AF FINALLY!

Well, I got my good ole' period today as we were doing some geocaching! Go figure, we're at Stewart park looking under some logs and I feel cramps. I go to the bathroom and she's baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I called up the doctor's office and I am suppose to come in Monday for an u/s and b/w.

It looks like I might be able to still get into retrieval by the 10th with Dr. K. If not though, I was told that I can go to Dr. G in Albany.

What a huge relief.

I can't tell you how happy I was to see that I had gotten my period! Forget not being prepared and wearing white shorts!

Love bites!

I remember when I was younger listening to the Def Leppard tape when I was babysitting. My parents, of course, would never let me get the tape because it was too "heavy".

You bet when I got my iPod Def Leppard was one of the first groups that I downloaded onto it!

Now, Def Leppard is back and better than ever! They are on tour and you can get def leppard concert tickets.

TicketSolutions.com offers a great variety of tickets to choose from and they have some of the best seats still available for the world tour of Def Leppard!

Got credit?

When I first moved to New York I had a handful of credit cards with balances and no income! Talk about a bad situation!!

Eventually, we were able to pay off the cards - only to add more when we went through infertility treatments!

Now there's help with credit cards for people with bad credit!

CreditCardSearchEngine.com is an easy to use website that allows you to search through creditors who are willing to offer credit to people who have bad credit.

There are such things as second chances!!

Many times after experiencing bad credit it is important to re-establish yourself and have a credit card or two. Over the years of paying the bills on time and being a loyal customer you will see your credit score increase!

I married her.

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CD 35.

I seriously can't believe after all I've done I still don't have my period. How in the hell could that be?

The meds that I took could make a man have a period! What's up with my body?

I called the RE yesterday and they are really trying to work with me and get me into the cycle. They said call back today and then they'll give me directions from here. The whole idea was that if they extend it another day hopefully, I'll get my period and be able to cycle.

Not the case.

I had some strong uterine contractions last night and each time I have one I rush to the bathroom. I also had some BMs which tend to get things going.

We were suppose to do the deed last night but we both fell asleep.

Are you a gamer?

We sure are! Just this past weekend I became addicted to the new Wii Super Paper Mario game. It reminded me of the old game but the graphics are better, the story line is great, and I LOVE MARIO!

I have other friends who have sworn off Wii and Playstation and are addicted to the War Craft games online.

Vector Tower Defense is one of the best kept secrets on GamingTags.com! The website is full of great gaming information that will help the most avid gamer.

Vector TD has received a lot of press lately for being one of the best tower defense games out there. Good thing GamingTags.com keeps us posted on the features and benefits of the game!

This post sponsored by: GamingTags.com

It's over.

Well, AF never made her appearance and my doctor's office is about to close in thirty minutes.

I'm totally bummed and wish that everything I would have done would have finally made me have a period.

I guess at this point I should just let nature kick in and stop stressing. I mean there's really nothing I can do now. Plus, if it goes 2 more weeks without coming then I won't have to get on the dreadful birth control pill.

This sucks.

Need help deciding?

When we were looking for washers a few weeks ago we had no idea where to start. We knew we wanted a top of the line but equally important were the different reviews from people that already owned the machines.

We tried to get reviews online but all of them seemed hard to get to, too old, and one website even wanted to charge us to view the reviews! How silly is that?

We looked at both Whirlpool and Maytag washing machines and decided to go with the Whirlpool because Lowes had the best deal.

Krillion.com offers a great website where they review most appliances out there. I like the fact that they give the pros and cons. All of this information can really help when making a big investment like a washer, dryer, or fridge!

Skate or die?

When I was in middle school I was really into skate boarding. I had a vison street wear board and even had the matching shoes! There were a few skate shops in Houston the I frequented and all of meager earnings went towards trucks, wheels, and a new board!

It's nice to see that somethings over the years haven't been lost!

When I was teaching a few weeks ago I noticed that students were still skateboarding and even using rollerblades! Of course, I'm sure that the high school principal wishes it wasn't on the railings!

123skate.com is a great website where people can get just about anything with wheels! They have skate boards, rollerblades, and heelys (which are the skates that look like shoes!)

Just the other day we drove by the skate park and Grammy pointed out that the kids were skateboarding. I told her when she gets older that Mama will take her to the skate park.

