasingly heavy from age 10 to present so, if I were to change things and change my intake and output....could I really be healthier now? If I don't try, I'll never know! I'll die. That's right, I will die broken hearted and alone and with nothing to show for my life other than the need to have an oversized wooden box to bury my big butt in. So...who's in? I'm not talking fad diets or various other hoodia gordonii whatnots which may be helpful to some. I'm talking: healthy foods & drinks go in & exercise becoming more than a passing thought.

I really feel like I was on a great path a few months back but I got past the follow up blood tests and began to relax on the discipline of choosing healthy foods. And I won't even begin to pretend I exercised-AT ALL. The most movement this body sees is a shift at my second job walking about the building. So! I'm going to find that track and get back on it and not only that, I will begin to move with purpose and exercise as my schedule allows. Warning: I may become even more annoying real soon, my apologies up front but if you love me at all, you will support me and go with me :) Your health is important to me too!! I henceforth give thee permission to hold me accountable to this.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, today is another birthday for me. When you get to be my age you worry about gray hair and paying bills. Yes, the days of finding the best treatment for acne have long since passed and you ponder the days gone by.

I feel a sort of 'middle age' thing happening. Where you self evaluate where you've come from, what you did or didn't get done yet and what you want to do in the future. Life rarely turns out the way you think it will so once you get to a certain point you realize you'll never get the chance to go back and redo your youth and all that time was wasted and gone forever.

SIGH. It's time to dream new dreams. What shall they be??? Hmmm....

It's that time of year again

Time for the men-folk to venture out into the wilderness and rustle up some proper game! Get your ATV Parts installed and your tree stands out of the garage. Get your guns sighted in and your camouflage gear de-scented...it's deer season 2010!

Rifle season starts on Nov. 13th here in Missouri and for the bow hunters you already have a green light. Please don't forget to wear your safety orange and bring back a big one, boys!! Oh sorry...men! If I can keep from hitting them all on the road, you should have a great hunting season. There seem to be so many more deer this year out and about on these colder evenings. Have fun and be safe!

Halloween: anything goes?

When I was a kid, Halloween was that magical time when you could dress up like a fireman or ghost or perhaps a cute dog or clown. Since when does Halloween mean it's ok to dress like a street walker? Seriously.

Seeing 14 & 15 year old girls scantily clad has become acceptable in mainstream society but for some reason, Halloween has become an even bigger reason to let it all hang out and play up the part. I mean, dressing like 30 year old crack heads who need drug rehab treatment centers is just not a good idea on any day of the year, even for 30 year old crack heads. Just sayin'.... I'd love to see parents teaching more modesty and respect, yes even on Halloween. It's supposed to be a day for fun and candy and spooky creatures not tryouts for strip clubs and lap dances. You dress sexy every other day of the year why not step out of the 'norm' and cover up with an original self respecting idea for a change?

MP3 player, you turn me right round, baby...right round!

Right round through the same few songs over and over and refuse to cycle through them all! Why is that? This particular MP3 player is a 1 Gig and doesn't have a shuffle feature but I have almost 200 songs on it and it only plays a few of them then starts over playing through the same few again! I can see all the mp3 files are there when I look on the Windows Media Player, so why won't it play them all???

So frustrating. I just wanna grab my hairbrush as my imaginary microphone and rock out but I'm getting bored of the same 30 songs....anyone else have this issue and know how to fix it without erasing everything and starting over? I chose all praise and worship music for this player and handpicked/selected *just* the right songs, it would be a huge time consuming hassle to erase them all and start over. Can anybody out there help this poor girl make it work???

Laundry List...

Literally. I have a laundry list of things to do tonight after working over to make up for time I am short this week UGH! Let's see if I can name everything on my mind that I'd love to accomplish tonight: Het-hum....(tap-tap-tap)

Dishes
Sort laundry
Take out trash
Carry laundry downstairs
Re-wash load already in washer (from last week!)
Clear out junk mail
Do more laundry
Make dinner
Dishes, again
Research phentermine diet pills
Paint the cat

Who am I kidding? I don't have any paint! Oh bother, looks like I'm working til 8 pm tonight to make up for being so late this morning...guess I won't be getting much on that list done tonight!! Do they sell anti-procrastination pills??

To go or not to go? That is the question.

Thanksgiving weekend offers up many options this year. My mom and I had planned a trip back down to Kimberling City for a weekend of R & R only as it turns out, there are several reasons building for both of us not to go. The list of Pros is being dwarfed by the growing list of Cons.

