Happy New Year

Happy New Year's Everyone!! Can you believe it? The end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. How was your 2006, and how do you plan on your 2007 being? Do you have regrets (I hope you don't as nothing should ever be regreted, but looked at as a learning lesson in life), did you have hopes and dreams fulfilled, did you make new friends, did you lose friends? Sad things happened, good things happened, but all things that happened were due to the Glory of God! Enjoy your festivities tonight, remember to stay safe and be responsible.

Boise, Idaho

Have you ever been to Boise? Do you even know where Boise is? It is in Idaho, and it is actually a nice to place to visit. There are also a ton of people moving there recently due to the quality of life there, the vicinity in which Boise lies to other cities and attractions, and to simply get away from the rat race of life and back to simpler times of life. There are tons of Boise homes for sale that are probably more within my price range then anything I can buy here in the Seattle area. There is a ton of things to do in Boise especially if you love the outdoors (which I'm not too keen on, but I do to have fun with my friends). You can zip over the various mountains and enjoy a day of skiing, snowboarding or simply hanging out in the lodge drinking hot cocoa. You can head to one of the many lakes in the area during the summer for swimming and water skiing or just hanging out with friends. There are places to hike, there are places to shop and there are places to simply explore. All in all, Boise is a very nice city to live in or visit.

Today....

...."We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz"....wait a second, wrong song! Silly Me!

Actually, I'm heading to Anaheim to see if I can find Prince Charming and steal him away from Cinderella...sorry Cindy, you've had him for way too long now...let someone else have a chance!!!

Yep, that's right...we are heading to Disneyland...as soon as all these kids get their buts up out of bed and ready to go!!! They are the laziest bunch of kids I know...anyone need some kids? Anywho...I'll make sure I say hi to all the Disney characters for everyone I know...and I'll bring back all that happiness from the Happiest Place on Earth!

Humidifiers

Since I've been visiting my sister in California, I've noticed that my skin is a bit drier...due to the drier climate here. Living in WA with the moistness of all our rain, I usually don't get dry throat or dry skin. But I've noticed since being down here that my throat has been a bit dry. One way to take care of this is to have a humidifier...my friends who live in Pasco, WA have a humidifier running in their home throughout the entire summer. How do you know which kind of humidifier to buy though? You need to read through the complete guide to buying a house humidifier, that way you know what is needed specifically for your home. Why are they so good? What features make a good humidifier? Do you need a humidifier for your whole house or just a single room (keep in mind the installation of a whole house system....big bucks!). There are so many options and choices...read the website humidifierinformation.com to find out what suits you best.

This post sponsored by humidifierinformation.com

2006 Sure Flew By Fast....

1.) Where did you ring in 2006? I spent it with Holly and Rodney at her apartment 2.) What was your status by Valentine's Day? Single....Still!! 3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)? Not as a student, but as a teacher all the time 4.) How did you earn your keep? Substitute Teaching, KMPS Radio, Event Planning, Notary Public, umm....I'm sure there is more...oh yeah, blogging for MONEY! 5.) Did you have to go to the hospital? Yes, I had to go to the ER for an acute asthma attack 6.) Did you have any encounters with the police? Nope 7.) Where did you go on vacation? SE Asia (mission's trip), Disney Cruise to the Caribbean, California (Disney included tomorrow) 8.) What did you purchase that was over $500? Not a thing 9.) Did you know anybody who got married? Holly and Rodney (the most important of them all!!!!), Derek & Kasey, I'm sure there were others 10.) Did you know anybody who passed away? Yes 11.) Have you run into anybody you graduated high school with? Yep 12.) Did you move anywhere? Nope 13.) What sporting events did you go to? Bull Riding!!! 14.) What concerts/shows did you go to? Kenny, Tim & Faith, Josh Turner, Little Big Town, Danielle Peck, Carrie Underwood, Charlie Daniels, and a ton others...seeing as I work for the #1 radio station KMPS then I go to a lot of concerts 15.) Are you registered to vote? Yep 16.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 7? Ummm....no (i'm sorry) 17.) Where do you live now? Puyallup 18.) Describe your birthday. Breakfast with Barb and Charlie, Shopping, Dinner....it was a great day of celebrating 32 19.) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2006? I don't know off the top of my head 20.) What is one thing you regret from this year? I never have regrets...just live and learn 21.) What did you want for Christmas? IPOD----still waiting for it from my Sister! 22.) Any new additions to your family? Nope 23.) What was your best month? All of them...I LOVE LIFE 24.) What from pop culture will you remember 2006 by? Was there really anything important in 2006 25.) How do you plan to ring in 2007? With my family (and possibly some of their neighbors) playing games and such in Southern Cali Here is a little survey about my 2006 year in review...it's not totally exciting, but it is kinda fun to reminisce and see what we've done over the last year. Also makes me want to evaluate how 2007 is going to be. Tell me about your 2006!!!

Christmas Spending

Did you overspend on Christmas this year? Are you dreading the thought of your January credit card bill showing up in your mailbox any day now? I truly hope that this isn't the case, although, I know it is true for many individuals. They get into the thought of buying, but sometimes go out of their means to make it happen...hence the large credit card payments. Believe me, I have been there and done that! It is frustrating, and becomes a very frustrating cycle to break. There are more credit cards applied for in January (especially in the UK) as consumers are looking to do some 0% balance transfers, and in some cases this does help....pay more than the minimum payment though. There are so many cards out there that sometimes it is hard to chose which one is best. So can compare credit cards though, so if you have to get one you can choose the one that is best for you. Remember, with all credit cards use wisely and spend only what you can afford to pay when the bill comes in.

This post sponsored by cardguide.co.uk

New Year

Can you believe that is almost 2007?!? Where did the time fly to? What happened to 2006? What happened to you this year? Did you have a banner year? Did you have bumps and bruises along the way?

I know I did! This time last year, I was unexpectedly fired from my job, and had no idea what I was going to do or how I was even going to pay bills. Fortunately for me, I am a Christian who firmly believes that God takes care of His children. He knew what my circumstances were and knew where I was headed this time last year. He has taken care of me all year long. I may wonder at times how all my bills are going to get paid, or if I'm even going to receive a paycheck. But I have been blessed...and I give all glory to God for the things I have been given. I have been substitute teaching; however, it isn't a full-time job...but that's ok...I LOVE IT!!! I have found jobs here and there, and the check always comes in time to pay whatever bill is due then. I have also been given the opportunity to still enjoy traveling and vacationing. My best friend's family took me with them this summer on a fantastic cruise, and I am again heading to SE Asia in February on a mission's trip with our Masters Commission. I am spending two weeks right now with my family in California where I also plan on moving to in the summer. Ministerially I am still working the Masters Commission and finishing my last year with them. I am going to miss them and Puyallup Foursquare, but I know God has things for me to do here in Cali. In fact, my sister's pastor was talking to me about the need of some type of program like MC for their young people. Who knows, maybe I'll get the opportunity to help them a bit and get something started for them....I am not the pastor behind these ventures, but the administrator that knows how to set it up and get it done!

Whatever road you have been down this year, whether good or bad...rough or smooth, I pray that you would give all glory to God for all that he has given you, all that he has taken you through and all that he is going to do for you. It is a new year, a new season and God has such great things in store for all of us! Many blessings to all of you my friends, my family and even those I do not know...God loves You!

Sproose Search Engine

When you go to a search engine and type in what you are searching for, do you ever wish you could rank the sites that come up in relevance to what you were searching for? That way it would be given more importance for you personally? I do! There are things that come up sometimes that seriously make me wonder why they were included!!! The Sproose home page is just the new site to help us give rankings to searches! You can give the sites rankings from 1 (which is poor) to 5 (which is great).....and you do the choosing! Don't you love the power of making and breaking something....ok ok that is a bit harsh, but it is good to help out! Every time a vote is cast for a site then that site moves up or down in the ranking system. Meaning if they were the second site that appeared and you gave it a poor rating it would move on down the line. I believe that this could highly useful for you in your personal searches.

This is a sponsored post, please see sidebar disclosure

Cranium Hullabaloo

If you have kids you have to buy this game! My niece got it for Christmas. It is called Hullabaloo, and it is made by Cranium....those crazy folks who make great educational games that are actually fun! This game is simply, yet the kids (and I) loved it....even the teenage girls joined in. It comes with various shapes and colors that are pads that go on the floor. There is a console type thing that tells you what shape, what color, what animal, etc to move to (you may have to swim to it, gallop, skip, put your nose on something, you never know what it is going to do!)...then when it yells "FREEZE"...you freeze and whoever is on the item that it says wins...WARNING...you may have to do the crazy monkey dance if you win! I give this game four stars.