I better start investing now in some good pads and protective gear!

This post sponsored by: 123Skate.com

What am I going to do with myself?

So far it's been a pretty slow day! I haven't had too many blogging offers and I've been tempted to actually watch a little television.

Would that be so bad?

I figure I have to catch up to two episodes of "Drive" before I can watch the next shows that are coming in a few weeks!

God knows, I can never watch those shows when Graem is around!

Watch out Harley!

When we were younger we used to have motorcycles. They were perfect for getting around a college campus and we were able to park right at the door of our classes on the Cornell campus.

Plus, the parking permit was an affordable $50 for a lifetime pass!

We had a great time riding the bikes and aside from the occassional spill that I would have we enjoyed our time on the open road.

Margot went to the motorcycle class and she was a really good and safe driver. I didn't go to the class cause I figured I could pick it up. Sure enough, one afternoon in the parking lot with a bike and I got the hang of it!

Now, I didn't say that I was the best biker in the world....

We had an old Honda 250 and a Yamaha 450 Maxim. I was more comfortable on the Honda 250, but felt ridiculous riding this motorcycle that was a step up from a scooter!

Building A Custom Chopper Frame is made simple on Custom-choppers-guide.com! They take you step by step through how to make your frame.

In fact, even though I'm not very mechanical it looks easy enough!

I'd love to have a customized bike in a few years. That way I can have it fit perfectly and even though I'm a big girl and can't handle a huge bike... it won't look like I'm driving a Vespa!

Are you looking for someone?

I am constantly looking for people that I went to high school with. I'm not even sure I want to talk to them...I just want to know where they live, what they do, and if they are married or have kids.

My high school offers a pretty good alumni website but many people have yet to sign up.

That is why I am really glad to come across Peoplefinderpages.com. You can do a search on people with their first name, last name, city and state. It will give you results within seconds.

This is one feature of the website but the other feature is you can actually get background checks too!

I did a search for my father on the database and it came back with a few options. The great thing is that it lists the different people's ages. So by process of illumination I know that my father is the 52 year old Gary Black that's listed.

I can get a comprehensive background check of my father for $39.95 and for $20 more I can get his national criminal records, corporation records, or professional license records.

This could get very interesting, indeed!

This might be the perfect tool for running on potential babysitters! It's important to know who might be watching over our most prized posession!

Gold is forever.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold bullion! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value.

Monex Deposit Company offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

I didn’t realize this but Monex Deposit Company (MDC) is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Home alone?

There are very few times when I actually have the house to myself.

Today is one of those days!

Graem is at school and I ran the errands I had to do. Now, I'm at home for the rest of the afternoon and I'll hopefully be able to get some good blogging offers since I can devote all of my time to it!

Shit.

Well, it looks like I'm pretty much screwed for getting my cycle started in the next few days. I was so excited and actually felt so positiive going forward.

Now of course...I feel like crap.

My body has once again fucked everything up and I still don't have my period.

I've tried everything including, drugs, sex, herbs, and acupuncture. I even went to a website that discussed how to have a home abortion and I've been using those remedies.

I realize it's not totally bad and it's not like I'm *not* going to do it...but I just feel disappointed.

Plus, God only knows when my next period will be.

I just hope that this time when they put me on the pill I don't have a bad reaction like last time and end up in the emergency room because I'm losing too much blood.

Going back?

I have thought about going back to school to get my Masters of Business Administration. At one point I figured that would really help me get back into the corporate world after taking my little hiatus to raise kids.

When I looked online I was overwhelmed by all of the advertisements and I even signed up for a few different places to send information.

Before I knew it I had online schools from all over that were hounding me day and night! It was really overwhelming and I learned my lesson the hard way!

Now, there's a better way to look at all of the different schools offered online. DirectoryOfSchools.com is a great website that easy to use and you can search for the school that is perfect for your needs.

It takes you directly to their website where you can get the information you need.

Friggin' body.

I can't tell you how pissed I am at my body. Once again it has let me down and I haven't gotten my period. We have tried absolutely everything this weekend and I even feel like I'm getting cramps only to find nothing.

I've got to get my period over the next few days or else I'll have to wait to do the IVF cycle that I've been so excited about.

Why can't anything ever go as planned?

This just friggin' sucks.