Perhaps if this were a warmer time of year, the decision would be made much more easily as swimming would be the factor swaying down the list of Cons. Without swimming on the agenda, there really isn't much to do there besides watch movies and eat and go into Branson and spend money. There isn't even internet in the condo, you have to walk over to the club house for wifi. So, with work schedules playing in, my mom just moving, Girl's night would be missed, no swimming, the cost of driving there & 'doing' anything fun to keep from being bored...I think I'll stop losing sleep, giving myself dark circles and just call the trip off. Perhaps next year once the pool is opened again it will make all the difference but for now, we might just have to pass.

Tis the week of near misses

Tuesday evening brought another round of excitement to my week. This time it was no deer in my headlights, it was a near fire in my microwave! Long story short, I'd never used this particular rice cooker before and took a friend's advice on how long to set my microwave for. Of course, I didn't realize her microwave has sensors and auto shut off. So I put the rice and water in the microwave, set it for an hour and then put my ear buds in so I could listen to my MP3 player while preparing the rest of the meal.

Once I smelled the burning, it was too late! The microwave had enough smoke inside to set off my smoke detectors and the entire building is hard wired because of the restaurant downstairs. So mine went off and theirs went off. I was able to fan mine with a towel and get it to shut off but what I didn't know was there was actually smoke downstairs in the restaurant and they didn't know where it was coming from so they called 911! 3 firetrucks and the fire chief showed up...all over some burned rice! I was so totally embarrassed. I chose brown rice since I am concerned about getting enough vitamins for women these days and thought brown rice (even though it cooks longer) would be better nutritionally than white minute rice. I am still of the same belief but I will change my preparation! LOL

This picture was taken with my cell from my living room window. I'm so glad everything was ok. Upon further inspection after the rice cooker had time to cool, I discovered it actually had been on fire inside of it. Scary!!!

Deer in my headlights

Traveling home from my second job on Sunday night around midnight, I saw a pretty good size buck out of my left side window. He was just standing there looking right at me.

As I realized I should be slowing down my speed, you know... *just in case*... he decided to bolt! If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was just standing there waiting for his next 'victim' to get oh so close before he made his move! He came right across the road in front of me and was only slightly in a hurry to do so. WTHeck, deer!!!??? I applied the maximum amount of brakes while trying to control the direction of my car. I had to turn a bit towards the end just to get that much more stopping distance out of it. It was close, guys. I was so very close to taking his legs out. At that point, I wouldn't even have killed the poor thing, I would have just hurt it and that would have been worse! No need for extra colon cleanser after an experience like this, let me tell ya. I'm just glad all is well that ends well. He continued across the road and into the grassy knoll next to the road, looking back at me as if he were mad cause I almost hit him! How dare I, after all? Sheeshk!!

What's new in death?

I just read this article about a man who decided to be buried without being embalmed or stuffed into a coffin and/or vault. There's a new and much 'greener' way to be laid to rest these days and I gotta say, I'm liking what I'm hearing about it!

No more shopping with your loved ones for coffins and vaults and all that business. I mean who cares what kind of satin & door hardware will house a body I will no longer be using? Just seems extremely meaningless if you ask me. Nope, not interested in all that. Of course there's much to consider but I'd be willing to hear more about this. Any thoughts on the subject?

What to do when you fall down?

Why, get back up again, that's what!! I've recently fell off the wagon a bit with eating and keeping up with my medicines. I haven't even been taking my best multivitamin much less my cholesterol pill. Hmm....

It all started when I ran out of orange juice and stopped eating my oatmeal. But all that is changing! I spent almost $70 at the grocery store today and plan to be back on track in no time! I'm planning to make a nice baked pasta dish with ground Turkey and low fat cheeses, mushrooms and spinach. Making a big dish of it will help me portion out meals for easy planning in the future too. Come on Becca, get it together!!! Your life is slipping by again.

Happy 10th Birthday!!!

I'd love to wish a very special niece a very special 10th birthday today!! Gone are the days of your sweet little voice asking me to play Barbies, gone are the days of rocking you in my arms and looking down at your sweet little face. >SIGH<

You have grown up so fast and there's no turning back! Soon you will be concerned with finding acne products that work instead of tea parties and kittens :-/ I love you very much and I want you to know I will always remember how cute you were and you will always be my little princess, I love you!!!