Chicago Postie Patrol

HP and Payperpost do these little trips called postie patrols. They go to a city, get a PPP blogger and make them do something in order to win HP prizes (Ted, I'm still waiting to hear that I won an HP Digital Camera and Printer). This video is in Chicago, with Robyn N. She was sent on a photo and video scavenger hunt around Chicago in freezing cold weather....ugh...I might have complained some. I think my favorite parts were watching Ted (I believe that is was him) pull his pants off to show that he was wearing shorts...Robyn had to find someone in shorts...he helped her out! I also enjoyed watching Robyn try to make a snowangel in the ice....good try, and they gave her the points!

So, did she win? Yep...Congratulations Robyn for winning all those cool HP prizes. Ted...wouldn't you like to come to the Seattle area for a Postie Patrol? I guarantee you it won't be as cold as Chicago....but I can't guarantee anything else (we've been having weird weather lately).

Thanks HP for sponsoring these postie patrols and giving away all these cool prizes. Visit their site for digital photography review.

This post sponsored by HP

Josh

So, I have to write another in between post and my nephew Josh said I could write about him. What do you want to know? How he stinks at Tony Hawk? How he thinks he is the Don Juan of Peninsula HS in Gig Harbor? Hmmm, how he doesn't like hamburger gravy over noodles and pouted over dinner last night? What else would you like to know? He is going to be 16 this Saturday, December 30th! OMG....another driving teenager in the family, stay off the roads people!

Iraq Study Book

I know that we all have our own opinions about President Bush and the war on Iraq. Especially since the execution of Saddam Hussein has been in the news a lot lately. I for one fully support all the decisions that President Bush has made (not that all have been smart) and I fully support that our military still is in Iraq fighting for our safety but also for the safety and freedom of the Iraqi people who are trying to have a sane life (if that is even possible). However, even though I fully support all of this I sometimes do not understand everything that is going on with the political ins and outs of Iraq. There is an Iraq Study Group Report that is available online through this site that allows you to purchase it in book form for a very reasonable amount (plus you can use Amazon certificates). The site selling the book is politically neutral, they are not trying to sell you on an idea or way of life, just simply to provide you with information. And as new Iraq info comes out they will have it for you.

This post sponsored by iraqstudy.com

why

why am i awake at 11:30 at night, drinking jones cream soda (which Cassi and i are hiding from the rest of the family so it isn't devoured!:0 ) and goofing around with the kids? i should be sleeping. but wait....i'm on vacation, i can do whatever i want. well, not whatever, but you know what i mean.

for all of you who doubt my cooking abilities ...i made hamburger gravy over pasta for dinner tonight. i do have to say that it came out tasting pretty good, and there is enough for lunch tomorrow!

night...talk to you all tomorrow!

Online Coupons

I love coupons, but of course who doesn't! My current favorite coupon on this site is the free shipping and free engraving on Apple Ipods! I am still wanting to get one of this soooo badly! And how can you pass up free shipping on something that costs so much?!? Another favorite is Best Buy coupons, as you can buy the Ipod from there, along with movies, music, computers, cameras, tvs and so much more (we actually went there yesterday!)

This post is sponsored by couponchief.com

Nap Time

I am watching the kids today while my sister and brother-in-law are at work. I was giving Mason a bath and was telling him that he would need to take a nap in a little while. He asked if he could nap downstairs on the couch. I told him sure. He then asked if could nap with his eyes open?

Hmmmm, I'm thinking that he didn't really think he needed to take a nap! He is actually running around right now saying, "No Nap!!"

PBR

OMG....one of my favorite "shows" that I have ever attend was the PBR (Remember that is Professional Bull Riding.....I know we've talked about this before) Finals held in Las Vegas, NV the last weekend of October and the first weekend in November (it is actually one weekend of final competition and one weekend of national finals). My sister Shannon and I attended the finals in 2001, the year that 18 year-old rookie Luke Snyder walked away with all the money (close to a MILLION!) and all the girls (at least that is what it looked like outside Ceasaers Palace afterwards). It was definitely a shocker to see a rookie beat out the likes of Adriano Moraes, Wiley Peterson, Chris Shivers, Sean Willingham and others!

You want to see some great bull riding action you have got to check out the PBR finals! When we went we bought our tickets fairly late (about two months before the event) so our seats weren't the best...we were up in the top section, which some might consider the nosebleed section. However, we could still see everything and still had a ton of fun. If I had to do it over again, which I am trying to do this year with my friends Barb and Brittany, I would definitely try for better seats. I should be buying PBR Finals Tickets now; however, I am going to have to wait at least a few more months. Hey, if you are interested in coming with us just shoot, "Cowboy Up!" and you can come on down. The cost of tickets are reasonable, then you have to pay for a hotel and food...but it's really not too bad!

Please see sidebar disclosure in regards to this post.

Shopping with Auntie

We, or shall I say I, decided to go hit the after Christmas sales! I love hitting the stores the day after for Christmas decorations...you can get some great stuff for seriously cheap! So we started the day off with the bank and Supercuts for a hair for Mason...yeah, unfortunately they cut it kinda funky...my sister isn't too happy about it. I did ask her twice to do some more work on it...oh well, his hair grows fast.

Mind you we started at about Noon! After his haircut we went to Wendy's for lunch, then on to Target. We spent quite a while in Target...returned items that didn't work or didn't fit. Looked very carefully through their Christmas stuff, but I didn't see anything I absolutely HAD to have. I did pick up some initials gift tags to scrapbook with, but that's about it.

We then headed over to Best Buy to find a video game for Mason. He really wanted Thomas the Train, but we had to settle for Scooby Doo. By this time he was getting pretty cranky and mouthy! Well, then I had to go into Kohl's because Susana told me she bought my Christmas present from there.....she bought me the start of my own Christmas Village (Kris Kringle's Cafe....she is opening a coffee shop soon!). So I had to see if I could find anymore to the set. They had a ton, but I have a limit...so I bought the Hotel and some street signs. I may go back later this week and see what they have left.....maybe, maybe not (I do want some money to spend in Disneyland!).

When we walked up to the cash register he was awake, by the time I paid he was out cold! I guess that is what happens when you spend five hours shopping with Auntie the day after Christmas.

Debt Help

Are you a part of the percentage of Americans who has debt? Whether it be student loan debt, credit card debt, etc. Are you trying to get back on your feet after falling behind on monthly payments? Are you trying to make your credit rating/score higher and therefore more likeable by lenders for automobiles and homes? If so, you should check out the site DebtHelp.com. They specialize in helping consumers reach goals that pertain to their credit worthiness and debt. They show you how to consolidate student loans into one low monthly payment (I have done this and it is great). How to secure a loan so that you can pay one payment for all your credit card debt. Also, how to fix your credit and make it more desirable. They also answers for the questions you have in regards to debt, debt consolidation and debt management. Make it your New Year's resolution to become debt free this year.

This post sponsored by Debthelp.com

Trivia Answers

I was talking to my friend Susana today and she told me I was remiss in not giving the answers to some random trivia questions I gave last week. My apologies! Here are the questions again, along with the answers. Tell me how you did!

1. In February 1979, what happened in the Sahara Desert?
It snowed
2. What country owns Antarctica?
No one, Antartica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country
3. What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City
4. How many deserts are in Europe?
None
5. What is the only continent without reptiles?
Antartica
6. Which country was first to issue a self-adhesive postage stamp?
The South Pacific island nation Tonga
7. What is the largest island in the world? The second largest?
Greenland, New Guinea
8. What is the only country that doesn't have a rectangular or square flag?
Nepal
9. London's Big Ben is actually the name of the tower, the clock or the bell inside?
The Bell
10. Where is the world's largest gold mine?
Juneau, Alaska

Here you go!

2006 Photograph of the Year

Get out your best photos that you've taken this year. If you haven't taken one yet, take out your camera and get to it. The 2006 Photograph of the Year contest is underway as we speak. Getting recognition for having a great photograph is wonderful, especially if you are a professional photographer, but the prizes up for grabs are even better than recognition! There is at least $14,000 in prizes and cash to be given away to those who win this contest. First, Second and Third prize win huge prize packages worth thousands of dollars. Even the honorable mentions for fourth through tenth place receive packages worth over $800. Wow! I know I am going to look through my pictures and see if there is one that I can enter into the contest.

Pictures are due by January 12, 2007, and voting will commence afterwards with the winners being annouced on January 31st! The rules are fairly simple and straight forward, and the submission process of your photograph is also easy and simple. So get to it. Look through photos that you have taken during 2006 and you might be one of the winners that walks away with part of the $14,000 in prizes and cash that they are giving away. And as you know, places couldn't do these contests without sponsors. Have fun.

This post sponsored by photographycorner.com

Mason

Mason,my three year old nephew,thinks that any present under the tree is for him and that it is ok to open presents whenever he feels like it. He managed to open a present for Josh yesterday. And today he managed to open a couple of more presents, luckily they were his. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all open our presents whenever we wanted to?