Keep more of your cash?

I love getting a good deal on a quality product! If I buy something online I typically research it for a week or so to make sure that I'm getting a good deal.

Even when it comes to a $6.00 shirt on eBay...I want to make sure that there's not a shirt for $5.99!

KeepCash.com is a new website that offers some great deals and coupons from my favorite websites!



Since we've been in the market for a handheld GPS I can attest to the great Staples deals that they are offering!

Right now they have a COLOR GPS system delivered for $199.99! From all of our shopping around I haven't seen one that cheap.

This post sponsored by: KeepCash.com

It feels like...

I just went out to Syracuse yesterday ... oh yeah I did!

Now we're going back out there again for the zoo!

We've been trying to put all of the miles on my car because Margot's tires are on the fritz and we haven't had enough money to buy new tires.

This past week we purchased new tires so that means we're going to be back in commission with her car! It just makes sense to distribute the miles on each car.

Margot's car is still under warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles and because we typically take my car we aren't even getting the 12,000 miles a year.

First we need a garage!

We've been talking about building onto the house for quite some time. Our first remodel will more than likely be a new garage and then a family room.

I'd love to be able to get some epoxy paint chips and paint my garage floor.

I'm really digging the colors of the Harley Mix that CarGuyGarage.com offers. It's a red, black, and white speckled epoxy!

Of course, I'd have to have sports cars and a beautiful Harley to park in my garage to make the epoxy worthwile!

This post sponsored by: CarGuyGarage.com

The zoo!

We will be leaving in a few hours to go to the Syracuse Zoo. I'm quite excited about going because we've never taken Graem and she knows all of her animals!

Of course, I had a long conversation with my friend, Diane. She constantly has infertility on the brain and I sometimes wonder if I'm as obsessed as she is. It gets to the point where I just don't want to talk about it anymore with her.

She's going to be going to the zoo with us and Margot's already said that she can't do a car ride with Diane talking about miscarriages for whole 3 hours in the car.

I must admit ... I can't either.

I wish I had this problem...

the need for breast enlargement!

Instead, I have the opposite. I'm way too endowed! The girls tend to get in the way and sometimes I think I can attribute my upper back aches to having large breasts.

Many people who have the opposite problem and would like larger breasts have chosen to go through one of California's finest - Beverly Hills breast enlargement.

When looking for Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery here are many options that people have to choose from.

However, there's only one real - California Breast Augmentation specialist - Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery.

Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery is set in a beautiful location right on Rodeo Drive. Not only do they have amazing doctors who have done thousands of plastic surgery procedures and catered to the stars. But also, they offer their services in a beautiful boutique atmosphere.

Take a look at some of this amazing picture at the boutique, I mean office!




If I wanted to get surgery done on my breasts I would want only the true professionals to do it. With Margot's dad being a plastic surgeon we are constantly hearing stories of botched jobs and we've even seen pictures of women that have ended up with less than perfect breasts in the end.

This post sponsored by: Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery

WHERE IS AF?

Okay, I'm getting pretty inpatient at this point. Where in the hell is my friggin' period?

I went to the fertility center yesterday and they ran bloodwork and an ultrasound. The lining was thick and I was unable to actually get the numbers on the bloodwork back.

I was also given a shot of Progesterone in Oil because that's suppose to help things along.

The good thing is when I went into the office I was told before that I had to get my period by Monday. This time I was told last date is Thursday --- so I guess the pressure is off a little.

I keep thinking that I'm getting period cramps but I go to the bathroom and NOTHING.

Margot did her part last night in trying to get the period to come...

HELP.

Do you really want the feedback?

When I was director at a healthcare organization we constantly did appraisals of the staff. Typically, we do it after 30, 60, 90 days of employment and then once a year after that. The appraisal was done by the staff member on themselves and also their superior.

It was a great way to provide feedback and hopefully the person would use that to better their working abilities.

360 degree feedback apprasials have been proven to be the best all around way to give feedback to an employee and staff.

It allows the staff to give feedback to their superiors and vice-versa. It makes everyone feel like part of a team and the main idea is to open up communication between employees and employers.

So excited!

Everyone knows how much I love photos. We put up the pictures on our website every month for family and friends to view.