Green; it's where it's at

Nothing spells green quite like spinach! I love me some spinach...I enjoy it most when it's sautéed with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Mmmm, wish I had some right now. I will even eat it from a can, although that's not my preference to do so. I don't, however, enjoy it raw.

I've begun to see lots of recipes for spinach, I was wondering if anyone had some they might like to share? Last week between diet pill comparisons, I decided to improvise a great recipe for a pasta dish I found online using only what I had already available here in my office. The dish turned out great using broccoli but I must admit, would have been much better with spinach. So, what is your fave way to eat/prepare spinach?

All these nuts taste the same!

I love snacking on nuts. My 2 faves are pistachios and cashews. So I was excited to find a bag of mixed 100% natural nuts called Pistachio Grove Blend. The mix includes: pistachios, peanuts, almonds and cashews roasted in sea salt with no added oils. Sounds yummy, no?

They all taste the same! I guess it's because they all share the same enclosed space or something but every nut I put in my mouth tastes like the one before :( The flavors are all off, like prom dresses in hotel rooms! You put an almond in your mouth, BOOM! Generic "nut" flavor. Pistachio? BOOM! Generic "nut" flavor. Saddens me really, now I have a whole bag of great looking nuts that have 1 taste. Oh well, I know they are still good for me to snack on so I will power through the end of the bag. Plus, they are already paid for. I just won't be so quick to get mixed nuts again.

Change it up!

Well, apparently I've hit a plateau on my weight loss and I need to change it up a bit. I'm still eating what I set out to eat, healthy choices all around. I suppose I need to just break down and get moving!
It's not so easy to incorporate exercise into an already full schedule. Any tips and tricks you all have, I would love to hear them! Also, anyone who lives in my area who would also care to get moving with me, I'd love to see if we can work that out. I enjoy many different kinds of exercise so chances are we can find a mutual activity to encourage each other in. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight fast but more at a healthy yet steady pace. I haven't lost anything significant in 2 weeks! Come on, let's change it up and get moving!! Anybody in??

It's not quantity, it's quality!

My friend always teases me about not posting to my blog very often. Well, I have news for him! I could post 2-3 times a day about nothing or I could actually formulate a decent post with content that is relevant to my life or things that I observe in the world.

I don't share everything about myself here. This is a blog, not a personal diary! Besides, you could have a humidor full of cigars but if they aren't Swisher Sweets (or the like), then what's the point? It'd just be a bunch of hot, stinky air I'd be blowing around. No thanks, I'll post when I have need to share something of value :)

All Aboard!! Chicago here we come...

A good friend of mine approached me recently about a possible train ride trip to Chicago and I couldn't be more excited!! Her daughter's 10th birthday is approaching and she really wants to get her a special item that can only be purchased in a couple of places and Chicago is one of them. I remember turning 10 (double digits!!) and I would have flipped my lid to take a train with my mom to Chicago to get a gift I've been wanting!I would just assume to hit a Big Sale at Mattel Shops here locally, to be honest. You can find great deals at Mattel and use the leftover savings to get fun wrapping paper or a birthday card! Now, don't get me wrong, I am in need of a small vacation...especially to a place I've never been before. Plus, I've always wanted to take the train to Chicago!! So I will 'get on board' and enjoy myself for the weekend. Chicago, here we come!

Oh Hazel!

Hazel regrets her choice of gloves. Clearly white is out after Labor Day. Oh the shame!

Play along on this Microfiction Monday!!

Fantasy Football Picks, Week 1

Football rarely comes to mind when I think 'fantasy' with the obvious exception to Peyton Manning. Obviously. That being said, I was invited to play along in a free fantasy football league by a friend and thought, "Hey, it's free, why not!?"

Now, it's no secret that I know as much about player & team stats as I do about Ferrari parts. Trust me, it's nil. So I did what I could and that's guess! Some of you may remember my *HUGE* crush on Peyton Manning. So that's where I started on the list. I found Indianapolis on the list and then clicked all other teams that were on the same side of the list. I chose the Colts to score the most points, this week's opposing team to score the least! Just like that, I'm all set for the first week's picks. I'll let ya know how I do. I'm not holding my breath LOL

Don't go there!

Don't ever follow your heart. The bible says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9. You should always lead your heart. Study up, pray it up...know what your answers should be before you are asked the questions. For all those boy scouts out there, be prepared!