You know, Jesus is like that! He has so many presents for us, just waiting for us to come and open them. We don't have to wait for the right day and time, or for an appointment, to open our presents. When we feel the time is right all we have to do is take the present that He offers and open it up. And God has hundreds, if not thousands, of gifts for us to open! GO FOR IT! Start digging in, tearing into those presents and enjoy what God is giving you today!

Rockstartup Video 3

As some of you know PPP (Payperpost)has a reality show video series out called Rockstartup. It is videos depicting the up and coming ways of starting a new small business. They have videos showing them moving into their new office digs...we all love doing that, don't we? They headed off to Las Vegas (sin city baby) for a PPP wedding, and I guess somethings that were supposed to stay in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. They actually made their way onto the World Wide Web!

This is the video about them moving into their new offices. They have to worry about having phones, internet, furniture and everything. When I worked in Bellevue a few years ago, we moved offices and it sucked. And we didn't even move far, just two floors up. We were moving boxes and furniture for months...I think ours was more prolonged because we knew we weren't going far so we didn't work too hard at it. UGH!!!



Stay tuned for all the upcoming Rockstartup videos still to come. This post sponsored by payperpost.com (they rock and give away free money for blogging!)

Medieval Dinner

"Good Evening, My Lady...My Lord. Princess!"

That is how we were greeted last night upon entering the famed Medieval Castle in Buena Vista, CA. We went for the famous dinner and show. It was fabulous. We had so much fun. You enter the castle and are given a colored crown which indicates which knight to root for...ours was Castilla Red...and our knight fought the valiant fight, but didn't end up winning the jousting match. He did win a lot of the competitions before the final fight, and every time he won a competition the King's daughter would give the knight's flowers they in turn threw them to cheering fans in the crowd. Well, I didn't get one, but Maddy did! I even had Mason standing on the table waving our flags, but to no avail...no flower for me.

We had a great dinner...baby dragon soup, garlic bread, baby dragon (tasted like chicken), a spare rib, a potato and dessert. No utensils...just a plate, a bowl, and a cup. We did play tourist and bought everyone drinks in collectible cups...I had a fantastic chardonnay in a gold chalice!

We had lots of fun cheering and simply having fun. If you get the chance to visit sometime then I highly recommend it. Susana...they just opened one in Atlanta this summer...we need to go!

PPP Blog

I guess it makes sense that if payperpost pays people to blog that they would then have their own blog, right? Right! They do! How convenient! :)

They talk about all the upcoming contests they have for their paid bloggers....a HUGE congratulations goes out to Colleen who figured out the Rockstartup puzzle and won a $1000!!! Woo---Hoo! Congrats again! I have been doing this for awhile now, but not totally sure of everything going on so I wasn't even aware of the puzzle contest going on. I for sure need to keep track of the PPP blog so I can get in on some of those money making contests.

They give us tons of good information....the fact that we know have to disclose and tips on how to do that...great videos to watch (all the office confessionals, the rockstartup videos, the winner videos, and more)....and just blog entries like we normal people do!

So come on all you blog readers and become blog posters...it is so easy! You sit for a few minutes every day, do a little typing (after you sign up at payperpost with me as a referral rachelannmac@hotmail.com) and then you make money!

This post sponsored by payperpost

Embedding Video

So you saw that I just did a video embed for payperpost on the last post I did. It took a lot of trial and error to get that onto my blog. So, I'm wondering what I actually did to make it work! And how to do it again? PPP uses Youtube.com, and they have a link to copy that actually says embed...so yes, I figured that is what I am supposed to use; however, it doesn't allow me to copy the embed link all the way. What's up with that?!? PPP has a few more posts that I can take that involve embedding video so I'm going to try it again, but if some of you have any suggestions, ideas, comments, or just want to say hi let me know....I really want to figure out how to work out all this blog stuff.

PPP Video

So first of all, I am trying to learn how to embed video...so if this doesn't work my apologies, and I will continue trying to figure this out. Seriously, it can't be that hard!

PPP, Payperpost, is having a contest right now for their bloggers (that would be me and everyone else I suppose) to write in or share a video on how they need a new HP digital camera and printer. I wrote a post about why I need a NEW HP DIGITAL CAMERA AND PRINTER!!!!! They are picking so many videos to win and so many written posts to win. Then they are sharing with us who wins. This video is ppp sharing that Anna from New York was the first winner of a BRAND NEW camera and printer. Anna, I wish you well and happy shooting pictures. I don't begrudge anyone else winning as they obviously need a new camera just as much as I need one. Although, I wouldn't resist someone giving me a new one!!!

What is PPP? ads on blogs for money...you post, they pay! It's that easy!

This post sponsored by payperpost

Medieval Times Dinner

We are heading into Anaheim on Saturday to have dinner at the Medieval Times Dinner Theatre....I have wanted to do this for years. They have knights (although, I doubt that Heath Ledger will be there!), they have jousting with real horses, they have dinner served to you without utensils. My sister and the family have gone before and say that it is spectacular....it does scare Mason, who is 3, a bit as it is loud and they use a fog machine and all. I will definitely let you know how it goes and show you some of my pictures afterwards!

Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas baby! Oh my, the King definitely had the right idea when he sang Viva Las Vegas. Sin City baby...high rollers....slots...parties....celebrities....all you can eat buffets (so I hear)....and just plain fun. And all this stuff can be found in hotels....you don't even have to leave your Las Vegas hotel to have fun. But how do you know which Las Vegas hotels are the best and which aren't? Check this site out and it will tell you which one are the ones to go to! If you go, stick a $10 in the slot machine for me and win big!

This post is a sponsored post, please see disclosure on the sidebar.

Braved the Mall

Yes, unbelievably on December 21.....four days before Christmas, we braved the mall. OMG...crazy (and we were only there for a couple of hours)....it was crowded, the lines inside the stores were insane, and there were just way toooo many people! Then we were ready to go, but Brandon (my oldest nephew) was taking too long shopping and made us wait. Finally, my sister and I just left them there (we took separate cars). Insane! This was after I WALKED to Target today with my nephew Josh. I had to buy presents for Mason from my Dad. Target wasn't actually too bad....I guess that is because I went at Noon....not too many people shopping at that time of day.

So I think I am done shopping. My sister and brother in law have more to do; however, I will gladly stay home with the kids while they go shopping! I'm not big on malls in general, then you add the Christmas rush and I really kicked turned off of shopping at the mall!

Ted, Give me an HP....

....oh please, Ted!!! I really, really want a new digital camera an photo printer from HP. Why should Tamale get all the good stuff...send some my way!

So first of all, I am a major scrapbooker that funny enough doesn't have a digital camera. Go figure! If I had a digital camera with a new printer from HP I would be in scrapbooking heaven....just imagine the possibilities. I could take pictures of my nieces, nephews, sisters, friends, even complete strangers and then go home and print my picture right away! I love to take pictures of trees, houses, even rocks in the driveway...whatever works for scrapbooking. I can then print them for my scrapbooks....turning them into works of art for everyone to enjoy!

More importantly, the reason I could use a new digital camera soon is that I am going overseas to SE Asia.....Singapore, Borneo and Bangkok, Thailand. While there we are visiting orphans throughout Bangkok. I've used my regular camera before to take pictures; however, I don't get to see those pictures until I get home, go to Walmart, drop my pictures off, wait an hour and then pay big bucks for them....and then some of them don't even come out!! UGH! Do you know how annoying it is to get your pictures back and then see that someone is blurry because they were moving, or someone jumped into the picture and ruined it....annoying. The coolest thing would be to have a new digital camera so I can take pictures of those precious children and then show them what they look like. Now, I know I can't bring the printer with me and print pictures for them...but they get such a kick out of just seeing their face on the screen. Once they get over their initial shyness they start hamming it up for the camera...making funny faces, doing rabbit ears, and lots of hugging and smiling. What wonderful memories to take home with me! I love these children and it is so great to see a part of them come home with me.

So, no I don't have a wild crazy story to tell you that would intice you to give me a new digital camera with photo printer (from HP), but I can tell you that I would definitely put one to good use.

This post sponsored by HP.

Summer at Christmas Time

OMG....all my childhood memories and my summertime dreams were in California today. Might I remind first that today is December 21....only 4 days until Christmas Day. What did I hear today while wrapping presents? The popsicle man, aka the ice cream guy. The girls tell me there are a ton of them that come around every day and hang out near the park. I was so excited. I opened the windows and was on a popsicle man stakeout. Alas, I never saw him come back through after I heard the tinkling song of the ice cream floating down the street!!!

PS....my favorite are, and always have been, BOMB POPS!!!!