Just the other day I came across a great website that offers photo enlargement on canvas! I have actually signed up and will be getting a canvas using one of our Cancun family pictures.

The website was very easy to use, and I was able to upload my photo directly to the website.

This would make a great Christmas or birthday gift!

I can't wait to get my canvas in the mail!

Indoor day.

Aside from being sick and not feeling like moving from the couch it's also gray and rainy out.

So of course it makes our sick day that much gloomier. I think I'm going to dose the kid and aim for both of us to take a nap in about 45 minutes.

I wish I could take medication like Nyquil because I really need the sleep and my nose is so stuffy I can't even breath out of it.

Oh great...I've turned into a mouth breather!

We love the beach!!

We just got from Cancun, Mexico about a month ago and had such a great time. The only thing that we didn't like was that our resort wasn't very kid friendly. There were a lot of couples that seemed a bit bothered by having kids around.

Plus, they didn't have many programs geared towards smaller kids like Graem.

I just hopped on a great website and was able to Build A Sandcastle online with Graem!

She had such a great time and really enjoyed choosing everything from the design to the colors of the sand! She also wanted to put tons of starfish and crabs all over!

Take a look:



Graem was so happy she was able to do it all by herself! Of course I helped a little bit! You can't expect a 2 1/2 year old to make a masterpiece!?

VirtualSandCastle.com allows you to build a sandcastle and send it to people online as an e-card! We actually sent the above card to Mommy at work! I'm sure she'll love getting the card from Grammy.

The website is brought to you by Beaches Family Resorts. On our next vacation we are really going to consider going to a family resort. The other resorts just aren't cutting it when it comes to family entertainment!

What a great website for big kids and small kids alike! I love websites that are interactive and allow kids to learn something.

Grrr....still no AF.

I swore last night since my back was hurting that I was well on my way to getting my period.

WRONG.

I haven't had a twinge or stomach cramps or anything! I've been trying to get things going but nothing gives.

I really don't want to call in tomorrow and do the progesterone shot cause I feel that might just be another drug to screw up my system.

Maybe I just wait it out and do this as natural as possible.

Please, body...hook me up?

Mary needs this!

Our friend Mary works her tail off selling and putting houses on the market. She's constantly with clients and getting calls at all hours of the day and night.

I think if she were a little bit more organized things might go a little smoother and she might have a little more time for her friends!

Maybe she just needs Software for Real Estate Agents. The software helps her organize contacts, listings, buyers, finances, and tasks.

Right now they are offering a free trial period so she can test it out and see if she likes it before purchasing the full program.

Maybe after she buys the software she'll be organized and have enough time for her friends!

This post sponsored by: AgentOrganizer.com

I sick.

I swear every time I try to cycle I always get sick.

Last year when we were going to Las Vegas I got this terrible cold and even lost my voice.

This time around in the middle of the damn summer I've come down with the same thing! I really can't believe it.

Margot brought something home Monday and since thing the whole family what appears to be a cold.

I really hope this doesn't affect my cycle and egg production.

Why can't I just be healthy and have a great cycle?

Give me the gossip!

I love to know the most recent celebrity gossip! In the past I've been known to spend more than $10 a week on trashy magazines at the checkout stand.

Now to find out the most recent celeb scandal I don't have to go to the store!

CelebrityGossip.com has some of the juciest information on the web and it doesn't cost a thing!

Not only does the website have some great gossip but you can also vote on the juciest gossip and chat with other viewers!

Right now the headlines range from Christina Aguilera having a baby to Nicole Richie fighting the DUI charges.

Good thing there's celeb drama to keep my life interesting!

This post sponsored by: CelebrityGossip.com

Where, oh where, is Aunt Flow?

I finished up my Provera Monday and of course now I'm freaking out because I have to get my period before June 25th. I called the fertility clinic today and they said that it would be any day now or up to 14 days.

Crap...don't they know I don't have 14 days?

I told her that I needed to get my period over the next 5 days in order for me to be able to cycle. She said that if I didn't have it by Friday to give them a call and they might even have me do a shot of progesterone in oil.

Ohhh...I just had a cramp. Either it's my period or maybe I just have to poop.

Living in Phoenix?

If so, I bet you are sweating right now! Just last summer we were in Las Vegas and it was HOT.