I've had some time over the past 5 years to consider my thoughts and pray about a choice in a certain personal aspect of my life. I came to the best decision...one to keep me safe, healthy and more importantly, in line with the will of God as I understand it for my life. Having resolved the issue in my heart, I began the journey to carry it out. That was until temptation rained down upon me and I nearly lost my mind! I have not broken my decision but I have danced around it...a slippery slope. I think it's time to sit back with a heated blanket and a cup of cocoa and remind myself of my original decision and find a way to move on in my heart from this temptation. The bible also says that you will never be tempted more than you can withstand and He always provides a way out. Thank God for that!!!

New school year: Day 1

Today is the first day of a brand new school year for many people of many ages all over the country. This day is always held with high regard and anticipation. You simply must have *just* the right outfit for the day, everything in your book bag is new...including the book bag!

There were alot of people unable to sleep well last night. From mom's coping with the realization that their little ones are ready for their first day ever to teens who are starting their last year of high school. Let's not forget those college students who've left home in search of their own life apart from mom and dad. I won't even mention all the teachers who are anxious about the new year.

Yes, the first day of school is exciting! I miss those days to be honest. I've enjoyed school in the past and secretly wish I could take a course or two just to feel that feeling again. To perk up my brain and get some new goodies bouncing around in there. Of course, I could always take some gmat prep courses and I'm sure it would be less expensive than traditional college, not to mention it's not like I can take time off from work. Hrmph.... There's just something special about the promise and possibilities you get on that first day back in the classroom. Good times...

Controversial new line of maternity clothes

I recently heard a report on Bott Radio Network about a new line of clothes by Forever 21 "geared toward pregnant teens" called Love 21 Maternity. People are all up in arms saying that it promotes teen pregnancy. The models used to show the garments look young to me, like early 20's young, not teenagers. They have released the line in only 5 states and those 5 states happen to have the highest rate of teen pregnancy. Folks, that's just good marketing!

Saying a line of clothes promotes unhealthy lifestyle is like faulting Fashion Bug or The Avenue for having plus size clothes for us big ladies who overeat! Now, I am NOT promoting teen pregnancy in any way...however...these things do happen. I just see a different side. Frankly, isn't the line actually supporting those moms (teenage or early 20's) who choose to carry their babies to term? Amen to that! If more people thought to support rather than condemn...I'm just sayin'.

Suck this!

"It is NOT a baby bottle!" is my recent defense of the BPA free bottles I carry my drinks around in lately.
I read that the Vitamin C in orange juice will help lower your cholesterol and I happen to really enjoy OJ so I buy a gallon of real (not from concentrate) with pulp (see earlier pulp post) and fill one of these tall bottle to 1/2 way to have every morning. I've also been trying to get away from the high sugar in the full flavor soda I've been drinking, so I bought Country Time lemonade and make a gallon of that to use out of as well. The OJ I can leave at work in the fridge during the week but I don't much care for the taste of the water from the office bathroom sink. It's not like we have a water filter supplier so I make and keep the lemonade at home. Therefor I have to lug the empty home at night, refill and repeat the next day. Otherwise I am tempted to drink soda. Of course, Country Time is not sugar free like I need it to be but it does have 50% less sugar than soda and that is a good starting point for me. As for the bottles, I will give you that they are the equivalent of a kid's sippy cup, though.

August 1st, 2010. Time to get busy!

Well, it's August 1st and this is the month I have planned to "clean and pack." Hrmpfh.

There is a list as long as my arm of dirty jobs that need to be done. I really need to get it together and ditch the procrastinator who dominates inside of me or else I'll never move! I have got to make a list of everything that needs to be done and then literally put it on my calender. Even down to organizing my wrinkle creams or hair accessories! I think it's time to DOWNSIZE everything I own by 50%. I'm not kidding. I should find the time soon, our church is having a rummage sale and what a great opportunity to get unwanted items out of the way. I just don't want to take anything to the new place that I don't have to. If it's one thing I've learned, new places have new personalities and there's a certain percent of the items I'm currently using now that won't work in the new space so the old-old items need to be gone-gone. Anyone care to help? Give me a call, I'll be at it all month!!! Gosh, it's 8pm on day 1 and I haven't done a thing! I already feel like I am behind.

Well, turn it up!

There's one nice thing about having the office all to myself while I work, I can jam to whatever music I want! W00t! Guess I'm in the mood for some Abba tonight, found this fun montage of pics put to a mix of 2 or 3 of their songs. Not the best quality on audio. Guess I should stick to my media player, I have the Abba Gold album on there.