Did Video kill the Radio Star

Yes, we all know (if you are at least 30 and older you should know!) that MTV's first video every was "Video killed the Radio Star". Has this proven true? Do we no longer listen to the radio, but instead tune in to the TV to watch all our favorite stars? I would say that it was true to begin with, but with all the digital radios, and all the new DAB digital radios, now out there, I think the trend is going back to radio (Also, because there is no more Carson Daly on MTV). So is choosing a new digital radio hard and complicated? It doesn't need to be! Using a electrical guide for information should help you choose just the right radio that you are looking for!

Please see disclosure on sidebar in regards to this ad!

blogging

I'm sure you are all tired of reading all the advertisements I'm doing, but thank you to those who sift through all my posts and still read what I am putting up here! I know it is irritating to "sift"; however, I am now over $600 in money earned from payperpost, and this is just since signing up in October. There are people on the site that make that much and more in just of month of blogging for payperpost. It really is a great way to make some extra money. I'm really pushing it hard right now as I am leaving in February for almost three weeks to go to SE Asia on a mission's trip and won't be getting paid for those weeks....so this money is going to help pay my bills while I'm gone (nevermind the fact that I'm not getting paid during Christmas break either!). just remember, if you do decide to blog on payperpost.com, use me as a referral..... rachelannmac@hotmail.com

UK Loans

Are you looking for a loan to pay off all this holiday spending (joking....you shouldn't have spent that much on Christmas! :0 ) Seriously, if you are looking for a personal loan or a secured loan there are great places to look, and one of them is selectloans.co.uk. They can help out consumers that are looking for specifics in the loan department. Are you trying to increase your credit rating and need a secured loan in order to purchase something big (like a car) so it affects your credit rating properly? Maybe you are trying to do debt consolidation, and need a personal loan so you can pay off all your existing debt and then just be left with the one payment from your personal loan. Whatever it is that you are doing, just make sure that you are doing it wisely and properly. Read all the fine print, make sure everything is in order, and get the loan that is right for you and your circumstances. Loans can be a great thing when used properly!!

This post sponsored by selectloans.co.uk

Holiday Funnies

Here are a few funny holiday pictures for you! I love finding humorous pictures on the web. Most of the time all I find are inappropriate pictures, but these were quite funny, and I thought I'd share them with you!



I really thought this one was funny!

Baby Toys

We all buy toys for kids at Christmas time; however, do we take time and effort when thinking of the toys we buy for babies and toddlers? Do we think of toys that will help their educational growth....their manual dextrity, their cognitive thought process...things that will help them grow mentally? There are so many great toys out there that are beneficial to babies and toddlers, we just need to do a little more research. choosing baby toys isn't a hard thing to do, and the results are so beneficial to the child and ultimately you. So this Christmas, or anytime you buy presents for babies and toddlers, put a little thought behind what you buy.

The Park

I keep hearing in the background, "Rachie, might take us to the park if we are good!" Do you think they are wanting to go to the park? Hmmmm.....

I love coming places where I am loved, wanted, needed.....yeah, they use me and abuse me. I am simply a means to an end. They want the park and I am a readily available adult. I think that instead of the park I might head over to a nail place and get a pedicure! I received a $25 gift card for Christmas and I think that might be used for a nice relaxing foot massage and pedi. What do you think?

Park vs. Pedicure

Sing! Sing! Sing!

I love to sing...I sing in the car, in the shower, just walking around (I seriously think life should be a musical...right Susana?), at church...pretty much everywhere? But do I Karaoke? I don't do the whole bar scene (at least not very often), and I've never done Karaoke in the bar, but man some of those people are brave and absolutely hilarious. Even though I haven't done Karaoke in the bar, I have bought a Karaoke machine for home. It would have been nice at the time to have a home Karaoke machine guide to help me chose the right machine to have. I did buy it at the time for the kids, but you know me! I did use it once or twice. Now, where is that microphone......
Home Karaoke Machine Guide

This post sponsored by karaoke.electrical-guide.info

Nothing Changes

I woke up this morning to Madalyne next to me, the dog sniffing around and a new cat jumping all over me (he almost ended up dead...sorry all you animal lovers.....it's just wrong to wake up to a cat running all over you scratching and stuff!). Maddy and Brittany both missed school due to lame reasons (seems like I've heard this before), and I cleaned the kitchen! I thought I was on vacation :).......hmmmm.....I think that they are definitely going to school tomorrow! They have been helping me clean around here and Maddy's excuse for not cleaning the window ledges is that she is leaving the washcloth on the ledge for the dirt to get onto it!!! Does she think that the dirt is going to clean itself? Actually, I think she does!

I haven't lived with them for a couple of years, and haven't seen them for at least a year and a half, but nothing changes!!!!

Credit Cards

Almost everyone I know owns at least one credit card. Most families or individuals in America own two or more. Is this safe? Are we wise with our credit cards? Or do we spend outrageously without a thought of the consequences until our monthly bill comes in? Do you know that you spend more money in interest rates, which basically makes the product you bought inflated 300--500%? This is basic knowledge, but I know all this first hand. I wasn't very wise with credit cards when I was younger, and I am still paying for them over a decade later! It is my heart's desire to get all my credit card debt paid off...quickly!! There are quite a few credit cards that offer 0% balance transfers but be careful and read the small print. There are also places that offer credit card advice which might be great when reserching credit cards and paying on the ones you have! There are also sites for credit card news that would beneficial to read. In all of this I'm not saying that credit cards are bad and terrible, but we consumers need to learn how to use them properly and wisely!

Made it to Cali!

Wow! Made it to California in one piece (That was for my Mother!) I was totally impressed by how quickly we made it through check-in, especially this close to Christmas....so glad we were not flying out any closer to Christmas. We got to the airport at 6:30pm and were through e-ticket check in, security and looking for food by 7pm. A half hour folks, that is unheard of this time of year. But you know I always hear that it takes forever and that the airport is a nightmare at Christmas time, but I always get right through and have no problems. I guess I'm just fortunate. Well, the plans for right now are to sleep in tomorrow morning and then we will go from there!

Happy Wednesday!

Boardroom Tables

Our church, Puyallup Foursquare, has a great office space where you walk in with offices circling around this large open area. Up until about a year ago we had this fantastic glass boardroom table. Many meetings were held around that table; however, for some reason we decided to get rid of it and now we just have an empty space. So even though it isn't my space to fill, I would love to see another boardroom table or a custom made conference table in there.....that space is just crying out for someone to fill it up! Not being a savvy table lady, I was wondering where to find custom made conference and boardroom tables, well I've found the spot!

Are you looking for a table to fit 5 or 25? Wood, laminate, glass or metal? Spots for AV equipment and cords, without distracting from the beauty of the table? Are you looking for beautifully rounded corners or the hard corner look? The options are endless and your choices have just begun! Imagine the possibilities of designing your own custom made conference/boardroom table. Maybe you are a startup company in need of a striking center piece for all your new clients...what a way to impress! First impressions are always the best, and your clients will definitely be impressed by a wonderfully handcrafted boardroom table.

As I am looking through this sites boardroom tables I found an absolutely gorgeous table....wonderfull! It is a 26 foot table that fits 22 people around it...so it is nice and big for meetings, conferences, and the like. But more importantly, it has a Carajas Granite tabletop. Can you get any better than genuine granitetop....that is definitely a showstopper, a work of art and a sign of longlasting workmanship (someone who takes pride in what they make!!) Or how about a 22' x 15' Cherry Boardroom Table with Satinwood (this is a great circular table...great for Arthurian conferences!). The Inlay Infield of Table is Diamond-Matched Cherry...beautifully executed and designed.

I know that not everyone is in the market for custom made boardroom tables; however, they are definitely worth checking out and seeing how beautiful their designs and products are.

This post is sponsored by uniqueconcepts.com

Cleaning Frantically

Ok, so I am leaving in a few short hours.....I took the day off today in order to pick up my nephew, meet with my Dad, pack and clean house. Cleaning house...ugh....I still smell the scent of bleach in my nose! And my brand new shirt (which I only paid $2.98 for) got bleach splattered all over it!!!! Dang, why do I always manage to make a mess when I am trying to clean? I'll never know! I do know that I managed to get everything done today (I also went to the church and the post office!!!) in a reasonable amount of time, and still have time to finish reading a book I started and blog! Life can't get any better....except maybe by taking a much needed nap!!!

Last Chance Today for Ipod Giveaway!

Ohhh....are you looking for free gifts for Christmas? I LOVE to get free stuff, and yes I know I should give some of it away as gifts; however, I have been dying for a new Ipod for myself. There is this site, Dealsvista.com that is giving away free gifts every day...and today (that's right TODAY), is the last day to get in on this deal. Check it out now, and see if you possibly won an Ipod, or a music station for the Ipod or even a digital camera!!!! If you go to the site and then invite friends to join, you get even more entries for free stuff!!! While you are trying for free stuff, you can then go bargain hunting for the rest of your Christmas presents!