One of my dear friends lives in Phoenix and works as a Physician. Just the other day she mentioned how hard it is finding a nice place to live. She lives in a house in a neighborhood.

Phoenix Condos are located throughout the city. However, if you want a nice condo, with a great view, and many ammenities you'll have to go through a professional service.

Phoenix.CondoCompany.com offers some beautiful condos at really reasonable prices. They are the professionals in their field and are sure to help you find the perfect match for your housing needs.

Are you taken care of?

Before Margot's mother passed away I didn't really know a lot of about life insurance. Now I realize that since she had a term policy that you can borrow against it. That there is value to the policy and the terms can be rearranged at any time!

It wasn't until we are trying to redeem that policy that we realize that it doesn't actually pay a lump sum. Instead, since Margot's dad had taken money out of the policy they have built in a section that says they will pay the amount in a five year period.

Ugh.

It's good to know the different policies that are out there because there are literally millions to choose from! It is not every day that you are in the market for a policy!

That's why it's important to go through the professionals and to get as many Life Insurance Quotes
as possible to ensure that you are getting the best possible policy and rate for you and your loved ones.

2Insure4less.com offers free quotes and representatives that are there ready to help you choose the right policy. I actually filled out the form online to get health insurance and within minutes they had called me right back. The rep was friendly and able to answer all of my questions. Although, I didn't even up going through them for my health insurance I appreciated his honesty and also that he didn't try to sell me something that I didn't need!

Looking for insurance?

I am constantly looking for better insurance and also insurance that covers infertility. Since we bought into the IVF Refund program I no longer need infertility insurance.

I'm currently paying COBRA and we figure in January I'll get on Margot's work policy and we'll just purchase insurance for the family.

One question that we did have was we wondered if I was pregnant before I changed if that would be considered a pre-exisiting condition?

For some reason I don't think they are able to discriminate like that.

One place that I contacted for Health Insurance Quotes was 2insure4less.com.

I filled out the form online and answered all of the questions. I also had to put down that I have a pacemaker which I'm sure rules me out of a lot of insurance policies.

Within minutes of filling out the application I actually had a phone call with a representative. The person was really nice and knew all about the different insurance options.

He urged me to stay with the COBRA until I absolutely needed to change over because if I switched over then the insurance might or might not cover my pacemaker.

All in all, I'm glad I contacted 2insure4less.com. The people were nice, informative, and really seemed to look out for my best interest.

I miss Cancun!

Graem is constantly saying "I want to go back to Cancun." It is so darn cute. Here are some pictures that we took in Cancun.



That was at the mall where we went to the aquarium and also ate at the delicious Thai Restaurant.

Now of course, I want to go back!!

Are you insured?

This time last year I got into a little fender bender. Of course, it was a very long day. I found out that I had an early miscarriage, Graem was screaming in the back seat and I was trying to feed her at the same time.

All of a sudden I rear ended the guy in front of me.

Everything turned out alright. He took my insurance information but we agreed that I would pay out of pocket for his bumper since it would more than likely be under $1,000 and I have a $1,000 deductible.

After that incident it got me thinking that maybe I should start looking around for a better insurance plan!

I wish I would have had access to the Free Auto Insurance Quote offered on 2insure4less.com! It could have answered many of my questions and helped me with finding a better and cost effective insurance provider!

2insure4less.com was designed to clearly help people choose the provider that is right for their automotive car insurance needs. It will help you decide what type of coverage you would like along with how much you would like to spend.

Check out the website — it could save you a lot of money in the long run!

Will you be my friend?

When I was a kid I was pretty obsessed with pen pals. In fact, our Sunday School used to write back and forth to the men and women that were off fighting in Iraq. We were always so excited when they would send us a letter back.

I never was able to get a foreign pen pal because I didn't have the resources. You must remember back then there wasn't such thing as the internet or ways to meet and communicate with other people outside of your zip code!

Now there's a new website that helps people from all over connect and offer friendly conversation.

The Penpals Network was set up so that every day people like you and me can meet and talk to people from around the world! The website is really easy to use.

In fact, on the home page you choose the language you are able to communicate in. Then it takes you to another website where you can read profiles and meet people from around the world!

I really appreciate the fact that the conversation is appropriate for children and family friendly. This is going to be a perfect website for Graem to visit (with parent supervision) when she gets older.