"Don't go wasting your emotion! Lay all your love on me." Hmpf, back to the grindstone of Accounts Payables for me. What are you up to this fine Friday evening, nightly acne treatments or just chillaxing with your homies?

Plans for the weekend

This weekend is not riddled with clocking in and out at my second job. Yippy!! However, I do have a morning Miche Bag party to do. Not a big testosterone booster there but that's ok, I'm not trying to boost my testosterone these days :)
Sat. night will actually be spent being social this week, a very nice change from my past pattern of working. Girls night in has a 'baseball' theme this month. I'm not *too* big on baseball but will enjoy meeting the ladies and playing games nonetheless.

Sunday will be church followed hopefully by a visit to the Dalessandros??? Can I get a possible confirmation on that? And then to work at my first job for a few short yours but only because I was short on my time this week and I need to catch back up! It's tough to get 40 hours in when you can't get up in the morning and have something to do every night of the week! Throw in some doctor appointments and you're spending your Sunday evening filling in those last few hours, for sure. Oh well, still happy to be employed so gonna put a smile on and belly up to my desk!

Get on the diabetic train...

I'm not diabetic but my gallbladder surgeon suggests I eat like I am! I can do this....
I'm just going to have to spend some time reading and learning about diabetic diets. Anyone with inside tips should pass them on in the comments. Gonna need a bit of help here. Taking away bad fats was relatively easy, to be honest. Carbs and sugars and such is something I will need to work on. I will most likely not be able to avoid the gallbladder-ectomy, it's just a matter of getting as healthy as I can before I have it, for the best outcome. Even the best wrinkle creams can't keep them away forever! As long as I have the "gallstone factory" I will have issues. So before I begin to suffer the full symptoms, I want to do all I can. So bring on the diabetic tips!

Early morning dreamin'

I hate mornings. Ya gotta get up and do it all over again. I avoid this at all costs. It's no secret that I've been chronically late to work for the past.....well, every day. Shame on me! But to me, it's almost like torture to get up and get started. I simply love and need that twilight time in the morning, it's my favorite time of day! Just rolling around in bed in and out of sleep....early morning dreaming!

That being said, on occasion I do have to get up EXTRA early. On those days, I pop right out of bed and get to it! I seem to get so much done and actually enjoy the peaceful hours in the early morning time. So what's wrong with me then? It's like I dropped my rfid blocking wallet and someone stole my identity! There's the Becca that can't seem to get out of bed to make it to work on time and then there's this other Becca who loves the earliest hours in the morning! Maybe I'm just schizophrenic to have such opposing opinions of the same thing. Maybe I should just go to bed at a decent hour at night and get up earlier to try it out for a while. I think it would give me a better perspective :)

Pulp: To chew or not to chew? That is the question.

I've recently learned that orange juice helps lower cholesterol and since that is a big goal of mine at the moment, I decided to drink some every day.

Why not? I really enjoy orange juice! The issue is, now that I've began to shop all the varieties of orange juices, I've really noticed a problem. You can have it with tons of pulp OR no pulp at all. Really? What ever happened to just orange juice with whatever amount of pulp gets in there naturally? Why is it made overly complicated with choices? Is it really that much of an issue that they had to use the wisdom of Solomon to decide? "It's either full of pulp or none at all!"

I'm sorry, I have no desire to eat chunky OJ and if there's none at all, it might as well be Sunny D. No thanks! Why are people so afraid to eat or drink something in it's natural state? The way it was designed...no, they'd rather have man made products than real produce. Ah yes, the great pulp debate lives on! Now if I have this much trouble shopping for ipods, I'm gonna be in trouble! LOL

Mmm, nutmeats!

Pistachio nutmeats that is. I love 'em lately!!! I snack on them all the time, probably more than I should actually but I just can't help myself!!

In an effort to not just fault to some sort of diet pills or other 'quick fix' type situation, I've decided to re-think my ideas about foods and how they work in my body. Gallstones are no fun, I hear and I'm really doing all I know right now to stave off surgery. Also being told my cholesterol is far too high is another good reason to add the health benefits of nuts such as pistachios to my diet.

Now, I just said the 'D' word but I am not afraid! I will not let my mind overtake me on this one. I will simply tell myself those bad foods don't exist and then I won't crave them! So far, so good. The only really tempting thing I've encountered in the past couple of weeks was some bread pudding. But I did not give in. I simply told myself maybe someday in the future I could enjoy some again. For right now, though, it is way more important for me to stay on track with healthier foods and try to get my cholesterol down down down.