This post sponsored by dealsvista.com

Celebrating

Since I am leaving tomorrow, my family that I live with had Christmas tonight. Barb heard me say a couple of days ago that meatloaf sounded really good, so she was so kind and made meatloaf for dinner tonight. It was quite delicious!

We opened presents to each other tonight as well! Charlie and Barb got me a new fuzzy warm blankie....we spend many a night curled up in front of the TV watching Amazing Race, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars....so my blankie will come in handy. They also got me the 2006 version of Ripley's Believe or Not book (I had been admiring it while we were shopping at Costco a while back!). It is simply a marvelous book for inputing so much more random trivia into my brain.....Greg Reich here I come!

Holly and Rodney were here as well....we have decided that we are practically sisters. It is always fun to hang out with them! They bought me Candyland (Yes! I knew she was buying it, as it is the Collectors game in a tin with the original board and pieces), Dirty Dancing and The Goonies. They bought themselves the DVD game of Amazing Race....so we played a few rounds. I won first, Holly won second...it was fun!

All in all we had fun tonight! So now I'm off to bed to get a bit of sleep, before I am on the go, go, go tomorrow!

Ringtones w/Matching Avatars

So the latest craze out there are Avatars that you can give personal ringtones to. So what exactly are they? Check it out here! Basically you are creating a character: head, hair, eye color, clothing, accessories....etc! You then can add audio to your character by texting message, recording one or using a pre-recorded message. Then you send it out into the world....on your MySpace, to your phone or even to a friend. They seem like fun, and the best part is that they are totally free for the first 6o days. Have fun greating the perfect Avatar!

New Blog Friends

There are thousands of blogs, just on blogspot; however, being a creature of habit I simply visit the blogs of my friends and those that I know through friends. Very rarely I will leave a comment on someone's page if something really strikes me. Is it fear that they will think I am forward in leaving comments that I don't leave them on stranger's blogs more often?

Well, today a nice lady Yette left me a wonderful comment under my Christmas Memories post. What a great way to start a friendship, even cross countries! So, Yette if you come back and read more, please leave more comments and let's strike up a friendship. I would love learning more about your Phillipino culture and your present living situation in Japan.

This has made me realize that life is short, yet we treat it as if we have all the time in the world. Isn't it better to cultivate friendships now instead of trying to cram everything in the last days of our lives? Go on, search the outer regions of blogspot and other blog posts, find someone that you might share a common interest with and start a conversation...who knows it might lead to knowing and having another friend in another country.

Free International Calls

In this day and age who doesn't know someone in another country? You might now missionaries serving in South America, Military men and women serving in the Middle East, and friends in Zimbabwe!!! So how do you keep in touch with all these people you know around the world? Yes, email is probably the quickest and cheapest (really, it doesn't cost you a dime) way to stay in touch. However, you have to agree that there is nothing like hearing the voice of a friend from across the miles, or a family member you haven't seen in months or possibly even years! Well, now there is a great place that lets you call overseas for a low, low, low price...and if you sign up now, you will get $5 in free international phone calls.....for some that could be up to 4 hours of free phone chat with a dear friend! You can check out the Guyana calling card rates from Pingo, just as an example of how low the prices are to call overseas! Although, I am much happier to check out the rates to Zimbabwe, and see how much time I could get out of that $5 that they are offering to first time members. I know how much I would enjoy and how much Chipo would enjoy an honest to goodness conversation with each other, and not just a hit and miss over the messenger service.

Christmas Memories

Yeah, I am leaving tomorrow for California and two weeks with my sister, brother-in-law and all the kids....I am so excited!

So everyone has Christmas memories and Christmas traditions....what are some of yours?

Here are a few of mine:

We almost always got to open one present on Christmas Eve....and it was always a present that Mom & Dad picked out. And probably 90% of the time it was new pajamas to go to bed in and wake up in on Christmas morning? Why do I think that this is a tradition in many households across America. I guess our parents don't want us to be too disappointed on Christmas morning if we opened all our good stuff on Christmas Eve.

Secondly, I remember as a very young child (this is going back way long ago, even before my baby sister was born. I remember being at my paternal grandparents house with the few grandchildren that were born at that time (the number has grown to well over 50 by now!), and my dad would play his guitar and play Christmas carols. It really wasn't a tradition, but more of a simple memory of my Dad and just remembering how much fun it was to listen to him play his guitar and to sing with us!

And lastly, I remember many, many Christmases at my maternal grandparents house in Spokane. Those years usually involved snow on the groun, snow mobiling around the alley and back in front of the house (Grandpa in front, me and my sister in the middle and my Dad on back...crowded but fun), flocked Christmas trees (my Grandma did this for years!), and someone (perhaps my uncle? my mom and aunts aren't talking) dressing up as Santa Claus and coming to the house and delivering presents to us kids! I was much closer with these Grandparents and they made holidays so much more fun, that it was always exciting to get to visit them. My Grandma Pat still has this ceramic angel that goes on her tree every year, and on the bottom it is inscribed, "Love Rachel 1979"....yep, she's had it since I made it for her in Kindergarten.

Those are the memories that I will always remember. Of course, I will continue to make new memories and new traditions as I get older and trust that you will as well.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Acid Reflux

Do you or have you ever suffered from acid reflux? If not, praise God that you haven't as it is a very uncomfortable and at times deabilitating condition. I suffer from it, and have for a few years. Unfortunately, I am one of those individuals (who not having insurance) suffers through it, and has yet to visit a doctor about this situation. There is a company that offers a medicine that will help acid reflux and heartburn. The herbal medication is called AcidCalm...it definitely has to be better than living life on antacids and prescription drugs that have so many side symptoms. I think that I might give this product a shot, as they have numerous testimonials on their page about this product.

Random Fun

I went to lunch yesterday after church at ClaimJumper with the Davis family (thanks Noah for the great game of DOTS....you didn't cheat too badly!).....

....Noah's menu had fun facts from around the world. And of course, random trivia collector that I am I had to take it home with me. Here are just a few of the questions. See how many you can get right (Sorry Marcie you know the anwers...I will post the answers in a few days):

1. In February 1979, what happened in the Sahara Desert?
2. What country owns Antarctica?
3. What is the smallest country in the world?
4. How many deserts are in Europe?
5. What is the only continent without reptiles?
6. Which country was first to issue a self-adhesive postage stamp?
7. What is the largest island in the world? The second largest?
8. What is the only country that doesn't have a rectangular or square flag?
9. London's Big Ben is actually the name of the tower, the clock or the bell inside?
10. Where is the world's largest gold mine?

Have fun, and let me know how you do!

PPP goes full Disclosure

So what does it mean that PPP (payperpost) goes full disclosure? Well, it means for those of us who post advertisements, otherwise known as blog advertising, through PPP we have to disclose that we are getting paid for writing that post. You either have to state within your post that you are getting paid for that writing, or you have to have some type of disclosure statement visible on your blog...which I do, you can see it to the right of my posts. What does this mean to us ppp bloggers? Not much really. Although I can see why people would want to disclose that they are getting paid. I mean some of the posts I've written are kinda out in left field....but I have totally enjoyed writing posts for PPP. I love the fact that I can write seemingly random posts, have fun doing it, and get paid for it. You should join the fun, just make sure you get started by adding a disclosure statement on your blog somewhere.

This post sponsored by PPP...payperpost.com (Yes, I am getting paid to type all these words!)

Just how WINDY did it get?

So during our windstorm (where 1.5 million people lost power) it got pretty darn windy throughout Western Washington. The list below is a list taken from komonews' website with the records of how windy it got! Note that some speeds were before the power went out, which means that it got even windier! I wouldn't wanted to have been up on Chinook Pass where it got up to 113 MPH....that is strong enough to flatten me on my butt!