I think it's just great that we're in an age in time where we can do so many things that we couldn't do 15 or 20 years ago! Who would have thought that you could talk on the computer with someone 3,000 miles away?

Thanks to The Penpals Network - you can!

Distance Learning Education

I actually ended up graduating from the State University of New York. I took a few classes online in early 2000. It seems like Distance Learning has come a long way since then.

The most interactive course that I had was a union simulation and it was done over a message board. It was nice to be able to see everyone's responses but it took a while for everyone to respond and for the information to get processed by the professor.

Now LifeSize.com has really brought distance learning into the 21st century! They offer high definition video communication - online!

It would have been so much better to have seen the professor via an online presentation or other collegues!

Hmm...Maybe I should go back for my M.B.A.?

This post sponsored by: LifeSize.com

I love the air conditioner!

Last night I started sweating like crazy in the middle of the night. I don't know if I'm having heat flashes already or if the air conditioner upstairs is about to poop out.

Either way I got pretty cranky and when I finally got back to bed Graem woke up at 1:30am.

So much for the whole "good night's sleep" thing. Then of course, my overactive bladder had me running downstairs again to go pee.

I know this could turn into a big problem once I get pregnant but I figure if that happens I'm going to buy one of those camping potties and put it in the upstair closets so that I don't have to go up and down the stairs each time I have to go to the bathroom.

Then again, maybe I can find those old catheters that they gave me when I hurt my back...

Austin, Texas

Since I was born and raised in Houston I have a few friends that live and work in Austin. Austin is such a great city and if I lived in Texas I would have probably decided to live in Austin.

Austin Commercial Real Estate has become quite popular with the technology and business boom in Austin. DonCox.com specializes in commericial real estate in the area.

They represent buyers and tenants and will provide you with a comprehensive listing of available properties within 24 hours of a request! All of this can be done on their website!

This post sponsored by: DonCox.com

Where is my damn period?

I started the medication on Thursday and tonight is my last Provera. You take those meds and you're suppose to get your period within 10 days.

Well, it's been four days and there's no sign of her yet.

The whole idea is that I get my period in time for me to do this cycle since my doctor will be going on a two week vacation.

Yes, that's right...they are trying to get my body to accomodate my doctor's schedule.

Gotta love what $20,000 will buy you these days, right?

How much do you love your pet?

A few years ago we found out how much emergency health care was when I ran over our cat. I couldn't believe a day at the Cornell Vet School could run upwards up $1,500. Then they wanted to do skin grafting for another $3,000-$5,000.

We of course couldn't afford that much money and so we decided to take her to another vet who worked with us and we ended up getting Murphy back up and running over the course of a few months.

I wish we had invested in pet health insurance. It just makes sense when you have animals. I know initially when we had to make the decision not to go forward with treatment at Cornell I felt so guilty for not getting the best care for my cat.

With PetCareInsurance.com they offer pet insurance at really reasonable rates.

You don't want to have to make the decision about your animals health based on the price tag.



This post sponsored by: PetCareInsurance.com

I didn't know!

Last night I was looking online for Ovarian Drilling and actually found out what the surgery I did a few weeks ago entailed! They drill tiny holes in your ovaries.

No shit, right?

Well, supposedly, it helps people with PCOS release testosterone and get back into a normal ovulation and period cycle! This works for approx. 80% of women.

It's the second way to fight PCOS. The first would be with clomid and metformin. Both of which I've already tried.

Now, I'm curious to know if I've started ovulating on my own after the surgery.

Online love is in the air!

Margot and I met online over ten years ago! It was quite the experience and one that I think was perfect for both of us.

When I met Margot her dad was dating a Russian lady that he had met in New York City. She was actually one of his patients and he had done plastic surgery on her. She was an exotic dancer!

Ten years later, Dr. Chiuten and Gala are happily in a relationship!

Russian Brides make very devoted spouses and the relationship really works for a lot of people. LoversPlanet offers a great website that has profiles of women located in Russia. Many of the women are bright, educated, and beautiful!

Through LoversPlanet you can actually check out the women's profiles, see their pictures, and write them messages!

If you're looking for that special someone and haven't met them yet...check out the internet for Russian dating!

Can't wait!

As most of you know I'm a pretty avid television fan. For the shows that I can't catch during the week I am able to tape them and watch them on the weekend.