Expect more topics on such subjects in the future. It's big with me now! I'm already down about 10 lbs. so that is an encouragement as well. I am far less miserable than I was just 2 weeks ago!

Diagnosis: Gallstones

Pending further investigation, the initial results of my chest CT last week are that I have gallstones. Hmm...interesting! Not exactly what we were looking for so I googled 'gallstones' and discovered some helpful info. My primary Dr.'s office simply left me a voice mail, referring me to a surgeon...which I am having big issues with.

I'm not a fan of surgery...don't know anyone who is. So if I've had NO attacks and NO other symptoms, should surgery be my first option? I think NOT! So, I'm waiting for a call back from my primary Dr.'s nurse for more info on my CT results. I'm hoping there is a healthy alternative to avoid or even stave off surgery, which I'm pretty sure there are other options such as liver & gallbladder cleanses. So far I have removed almost all the unhealthy fats I know how to from my diet. I've already lost some lbs & it's only been 5 days. Next thing I need to do is add some exercise, some good quality time on some treadmills perhaps, throw in some swimming...it's a great way to start incorporating it into my daily routine. I'll update with more info later.

On the brink of something good

I've been collecting Coca Cola cap codes and entering them for a while now. It's just me so they don't add up very fast except when someone blesses me with a zip lock full of them :) (WINK! Anybody? Anybody?)

I have already cashed some points in & received a cell phone skin that I personalized, which is cool. But now I have even more points accumulated and I'm on the brink of getting something *good*. Of course I could be spending my time online with better things, like how I can save money comparing health insurance quotes or even researching how to run an alpaca farm. Sure, I could do that and I might but getting junk for free from Coke is also fun for me! Those points are burning a hole in my virtual pocket! Just a little more and I'll have a can cooler or free movie ticket!

What is the deal with pickles lately?

I'm craving them like crazy!!! I think it all started with a pickle from Jimmy John's sandwich shop. They have a jumbo dill that they cut in 1/2 for you. It's so yummy and juicy and cold!! I really do crave pickles now.

Even at home, I can hear them calling me from the fridge....spears, baby dills and bread and butters! I'm pretty sure they aren't good for me, I mean, I don't think you'll find them on any fat burner review or list of healthy snacks anywhere! I am enjoying them in moderation but the crunch and juiciness call my name when I'm needing a snack!!

Worth more than every penny!

When I bought my used 2002 Saturn L300, I also purchased one of those after market mechanical breakdown insurance policies and it has turned out to be worth more than every penny I spent on it!!! I actually chose one that had a zero deductible and it was only like $50 more or something!

Anyway, I've used it here and there and it has more than paid for itself already. I've had over $2,000 worth of repairs done and I only paid like $1,200 for it! I still have about 16,000 miles left or until June 8, 2012...whichever comes first. I'm pretty sure I'll be over on mileage well before that time. I highly HIGHLY recommend getting one of these policies for your next purchase as well as the gap insurance too. If your car is totaled and you owe more than the insurance company gives you, the gap insurance pays the uncovered amount! I hear gap insurance has gone up though. Anyway, I'm loving my warranty, that's for sure! Not to mention my peace of mind, since I'm a single female and all.

Rudolph with that nose so bright...

"...won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" Thanks Darlene, now that song is going to be stuck in my head all day!!!!

Isn't it annoying when someone hums or sings part of a song right by you and you spend the rest of the day with it replaying over and over in your head while you're researching the best diet pills for men or searching the want ads online? Heck, until I hear the song in it's entirety or go to sleep for 6-8 hours, it will be stuck there with my brain constantly trying to finish the song. Ack!! I'll get you for this Dar!!!

Eeek, it's been hot out!

Summer has just about arrived here in St. Louis. The mornings and nights are cooler (only by a bit) but the heat in the daytime can be relentless!!! I'm almost to the point right now that I cringe when I think about being outside during that hot muggy midday sun. Unless it's to go swimming in a nice cold and inviting pool or river! I remember as a kid, I could play outside all day and I never really noticed the heat as much as I do now. I mean, I lose my breath so easily, I almost need one of those Evergo oxygen concentrators just to keep from passing out!!!

My landlord finally installed a new A/C in my living room over the holiday weekend. It's a good thing too, the temps were up to 88 or higher in there on some days! Of course, we still had our smaller A/Cs in the bedrooms so atleast we could sleep. I just can't sleep when I'm hot. The new A/C is programmable, has a sleep setting and a timer...even came with a remote! I wish they'd have kept the book for me though, who the heck knows how to take full advantage of the settings if you don't know what they all do!? Oh well, maybe I can find the instruction manual online!

