It’s My Imagination

American Idol Visits Puerto Rico

January 29, 2009 on 10:15 pm | In Entertainment | Comments Off

This show was a lot of fun to watch. I was surprised at how many people went to Puerto Rico from the mainland U.S. to attend the American Idol tryouts. What a beautiful place to be with all the gorgeous beaches. In the end, they chose 9 people to go on to Hollywood.

8 Random Things About Me – A Meme

January 25, 2009 on 1:45 pm | In Blogging, My Imagination | Comments Off

One blogger I visit on a regular basis has tagged me for a meme and I have to tell you, I had so much fun reading her 8 Random Things post that I knew I had to participate. I’m not sure my responses will be quite as entertaining as those of FeeFiFoto, but I’ll give it a shot!

1. I only began sewing on a regular basis when I purchased my new Viking sewing machine less than 3 years ago.  Since purchasing that machine, I have grown to love sewing and creating new things out of fabric.  I actually purchased my new machine because I had begun to make costumes for my daughter, at her request, and I was using a machine that was about 25 years old.  I just wanted something new!
2. My love of sewing also stems from the fact that, for years, I was “dragged” along by my mom to go visit quilt shops.  She is a wonderful quilter who creates beautiful quilts both by hand and on the machine.  I would go into the quilt shops and be somewhat bored because I had nothing to do but look at the fabrics.  After purchasing my new sewing machine, I had a different outlook the next time I walked through the doors of a quilt shop.  I found a wonderful pattern for a small tote bag, picked out some fabric and, the rest is history.
3. In case you’re wondering or not familiar, my sewing is showcased on my other blog, The Sewing Mom.
4. I enjoy playing Wii games with my daughter.  Truth be told, I think I enjoy them as much as she does.  The 2 we play the most are Animal Crossing and Mario Kart.  I realize they suck up a lot of time, but we have fun anyway!  My daughter consistently wins any game we play together, but at least we’re playing together!  Growing up, I had always wanted a handheld Nintendo game in order to play things like Tetrus.  I never did get one, but I was more than happy to buy one for my daughter many years later!
5. I have been married for over 22 years.  We held our wedding aboard The Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA and spent our 1st night as a married couple in one of the ships state rooms before heading off to Maui for our honeymoon.
6. My Dad taught me to fish and hunt when I was a kid.  I’m not so sure that I really truly enjoyed either of those things, but I do know that have I have wonderful memories of spending time with him.  He tended to drag us kids to some very out of the way fishing holes and I will never forget those experiences.
7. I attended boarding school in Texas from 9-12th grades.  My parents were working overseas and there was no school.  It was a very difficult time for me, I hated being away from my mom and dad.  To this day, I have no idea how my mom handled it.  My daughter is in 7th grade now and I can’t imagine being 3000 miles away from her, ever.  Things worked out in the end and I am very close to my mom.  I also think that my sisters and I have a closer relationship than we may have otherwise because I turned to them during those years when I needed anything.  They are 5 and 6 years older than me and were both married during my high school years.
8. I have a case of forgetfulness.  You can tell me something right now and 10 minutes from now I will have forgotten it.  I HAVE to write things down or I will forget.

These are the rules for this meme:

1. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

5. For the recipients, leave a comment for the person who tagged you, so they can go and read your answers. Let the fun begin. Tell me more about yourselves so I can get to know you better…

I’m breaking a rule here by not tagging anyone, however, please feel free to play along if you like.  If you do, let me know and I will add your link to this post. 

Getting Finances in Order Without Government Bailout

January 19, 2009 on 5:16 pm | In Finance | Comments Off

I have to say, I’ve all but stopped watching the evening news because of all the negative news, particularly in regards to the economy. I receive my 401k statements in the mail and my retirement funds are taking a nose dive. The company my husband works for has stopped giving quarterly bonuses. I was laid off from my job in October (the good news is that I was just called back). I see on the news that people across the country are losing their homes and that mortgages, auto loans and credit card applications are being scrutinized in a way never before seen. I don’t need the nightly news to tell me things are bad, I see it every where I turn.

I think the one thing I’ve been able to take away from all that I’ve seen and heard is that it is crucial that we be our own financial advisors and seek help when we need to from the professionals. No matter how much professional help we get though, it’s up to us to get our finances in order and keep them there. There are of course many ways to do this such as diversifying our retirement portfolios and possibly even refinancing our mortgages to get lower rates and/or reduced monthly payments.

Another option that many people over look is reviewing our credit cards. Of course it’s important to review monthly statements for accuracy, but it’s also a good idea to review features of any credit card such as interest rate, annual fees and loyalty programs. These points are always good to review whether applying for a new card or considering what to do with a current account.

So, while I do have a professional reviewing my 401K and IRA, I am responsible for ALL of my financial decisions, including my credit cards. This really is an excellent time to get your finances in order and because we’re sure not getting any government bailout, but who knows, if we all get our finances cleaned up, maybe the economy will start to turn around.

Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

January 19, 2009 on 4:49 pm | In Entertainment | 2 Comments

I received the following in an email and thought I would share. 

1. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by
getting someone else to hold the vegetables while
you chop.

2. Avoid arguments with the females about lifting the
toilet seat by using the sink.

3. For high blood pressure sufferers ~ simply cut
yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing
the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer.

4. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will
prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep
after you hit the snooze button.

5. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of
laxatives. Then you’ll be afraid to cough.

6. You only need two tools in life – wd-40 and duct
tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the wd-40.
If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape.

7. If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you’ve got an
electrical problem.

Daily thought: some people are like slinkies – not
really good for anything …..but they bring a smile
to your face when pushed down the stairs!

Commuting to Work

January 15, 2009 on 8:17 am | In Some of This Some of That | 1 Comment

I started back to work this past Monday and have been discouraged by all the road construction in the area.  A drive that should take no more than 40-45 minutes is now taking me over an hour and it doesn’t help that there are so many rude and inconsiderate drivers in our area.

Yesterday, I managed to find a new route that takes me directly to the toll road while bypassing the local highway that has lane and onramp closures due to construction.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that it still adds time because it is a longer route and I am utilizing more surface roads which also means more traffic lights.

Every day I am stunned by the number of drivers that either don’t want to let you merge into their lane or simply cut you off.   I am a fairly calm driver and don’t want to have to look for auto body shops Portland or anywhere else. In fact, my husband was heading to a doctor’s appointment yesterday afternoon and as he was going through an intersection, someone ran a red light and almost plowed into our van. I’m telling you, this would definitely NOT be a good time for us financially to have to deal with an auto accident, even though we do have insurance.

Anyway, I’m going to try my new route again this morning, and, I am also going to leave the house about 10 minutes earlier. Hopefully that will give me the extra time I need and I won’t run into additional traffic.

Wordless Wednesday – Sunrise

January 14, 2009 on 8:13 am | In Some of This Some of That | 5 Comments

I know this is supposed to be wordless, but I just have to apologize as this photo really was unable to capture the true beauty of the sunrise looking out my back window one Sunday morning in December. I remember being in total awe of all the pink, blue and purple hues that appeared over the roof tops. It was absolutely calming and invigorating at the same time.

Good morning to you all!

Head to Branson to Escape Winter

January 13, 2009 on 7:14 pm | In travel | Comments Off

I just have to share this with you. I just learned of this phenomenal Hilton Branson Escape Package. A winter escape sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Think about it. We’ve all just come off of one of the most enjoyable yet stressful times of the year and many people are still contending with stressful weather conditions. Wouldn’t it be awesome to leave all the stress behind and head to Branson, Missouri for some major pampering and relaxation?!

The Hilton Branson Escape Package is available at either the The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel from February 5-8, 2009. This package deal is amazing because it includes deluxe accommodations, a complimentary movie, drinks for two and even breakfast. It’s all included for the amazing deal of only $79 per night! I’d be shocked to find that kind of deal anywhere, much less at one of these beautiful Hilton hotels.

Now, just imagine yourself enjoying all of the amenities that the hotels have to offer. I think a day at the spa with a nice massage would be pretty nice and follow that with a bottle of wine while maybe sitting in a whirlpool. If we wanted to leave the hotel we could head over and take a relaxing dinner cruise on Lake Taneycomo and then we could even watch the Branson Landing Fountain Show, a beautiful display of water and fire. Really, there are so many things to do in Branson, we can be as busy as we want to be, or not!

American Idol – It’s Back!

January 13, 2009 on 5:43 pm | In Entertainment | Comments Off

It’s that time of year, time to see all those people who think they’re the next American Idol, line about for blocks around the country just to have their moment in the lime light.  That’s right, American Idol Season 8 premiers tonight.

It’s hard for me to believe this is actually the 8th round for this show.  My daughter and I didn’t watch it the first couple of seasons, so maybe that’s why it doesn’t seem like it’s been around for 8 years.  Nevertheless, it is airing tonight and I am going into the family room right now to set our TIVO for a season pass!

Movie Possibilities

January 12, 2009 on 9:13 am | In Entertainment, news | Comments Off

It’s that time of year when the entertainment talk turns to the Golden Globes.  The winners have now all been announce and they include such names as Kate Winslet who won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress and said she was honored.  Mickey Rourke won the Best Actor award for his work in the movie Wrestling.

There are many other categories that I won’t go in to here, the winners are posted all over the internet so I don’t want to sound redundant.  I do have to say though that the Best Picture award in the drama category went to Slumdog Millionaire, a movie I have never heard of.  Not that I’m always in the main stream of things, but it got me to thinking about other potential future films.

Just one example would be the story of Holodomor, the great hunger and famine that affected a majority of the then Soviet Union during the period of 1932-33 and caused millions of people to suffer and even die.  This is truly a story of not only human sufferin, but the affects of communist government, possibly showing it at its darkest.

I’m not really sure why that particular subject popped into my head, but I do think it’s an important time in history that should never be forgotten so that it is never repeated.

Sleep Deprived

January 11, 2009 on 8:16 am | In Family Health | 4 Comments

It’s a simple question, will someone please answer it?

Why is it that during the week, I cannot wake up and have several times slept past 7 a.m. when I am supposed to be getting up at 6:30.  Then the weekend comes, I go to bed around the same time, but wake up at 6 a.m. and cannot for the life of me get back to sleep. WHY?!

I am sitting here now watching the sun come up. It’s beautiful, but why couldn’t I have slept for another hour while it was still dark outside?  Do I need to see a doctor or is this a Doogie Howser question?