Now I'm pretty pumped that there's a new kid on the DVD block - Reno 911! Miami The Movie! And it's due to come out June 19th, 2007 to a rental place or Walmart near you!

It's one of the funniest shows I've ever seen and I love seeing the different parodies and acting that they do. It's Beverly Hills Cops and Airplane combined! Of course, I've always been a fan of a good comedy and the combination of police and mishaps is too sweet to ignore!

Now the newest thing to hit the DVD world is Reno 911! Miami The Movie!

We have quite the time getting out to the movies especially with the little one. But this might be the perfect solution! A great movie for a light hearted and comical date night. (Of course, we haven't had any of those in about 2.5 years!)



Check out one of the funniest clips from the movie! Of course, I'm sure Reno 911! Miami The Movie is going to keep me in stitches throughout!

Coming to a HOME theatre near you! Don't miss out on the giggle to you bust movie of the year!

Holy shit!

Those were the words that came out of my mouth as I saw Graem peeking over the corner in the hall.

Just minutes earlier I had put her to bed in her crib in the nursery. The bar was up and I figured she'd be fine.

She goes to the crib when she doesn't calm down on the couch. In the past I give her about 30 minutes to fall asleep on the touch with me and if she doesn't then it's off to the crib.

I can't even believe that she crawled out and now I'm interested to see how in the hell she did it!

When I was younger...

and even recently I thought at some point I'd want to go to Law School get my degree and work in litigation nailing people against the wall and making tons of money.

Now the whole profession of being an attorney, going to law school, and being promised big shot jobs is being exposed for what it is!

Check out The Truth About The Lawyer Mill for the inside information about what it's really like to be an attorney in the twenty first century!

It's a look at the industry and how all of the law students were promised jobs in big firms making tons of money, only to be welcomed by a dog eat dog scenario where there are too many attorneys out there trying to make a buck!

When I was younger my mother used to work for an attorneys office and she used to discourage me from saying that I wanted to be an attorney. She worked for a "Christian Attorney" and basically said that he was a snake!

Also, even though he was associated with the church that catered to over 20,000 people and they referred to him first --- he still didn't have a whole lot of business.

Maybe it's the whole fact that Christians avoid divorce at all cost!

Parked.

Well, I was planning on getting out of the house today to go to the bank and drop the check off at Graem's daycare.

Now, of course I'm waiting for the damn check from citibank and I'm also waiting around for some good blogging offers.

Why does this always happen to me?

The good thing is... we got out today and played ball. Graem is really good with kicking the soccer ball! She actually got some air and distance.

Of course, throwing and catching are totally a different story.

I'm a junkie.

I must admit that anytime I see a sweepstakes or some kind of promotion where I can win something I'm totally a sucker. Lately, I've gone through these darn online contests only to realize that for 36 candy bars I have to sign up for a different long distance, remortgage my house, and sell my first born.

Still 36 candy bars? Word.

Now, I've come across one of the coolest promotions and celebrations ever. Not to mention, I actually have a chance at winning! PayPerPost.com has done it again! They were able to raise another 7 million from investors and they are celebrating by sharing a little bit of the love with their faithful posties with a Lucky 7 promotion!

Between today at noon and tomorrow at noon they are going to be offering over $7,000 in opps! The opps will range from $10.77, $70, and $700!

Hook a sister up!

I think with all of the blog outreach that has occurred by the posties it's only appropriate for PPP to share the love and part of the 7 million!

Another part of growing the business will be doing more promotions to grow the blogger and advertiser base.

Take a look at this press release:

The PayPerPost Revolution Accelerates, Sponsored
Blogging Marketplace Secures $7 Million Series B

Draper Fisher Jurvetson leads round and joins Board of Directors

ORLANDO, FL – (June 12, 2007) – PayPerPost, the leading marketplace for advertisers to reach bloggers and other consumer content creators, today announced it has completed a $7 million second round investment led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, an investor in the company's Series A and one of the world’s leading high-technology venture capital firms. The financing brings the total amount of capital raised by PayPerPost to over $10 million, giving the company considerable resources for further development as the industry’s leading Consumer Generated Advertising marketplace. Additional participants in the round include existing investors Inflexion Partners and Village Ventures as well as new investor DFJ Gotham. With this investment, DFJ Managing Director Josh Stein also joins PayPerPost’s Board of Directors.