With moving comes new furniture needs.

Well, that's 1 thing for sure, if I move I may need new furniture! Right now I don't even have a kitchen table and chairs. My sofa and love seat and chair are still nice. Although, I slept on my leather sofa for a while and now it's not that great to sit on.

I bought leather furniture because I had 2 cats and their hair wouldn't be a problem...and it wasn't. But I don't have my furry babies anymore and I can enjoy whatever kind of furniture I want! Maybe I'll start looking at contemporary sofas, I like some sectionals I've seen in the mail ads. Although I don't enjoy it when the pieces begin to separate on you while you are getting up or down, perhaps there is a way to lock them together? We'll see. I don't even know where I'm moving to yet but I am leaning more towards a place with some amenities. :) Never had those before!!!

Moving again?

I've been contemplating the idea of moving for a while now. Every time I can't find a parking space or smell burnt tacos in my living room...it's brought back to mind. Of course, I believe if I do move, that will mean higher rent.

I'm just not sure if I want to commit to that or not right now. Higher rent means I will be able to afford less toys, and I love my toys (can I get an Amen!?). For instance, my next cell phone *will* be an iPhone and of course, you can't get an iPhone without plenty of iPhone accessories and so on and so forth. I have a deadline of June 30th due to the fact that my landlord only sent me a 6 month lease so I'm feeling the pressure to search for new places or just resolve to stay put and deal with my surroundings. I don't fancy the thought of another cold & drafty winter where my heating bills are like $300 a month though. Hmmm...

GASP!!! Mission accomplished.

At the risk of sounding judgmental, is this what we are wearing to take the kids to the playground now?No bra, no over-shirt, no class. The obvious mission this morning when getting dressed...if she even did get dressed and didn't just roll out of bed dressed this way (I wear spaghetti strap shirts with no bra to sleep in) was to draw attention to herself.

I guess if you are a loving and caring parent, you would do this too! After all, dressing like *this* would indeed draw every eye, both child & adult eyes, to you and away from your child...just in case there were any pervs at the park eyeballing your kid. Well, her mission is accomplished. You can't help but to gawk at her, mostly in disbelief and disgust. I feel sorry for people that feel they need to dress this way or that it's even appropriate to dress like this outside your home. I hope she gets someone, a friend or sister of some kind to tell her she doesn't have to give it all away upfront, there's absolutely NOTHING left to the imagination in this case...and trust me. This is a modest camera angle. Sad.

The Friendship Factor by Brenda Poinsett

One of my favorite authors, Brenda Poinsett is celebrating the release of her newest book 'The Friendship Factor, Why women need other women.' The First Baptist Church in St. Clair, MO is hosting a dessert party to help launch the new book and we were personally invited by Brenda to come celebrate!

The flyer for tonight's party reads, "Join Brenda as she explores the needs women have to connect deeply with others, to share their burdens, to rejuvenate their souls, to reduce their stress and to connect for ministry. Let 'The Friendship Factor' show you what your friendships can truly become." I can't wait!

My favorite book of hers was called 'What will I do with the rest of my life?' and came to me at a desperate time in my life. It really helped move me past a dark time and for that, I love and appreciate Brenda! She has taught me many priceless things so I am excited to celebrate her new book which is also a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Congrats Brenda!!!

Wow what a beautiful day!

It is an absolutely beautiful day here in St. Louis! The sun is shining through a clear blue sky, warming your skin with excitement while the cool breeze tickles your senses. The only thing you need is a decent pair of sunglasses and you're set!

Driving to work today, I had to fight the urge to just keep going when I arrived at the office parking lot. It's a great day for a drive, that's for sure! Get out and enjoy it if you can. I for one will be stuck admiring the nice day from inside my office, plopped on my butt behind a desk. ***SIGH***

Let's talk body wash!

Since I was a child, I've used the same bar soap. A couple of years ago, I switched from that same Coast brand over to Dove body bars for the added moisturizing. I have used the occasional body wash here and there....for convenience or at a friend's house. I am also a big fan of Bath and Body Works products...they just smell amazing! There was a sale and I picked up a couple of their body washes and I love them!!!