Check and see if your area is on here:


..WASHINGTON COAST

...TATOOSH ISLAND.....................78 MPH
QUILLAYUTE (FORKS).................59 MPH
DESTRUCTION ISLAND.................81 MPH
HUMPTULIPS.........................66 MPH
OCEAN SHORES.......................73 MPH
HOQUIAM............................59 MPH (BEFORE POWER OUTAGE)
GRAYS HARBOR.......................65 MPH

..STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA
...BUOY 88 NORTH OF DUNGENESS SPIT....67 MPH
EDIZ HOOK (PORT ANGELES)...........68 MPH
PORT TOWNSEND......................44 MPH
PORT ANGELES (AIRPORT).............52 MPH

..NORTH INTERIOR...
FERNDALE...........................45 MPH
SANDY POINT........................60 MPH
BELLINGHAM-JUST NE.................53 MPH
BELLINGHAM.........................55 MPH
BELLINGHAM-JUST SOUTH..............41 MPH
FRIDAY HARBOR AIRPORT..............55 MPH
PADILLA BAY NEAR BURLINGTON........85 MPH
BURLINGTON AIRPORT.................55 MPH
SMITH ISLAND.......................76 MPH
OAK HARBOR.........................69 MPH
COUPEVILLE.........................68 MPH

..GREATER PUGET SOUND REGION...
EVERETT............................66 MPH
PAINE FIELD-EVERETT................66 MPH
POINT NO POINT.....................51 MPH
POULSBO & HOOD CANAL BR............74 MPH
WOODINVILLE........................40 MPH
520 EVERGREEN POINT BRIDGE.........67 MPH
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON...........45 MPH
BELLEVUE-NEWCASTLE.................46 MPH
WEST POINT.........................70 MPH
BREMERTON..........................41 MPH
ALKI POINT.........................67 MPH
BOEING FIELD.......................56 MPH
SEA-TAC AIRPORT....................69 MPH
POINT ROBINSON.....................71 MPH
RENTON.............................51 MPH
MAPLE VALLEY.......................47 MPH
FAUNTLEROY.........................46 MPH
BLACK DIAMOND......................68 MPH
NORTH TACOMA.......................54 MPH
TACOMA (MCCHORD AFB)...............69 MPH
SHELTON AIRPORT....................55 MPH (BEFORE POWER OUTAGE)

..SOUTHWEST INTERIOR...
VAIL / THURSTON....................76 MPH
OLYMPIA AIRPORT ...................53 MPH (BEFORE POWER OUTAGE)MONTESANO..........................68 MPH
CENTRALIA..........................48 MPH

..CASCADES...
KIDNEY CREEK.......................68 MPH
CHINOOK PASS......................113 MPH (can you imagine being in this wind???!!!?)SNOQUALMIE PASS....................75 MPH
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN...................85 MPH
SUNRISE...........................100 MPH
PARADISE...........................81 MPH

Watch out for your hats!!!

UK Loans

Are you in a position where you need a loan? Are you going back to school? Buying a new car, a new home? Or are you trying to refinance that mortgage you already have? Do you simply need to combine all the debt you have into one loan? There is this site that deals with UK loans where you can get personal loans, secured loans, car loans, bad credit loans, debt consolidation loans and many other loans. However, what they do for you is a loan search. Meaning you give them a tidbit of information about your loan needs and they will search over 200 loan plans to find the one that is right for you? Imagine, they search over 200 loan plans. I know I don't have the time to individually go to 200 separate sites, compare the rates and details, and then make a sound decision....I would still be working on it six months later! They save you all that time and energy (which we all know is better spent channel surfing or shopping!), and still give you the same results you would have come up with....just a lot faster!

Christmas Countdown!

Only 9 days until Christmas....That means 8 more shopping days (for those of you who procrastinate until Christmas Eve!)

Only 3 more days until I leave for California....oh thank God for vacations! I'm so excited to be in warm weather, with my family, and simply being on vacation. Life is different when you have no responsibilities of regular life. I'm simply excited...now if i can just get everything done that needs to be done before I leave I'd be a happy camper.

....laundry
....pack
....meet with Dad to pick up Christmas presents
....work
....church/MC christmas reception
....hopefully visit my sister
....clean my bedroom, bathroom and downstairs
....clean my car
....hopefully work on Monday!
....sleep sometime
.....post office to mail Grandma/Grandpa present

.....and the list goes on

Ship Model

Are you looking for a fully assembled museum quality ship model of say a Viking Longship, the HMS Harvey ship or perhaps the USS Constellation? If so, this is the site for you. They have wonderfully crafted ship models that you can purchase. These are beautiful models that any collector would love to have in their home on display. Perhaps you work somewhere, and are trying to decide what piece of art might look best on display in your office, here you go...everyone who sees these will instantly be entranced! Of course, my favorite would be the Pirate Ship Xebec.....I can just imagine Captain Jack sailing into my life!

Weekend

How are you spending the next to last weekend before Christmas? Me? I am working, again! I worked all day yesterday helping my friend Barb cater a wedding (lucky for us the power didn't go out!)...fortunately, the wedding was just across the street from the house. Catering is a hard job, and a long job! My feet were killing me by the end of the night. I got up to help her around 8:30 and didn't get home until almost 11:30 last night.

Then tonight I am off to Seattle again to host a Christmas party for the event planning company I work for (Event Experience). Hosting isn't a terribly hard job, but it requires me to be there and to be in Seattle! Ugh, I hate driving to Seattle. I basically help get vendors and such set up. Chat with the MC for the evening, making sure he knows when things are happening. And making sure the client is happy. I sit around a lot during the actual event, eat a wonderfully catered dinner, and again make sure the client is happy when they leave for the evening.

Do you get the sense that I like people, as all my jobs revolve around talking to or helping people (radio, event planning, teaching....church....)! If you are having a Christmas party tonight, have fun and drive safely.

Christmas Online Games

Have you been good this year and sent out all your Christmas cards? You must not have, since I haven't received one from you yet! JK!!! Seriously, I have gotten so bad at sending Christmas cards the last few years. I used to be great....I would work for weeks creating and making my own, sending them out to all my friends and family, but then I got pooped out! Maybe I just got dispirited because of all the time and effort I put into it, and didn't see many cards come back to me! I know that isn't the reason we send cards though!

Now, I can send Christmas eCards, they aren't as personal, but they can be so much more fun!!! There is this site that offer Christmas eCards along with Christmas Online games...two for one fun! You can play all their Christmas online games, like the Greet Santa Game which requires you to grab presents from Santa and Frosty in order to win the level (but watch out for those sneaky penquins and teddy bears!). You can try a free 30-day trial, and a yearly membership is only $13.99. It allows you to send cards at scheduled times, so you can always be on time. Now, go get all your eCards sent out to friends and family.

Floods, Snow and Wind

Wow! We've had some interesting weather here in the NW within the last month. First it started with immense rain which caused flooding all over Western WA. I'm still seeing the effects of the floods as I drive around town. Some Christmas tree farms couldn't open this year as their farms were flooded....devastating for their business this year. Homes were washed away and people lost everything.

Then came a huge snowstorm a couple of weeks ago, which lasted a few days. This was just a pain in the neck. Schools, businesses....pretty much everything shut down for a few days. There was a Monday Night Seahawk game during this and it took people 5-6 hours to get home, IF they lived around here. There were some guys that game up from Portland, OR and it took them over 12 hours to get home! Ugh!!!

So the last couple of days we've had severe windstorms...which almost always means power outages. 1.5 million people between WA and OR lost power during the storm. We were one of the most fortunate as our little pocket of houses didn't lose power....everyone around us did, but we didn't!

If you were to ask my Grandpa Shorty about all the weird weather changes, he would tell you to brush up on your Bible reading. For it says in Revelation that the end times will bring different weather patterns and such!

LaserShield

Do you have children, parents, and loved animals that you want protected? Do you have valuables, memories and such that you want protected as well? Then you should check out this website that sell great security systems.

Do you currently have some type of home security system? Is it dependable? Does it have 24/7 monitoring services? If you have answered no to any of these questions, you should definitely check this site out.

No longer do you have to fight with systems that are hard to install (and then usually just sit there because you get so frustrated about installing it, that you don't end up doing it), or systems that can't be monitored 24/7....why wouldn't you 24/7 protection? What happens if your system is only monitored at night and something happens in the daytime....that would suck! These systems are easily found at stores such as: Comp USA, Home Depot, Costco, Sears and other places. Get one now for the security and safety of you and your loved ones.

Dark and Dreary

Ugh....at 2 o'clock this afternoon I was in science class and looking out at the window....it was already dark and dreary by then. The rain is falling once again. I have been so tired lately, and I'm beginning to think that it has a lot to do with the weather around here. I have been working, so I have been getting up and getting out of the house. I have been getting plenty of sleep. I have been eating well. I am just so tired and constantly dragging, and people are mentioning how tired I look. Is anyone else feeling this way? Is it truly the weather? Am I going to get better next week?

UGH....I'm beginning to severly dislike rain!

Toner Cartridges

Everyone in America has something that they need to print.....term papers, worksheets, notes, whatever, and what do you need to print all those papers? A printer and TONER! I have worked at some places where finding the right toner cartridges for your printer are absolutely hellacious. There is this site that has a very extensive collection of cartridges for you to purchase. Not only do they sell cartridges, but you can find fax supplies and ribbons for registers for all major brands. So if you've been having a hard time finding the right cartridge check them out.

Charlie Daniels

OMG, it's Thursday and I totally forgot to tell you all who I met on Sunday night. Sheesh....I'm getting old! Not all of you will be impressed, but I was!

I got to meet Charlie Daniels. Yep, the guy that sings, "Devil went down to Georgia"! He was playing at the Emerald Queen Casino and I was working that night. Our tech guy Jay was very nice and let me go backstage with the extra backstage pass we had! Thanks Jay!!!!

We also chose this random couple to go back with us, and they were awesome! They hadn't been out on a date since their 8 year old was a baby, they had five kids, and it was her first concert....and they got to meet Charlie. They were estactic. It's always fun to see people experience concerts and meeting celebrities that actually appreciate it.

I am just waiting for the Casino to upload pictures from that night, which might take awhile!

Life Settlement Services

Are you a senior who has a life insurance policy that you no longer need, and want to sell? Are you a younger person who has seniors in their life that are trying to help them get the maximum of money out of their life insurance policy instead of the typical small surrender value that most life insurance companies offer? There are many reasons why a senior would need to sell their life insurance, and there is a website that can help you out. They specialize in viatical/life settlements from life insurance policies. It's easy to go on put your information into the life policy value calculator to determine how much you could possibly receive back.

Support Letter

Rachel A. McAskill
601 9th Ave SE
Puyallup WA 98372
206-276-9332

Family and Friends— Greetings from the Pacific NW! First of all, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Isn't great to know that we can proclaim the reason we celebrate this wonderful season? That is the birth of Jesus Christ.

I want to share with all of you that I am once again heading back to SE Asia in February. The Masters Commission (an internship program) that I help with at my church is going to Singapore, Thailand, and Borneo. We have 31 team members that will be leaving on Sunday, February 4, 2007, and returning Wednesday, February 21, 2007. The last two years we have able to spend time in various churches in Malaysia and Indonesia. This year we are branching out a bit further and visiting churches, bible colleges and orphanages in Bangkok, Thailand and at Mt. Hope Orphanage in Borneo. Through the generosity of many people, we have been able to feed hundreds of families in; provide fresh water and basic living necessities; buy new instruments for a Bible College; and bring suitcases full of clothes and toiletries, most of which went to clothe children in orphanages. Thank you to all of you who have donated to our efforts, the smiles and hugs that we received were wonderful! We serve a great God.

As I said, this year we will be heading into Bangkok, Thailand, which is the center for child prostitution. One of our main goals while in Bangkok, is to simply find the areas where children live and feed them and love on them every morning we are visiting their country. We want them to know that there are people and more importantly a God who loves them more than those who place them into prostitution. We will also be going into more orphanages and simply loving on children, telling them of God’s love, and hopefully leaving money to see to the basic necessities of life.

We have had so many great opportunities over the last few years to touch lives throughout SE Asia. One gentleman on our team brought teaching materials to a Bible College last year, not knowing why but being obedient to the Holy Spirit. The leader of that Bible College happened to mention in conversation with our leader that he was looking for teching materials on leadership....the EXACT materials our leader brought with him!!!! God knew, and therefore, those teaching materials were left there in Bali, and our leader sent further materials and books upon his arrival back in the States! He sends us to teach and equip!

The cost of my trip is $3000, all of which I have to raise on my own. I know that God provides for my every need, and that I don't need outside help. However, God has also shown me throughout the years to accept the blessings that people give monetarily. I am asking that you prayerfully considering sponsoring my trip to SE Asia. All donations are tax deductible, if the check is written to Puyallup Foursquare Church.

Please mail all donations to:

Rachel McAskill
Puyallup Foursquare Church
601 9th Ave SE
Puyallup WA 98372

I understand that not all of you are able to help monetarily; however, all your prayers are coveted and much appreciated. Once again, thank you for your support. May God’s blessing be on each and every one of you as we share God’s love in places around the world!

Love and Blessings
Rachel

Dell Coupon and Deals

I would really like to buy myself a computer (I use somone else's right now), preferably a laptop since I travel so much. I have heard about all the computers out there, especially Dell computers. Right now is the time to buy one as this website has a great Dell coupon. Not only do they have great deals, but the website updates hourly with new deals. They have Dell notebook computers ranging in price from $549 to $969....under a $1000 bucks....wow! If anyone is planning on buying someone a Dell computer for Christmas, this would be the site to visit.

Here is a better picture of me and my new glasses! I went down to the church today and not one person noticed that I was wearing glasses. Either I don't go down enough, or they aren't very observant. I tend to notice things like that and give a compliment. Oh well, I wasn't there to go fishing for compliments! Just thought I'd share this picture as I like it better!

There are only 12 days until Christmas! Are you ready?

Sedona, AZ

Do you feel the need to retreat somewhere warm, since we are being deluged with rain and cold weather again? How bout heading south to Sedona, AZ. Southwest Inn at Sedona, combination bed and breakfast / Small luxury hotel is a wonderful and affordable place to stay while visiting Sedona. This inn has been voted three years running at the best place to stay in Sedona by the Sedona Spectrum Magazine...way to go!

This inn has wondeful amnities and the rooms sound gorgeous with tvs, dvd/vcrs, high speed internet and more importantly a FIREPLACE. That sounds so warm right now!

Friends

Jess...this is for you! I am meeting a great friend from my college years....we have stayed friends for a decade now! Sarah is my once every 2-3 months girlfriend dinner buddy. We are getting together tomorrow for our own Christmas dinner, and we are going to my favorite restaurant in the whole world!!!!.......Chang's Mongolian Grill in Kent! OMG....to die for. It is a buffet Mongolian place where you pick your own food and they cook it! Yum...I can't wait.

So, back to my friend Sarah. I love Sarah for so many reasons. The biggest one is that she is always encouraging, with never a word on condemnation or condescention (spelling?). When I dream dreams...she dreams right along with me. She encourages me to go for those things that seem way out there. She believes that if I can dream of something then I can make it happen. She is absolutely the best person to have in your corner rooting for you! She is also just fun to hang out with and talk to. I know that I can share things with Sarah, and they will stay with her. She also feeds my Archie comicbook fetish!

When I was going to college, and even afterwards (since I couldn't finish where I started due to finances) I wondered why God called me to attend Northwest College for the brief time I was there. I believe one of the simplest reasons I was there was to establish friendships that would last a lifetime. In addition to Sarah, there is a group of us from college that still remains friends and amazingly enough get together (not as often anymore as we have moved further away from one another). This group isn't just one or two of us, but there is probably close to 20 of us that claim friendship from college. We started together in August 1996, graduated in 2000 and still remain friends in 2006...almost 2007. You may only one or two truly good friends throughout your life, and you had better be grateful for the ones God places in your path. Cultivate those relationships and water them so they grow into Godly mature friendships that will withstand the tests and trials of life.

Online Dating

So how does a 30'something single Christian gal get a date in this mad, mad world of dating? Do you simply rely on finding someone at church? Hmmm....I've been going to the same church for almost 6 years and nothing! Do I go to the bars and find someone? Yeah, not my thing. Another option is online dating. So, I'm not fully convinced that this is the way to go...and I have thought about it....there is this site I found that gives dating site reviews. They themselves are not an online dating service, but they give reviews about the online dating services out there. This might relieve some fears about this, maybe not. But there is a site for 30+ Christians!

Me!

Ok, so it's not the greatest picture. What do you expect at 10:00 o'clock at night? See me in my new Cosmopolitan (yeah, snazzy) glasses. It is really hard getting used to these things again. My vision is off because I no longer have a lens right up against my eyeball, so my peripheal vision is off. I also have to physically move my head and not just my eyeballs! Oh well. I'm hoping that by wearing my glasses more my eyes will get healthier....they need to be able to breathe for awhile!! Believe me they look much cuter in person than in this picture!

Contact Lenses

So yes, I have bad vision...I think I mentioned that just a few minutes ago. Well, until I jump into Lasik I will continue to wear my contacts. I currently wear Accuvue 2 and Accuvue Oasys...these are great contacts. Comfortable, long lasting, durable and cost effecient. This contact site talks about all Accuvue contacts including Acuvue Advance for Astigmatism, as well as Bausch & Lomb, Biomedics, CIBA Vision, CooperVision, and Fresh Looks. Each brand has its own benefits....finding the right contacts can be hard, but once you do you will be estactic about how well you can see. This site can help you research all these contacts, but you will need to visit an eye doctor to determine if you need speciality contacts such as the astigmatism contacts.

Lizzie Bolden

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bolden, recognized as the world's oldest person, died Monday in a nursing home, the home's administrator said. She was 116. Bolden was born Aug. 15, 1890, according to the Gerontology Research Group, a Los Angeles organization that tracks the ages of the world's oldest people.

Guinness World Records recognized Bolden as the oldest person in the world in August after the death of Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador, who also was 116. Bolden died at the Mid-South Health and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home where she had been living for several years, said the center's administrator, Charlotte Pierce. Bolden suffered a stroke in 2004, and her family said she spoke little after that and slept much of the time.

Emiliano Mercado del Toro, 115, of Puerto Rico is now expected assume the title of world's oldest person, said Robert Young, a Guinness researcher. The Gerontology Research Group lists Toro's date of birth as Aug. 21, 1891.