Going forward, I'd like to get some feedback on what brands of body wash you prefer? Sometimes like in outdoor rugs or say, hangers...name brands don't really come into play much, but I figure with something like this it's good to get other opinions on brands. Which ones do you prefer for scent, for lathering qualities or hey, the all important 'bang for your buck' factor. Let's face it, Bath and Body Works sure smells nice but it'll break your wallet (even with a sale!) for as much as you get in that small bottle. So, spill it, what do you prefer?

Summer, it is a comin'

Summer is quickly approaching and I'm regretting more and more, not making good use of this late winter/early spring time to take off a few pounds. I was so cozy, layered in my winter garb that I wasn't remembering that feeling of 'nakedness' I get when I begin to go out in the world with no coat or jacket or sweater to hide behind.

Unfortunately, I don't even think the best diet pills would help me shed the pounds at this point because spring is sprung and summer is knocking at the door! I am out of time! Shoot....guess I'll have to move to Alaska so I can hide behind my sweaters LOL

Miche Bag Rep Con in KC

A couple of months ago I was introduced to Miche Bags and instantly was interested in selling them. That doesn't happen often, let me tell ya! I suppose I was already 'in the market' to find a home based business to give me an opportunity to make money in my off work time. Home party businesses can be great but also can be aggravating. I mean, you really are relying on whether or not other people want to host a party at their house and if people like the products and want or even can afford to buy them.

Miche Bags are such a great novel idea and if it was new to me, it's new in my area! The concept is, you buy a base and then get different 'shells' to change the outside look! I'm a big fan of the Big Bag, myself but the classic size is most popular and has the most shells to choose from. So far I have had an open house for myself and 2 of my bestest friends have offered to host parties for me which have added 2 more bookings so far! I've decided to take an extremely laid back approach to the entire concept. I mean, the purses literally sell themselves once the ladies have access to playing with them.

Saturday, April 10, 2010, there is a Miche Bag sales rep conference in Kansas City, Mo and I will be on my way as soon as I leave work today! The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to work a double shift last Saturday at my second job, giving me the funds to secure a hotel room near the city (cheaper that way!) so I wouldn't have to leave St. Louis at like 2 am and try and catch some ZZzzzs in my car before it started at 8 am tomorrow. Of course I could have used that unbudgeted windfall for things like diet supplements or paying down my debt....but I think this is a good use of the money, too. I'll let you all know what fun things I learn at the conference!

I got my Facebook back!

Over the past, oh I don't know....year or so, I have been increasingly involved in a Facebook game called Mafia Wars. Stop me if you've heard someone say this before but it went from a casual enjoyment to a full on obsession!! To be honest, it was getting to the point of jeopardizing my job because I was not getting my work completed to the best of my abilities. For shame!!!

But how do you 'get out' when you are a made lady? I mean I was a tagged player with an elite all woman's fighting group who gifted me much loot and bang bangs to make me a strong player for when we would be at war with another tagged group. The {PD-KTB} really put a lot into me and I enjoyed my squad, The Sirens. Interacting within the group was/is so much fun!

The reason I decided this week to leave the game...was the game itself. Zynga must have had 4,000,000 people working on this thing to come up with SO MANY aspects of play that just to touch base on some of them, took all day long, literally! In the end, I had taken on over 800 'friends' and my wall was so clouded with Mafia Wars stream posts that it was impossible for me to even find any legitimate posts from my friends and family. Facebook was no longer Facebook, it was the website I played Mafia Wars on. I spent so much time 'working' the game, I couldn't even have researched gmat prep courses if I wanted to! No, if I was online I was involved with some aspect of Mafia Wars.

In an effort to be a better steward of my resource of time, I am leaving Mafia Wars for good. I have spent a considerable amount of time this week, gifting back tons of loot and bang bangs to a couple of friends and the rest all went back to the girls of The Sirens. I also unloaded over 800 unnecessary 'friends' from my profile! I really did enjoy the game until it became work and that wasn't fun anymore. I love the Sirens and everyone else in the PDs and KTB! I wish you all luck and try not to let it get the best of you :) Now, I finally have my Facebook back!!!

It hasn't been *that* hot yet...

but it doesn't seem to matter though. I've always been a 'sweat-er' and as soon as my skin takes the notion that the temperature is going up at all, I start sweating on my face! Ugh, it just wreaks havoc on my skin. It starts off with a bit of oiliness....then before long BOOM! I start breaking out. It's time to grab my acne face wash and an air conditioner. I tell ya, if it's not oily skin......it's dry skin! I just wish it would make up it's mind already :)