Family members said this year that Bolden had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great grandchildren and 75 great-great-great-great grandchildren.

Lasik Eye Surgery

I have terrible vision. I just recently had my eyes checked again, and they didn't miraculously go back to perfect vision. Because of my vision, I have considered Lasik for quite some time know. It is hard to come to this decision though, as you are performing surgery on a very delicate portion of your body (and if it fails you could lose your vision). However, I have a few friends that have done it and they have sung highet praise for Lasik Surgery. As I get closer to this decision I am looking for a certified doctor. This site shows certified doctors for this surgery. In fact, there is a certified doctor in my area that I might need to meet sometime. Till then, I will continue to research this surgery and make sure all my questions are answered before undertaking this life changing surgery.

Truffles

I am going to attempt to make Truffles today. I know I am not Betty Crocker, but I have a very simple recipe that doesn't seem hard to mess up. It basically is semi-sweet chocolate chips, vanilla and condensed milk...melt together...refrigerate till firm and then roll in unsweetened cocoa powder, powedered sugar, coconut, nuts, sprinkles...whatever. Sounds easy right? I'll let you know tonight how they turned out.

I'm making these for a few people for Christmas presents! So they have to be somewhat edible! I'm going to package them in cute little tins and give them out this week!

Toys for Tots

Here is a great opportunity for you to help Vimo raise money for Toys for Tots! There is a Toys for Tots campaign at Vimo right now! Vimo is this great site that allows you and me to go on and rate our doctors on their performance. Doesn't that sound simple? And not only are you rating doctors so people have accurate information about the doctors in our areas, but for doctor rating through the month of December Vimo is donating $1 to the US Marine Reserve Toys For Tots Program up to $100,000. Imagine how many children that would help this Christmas season. It cost you nothing and takes minimal amount of time. Get to it, what are you waiting for?!?

Christmas Pictures

UGH!!! I just printed out those lovely MC pictures I took for our Christmas card and they all came out crappy!!!! They look nice on the computer, but once printed they are grainy and have lines. The lady at the store was explaining to me that with digital cameras you can't zoom in too much because then you hit the digital side of you camera instead of the optical (wait a minute don't I have a digital camera? So why is this not working?) Anyways, for cards that are to be done by Sat morning, I have nothing, nada, zip, zilch...you get the picture (heh, heh, pun intended)....so we have to take them again on Tuesday which means Thursday and early Sat morning I'll be making 100 Christmas cards. I'm not complaining, because once I have the pictures and I cut out the paper it goes by very fast it's just a time issue now!!!!!!

Resort Condo Vacations

As you know, I am ALL about lying around on a beach in some part of the world that offers warm weather (i.e. the sun actually shines at temperatures of 75 degrees and higher), warm water (ONLY the ocean works here), good food and drinks (Long Island Ice Tea), friendly locals (NOT the crazies hounding you on the beach to buy this or that), and GOOD DEALS!!!!

One of my favorite places to go is Disneyland or even better, Disneyworld! This website as great vacation resorts at awesome prices! How bout the Bahama Bay Resort in Disneyworld for $99 a night for their 2 or 3 bedroom units. Now people these aren't your basic hotels, these are condo resorts for hotel prices! Let's go to the Beach! They also have fantastic deals at the Sheraton-Westin Resorts which are great places to stay!

Playing Hooky

Ok, it is one thing to play hooky from work or school, but I played hooky from church today! Ah...I haven't done this in months. But you know sometimes you just need to take a break. Really though the only reason I skipped is because I was so dog gone tired. I had to host a Christmas Party in the U-District (Seattle for you out-of-towners) for work last night. The party was supposed to be over at 11pm, and yeah, they didn't leave until almost Midnight. Luckily, I don't ever need to clean anything or tear anything down...but, I do have to wait for the client to leave! Then I had to drive home, singing at the top of my lungs, and praying that I would stay awake the whole way home.

It was a fun party! We had Game Show Mania...our MC, Brandon, played a game show with them and handed out prizes. Amazing some of the answers and some of the things people will do when they have a bit (or a lot) of alcohol in them!

It also seems weird to me to attend all these holiday parties for work, and never actually go to my own holiday party. So if anyone has a holiday party I can be invited to as a guest, I'd come! :) Merry Christmas!

Get Paid to Blog

Get paid to blog! Do you love to write? Then join payperpost where you get paid to blog. It's simple. They have a new affliate referral program, so if you are interested click the PPP badge on my sidebar and it will walk you through the sign up process. It's fast and it's super simple. All it takes is a few minutes each day. I started in October and have already made over $500. Come on, I'm sure you need extra spending money for something! Down payment on kid's new braces? Have your eye on a set of new golf clubs! How bout a night out on the town with your honey! Here you go, have at it! Plus, just think you'll be helping me out as well!!! They have a wonderful referral program in place, so every time someone signs up and uses my name (use: rachelannmac@hotmail.com) I get paid as well! Then you can do the same thing...get all your friends, family, perfect strangers, the lady down at the grocery store...anyone to sign up...blog and get paid! Right now this is going great for me as I am going to be gone for three weeks in February to SE Asia...so this money is going to help pay bills while I'm gone.

Twelve Days of Christmas

On the Twelve Days of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me . . .

December 14, 2006

Dearest Dave,

I went to the door today, and the postman delivered a partridge in a pear tree. This was a delightful gift! I couldn't have been more surprised or pleased darling!

With truly the deepest love,
Agnes

December 15, 2006

Dearest Dave,

Today the postman brought me yet another of your sweet gifts. The two turtule doves that arrived today are adorable, and I'm delighted by your thoughtful and generous ways.

With all of my love,
Your Agnes

December 16, 2006

Dearest Dave,

You've truly been too kind! I must protest; I don't deserve such generosity. The thought of getting three French hens amazes me. Yet, I am not surprised--what more should I expect from such a nice person.

Love,
Agnes

December 17, 2006

Dear Dave,

Four calling birds arrived in the mail today. They are truly nice but don't you think that enough is enough? You are being too romantic.

Affectionately,
Agnes

December 18, 2006

Dearest darling Dave,

It was a surprise to get five golden rings! I now have one for every finger. You truly are impossible darling, yet oh how I love it! Quite frankly, all of those squarking birds from the previous days were starting to get on my nerves. Yet, you managed to come through with a beautiful valuable gift!

All my love,
Agnes

December 19, 2006

Dear Dave,

When I opened my door, there were actually six geese a-laying on my front steps. So you're back to the birds again, huh? Those geese are dear, but where will I keep them? The neighbors are complaining, and I am unable to sleep with all the racket. Please stop dear.

Cordially,
Agnes

December 20, 2006

Dave,

What is with you and those stupid birds!? Seven swans a-swimming!! What kind of sick joke is this!!?? There are bird droppings everywhere! They never shut up, and I don't get any sleep!!! I'm a nervous wreck! It's not funny you weirdo, so stop with the birds.

Sincerely,
Agnes

December 21, 2006

O.K. wise guy,

The birds were bad enough. Now what do you expect me to do with eight maids a-milking? If that's not bad enough, they had to bring their cows!! The front lawn was completely ruined by them, and I can't move in my own house! Just lay off me or you'll be sorry!

Agnes

December 22, 2006

Hey loser,

What are you? You must be some kind of sadist!! Now there are nine pipers playing, and they certainly do play! They haven't stopped chasing those maids since they got here! The cows are getting upset, and they're stepping all over those screeching birds. The neighbors are getting up a petition to evict me, and I'm going out of my mind!You'll get yours!

Agnes

December 23, 2006

You rotten scum!!!There are now ten ladies dancing! There is only one problem with that! They're dancing twenty-four hours a day all around me with the pipers upsetting the cows and the maids. The cows can't sleep, and they are going to the bathroom everywhere! The building commissioner has subpoenaed me to give cause as to why the house shouldn't be condemned! I can't even think of a reason! You creep! I'm sicking the police on you!

One who means it!

December 24, 2006

Listen you evil, sadistic, maniac!

What's with the eleven lords-a-leaping?!? They are leaping across the rooms breaking everything and even injuring some of the maids! The place smells, is an absolute mad house, and is about to be condemned! At least the birds are quiet; they were trampled to death by the cows. I hope you are satisfied--you rotten vicious worthless piece of garbage!

Your sworn enemy,
Agnes

December 25, 2006

The Law Offices of Badger, Rees, and Yorker
20 Knave Street
Chicago, Illinois

Dear sir,

This is to acknowledge your latest gift of twelve fiddlers-fiddling which you have seen fit to inflict on our client, one Agnes Mcholstein. The destruction of course was total. If you attempt to reach Ms. Mcholstein at Happy Daze Sanatarium, the attendants have instructions to shoot you on site. Please direct all correspondence to this office in the future. With this letter, please find attached a warrant for your arrest.

Cordially,
Badger, Rees, and Yorker