“PayPerPost created this exciting new advertising space and has established itself as the industry leader,” said Ted Murphy, chief executive officer of PayPerPost. “Although we’ve only used a portion of our first round capital, this added support from investors unlocks significant growth potential. Our content creator and advertiser ROI metrics clearly demonstrate the upside for PayPerPost’s model. We intend to use this capital to build the infrastructure, visibility and professional expertise necessary to reach and retain a greater network of advertisers and content creators than ever before.”

Since its founding in June of 2006, PayPerPost has signed more than 6,500 advertisers to its groundbreaking service, which has enabled Consumer Content Creators to be compensated for their efforts discussing specific companies, products or services via blogs, videos or other media. The content creators are required to disclose relationships with advertisers on their blog, providing transparency for the end reader. Over 125,000 Internet postings, most in the form of blogs, have already earned money for their creators through PayPerPost’s innovative marketplace. PayPerPost recently released PayPerPost Direct, a disruptive new service that allows advertisers to contract and negotiate directly with individual bloggers they identify through a safe, managed system.

“PayPerPost has laid a strong foundation for the future,” noted Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “It continues to attract a critical mass of participants from both the advertising and blogging communities. Analogous to Overture’s sponsored search model, we believe PayPerPost’s business model holds disruptive potential and will enable the company to thrive in the evolving paid-content arena.”

To mark the $7 million dollar funding, PayPerPost has launched a new website detailing the company’s service offering at http://www.payperpost.com. Bloggers and advertisers can easily sign up at the site and begin leveraging the self service marketplace.

Way to go, PPP!

I hate fighting.

Last night Margot and I got into a big jumbo fight. Believe it or not it was over the damn grass!!

Who in the hell would have thought that a couple would fight over what length to cut the grass?

Margot stormed out and started yelling that I should cut it higher. Then she started saying that "studies show that you have to cut it between 3 and 4 inches."

At that point I continued to mow the grass. Of course the mower went out three times yesterday and because I haven't charged the battery I had to charge it with the car battery.

I should be used to this by now because I haven't slept with my partner in over a week...but once again she slept down with Graem.

Gotta love having a roommate.

I love fun!

I know we can't complain about going on vacation because we just got back a few weeks ago from Cancun, Mexico! And I have a feeling that we might get one more great beachy vacation before Grammy will start requesting fun and kiddy vacations!

Cheap Universal Studios Tickets and Disney Tickets have always been pretty expensive. That's why I'm glad I stumbled across OrlandoFunTickets.com.

They have great offers on tickets and entertainment in the Orlando area. It's also a great place to see what type of things are available without actually being in Florida.

God knows it's hard enough planning a vacation for two adults and one child from New York!

I love Mondays!

Okay, not really.

It's so hard for me to actually get my act together and get my ass out of the house. I think the trick is to have the house clean and laundry done by Monday morning so that I don't spend the whole day getting that together.

It's almost 1 o'clock and we have yet to get out of the house.

At least Grammy's dressed and ready to go.

Now if I could just get a shower and get some clothes on we'd be all set!

My neighbor..

Mr. J is constantly on the prowl and walks around the house with his hunting gear and shot gun. At first I thought he was totally crazy and then I just realized that he loves his gun and loves shotting at miscellanous stuff!

He'd probably love some night vision equipment!

Most recently, I went over and talked to him about the woodchuck that keeps eating our vegetable garden. He told me to come over and get him and that he'd "take care of it for me."

Next time I see him I'll have to let him know of OpticsPlanet.net for all of his scope, binocular, and night gear accessories.

This post sponsored by: OpticsPlanet.net

Norbit.

I love a good "fat movie" and tonight we've rented the movie "Norbit". I'm quite excited to watch the movie.

The last time I saw it advertised was on the plane and I was so excited to see it and promised that I would see it in the movie theatre.

I was quite amazed to see it in the video store today and I'm wondering if my dear "Norbit" might not have gotten the stellar reviews I had hoped for!

Stay in the lines!

Grammy isn't the best at coloring quite yet. We have about a hundred coloring books and each one has a little coloring on each page. She also has big crayons and little crayons.

She seems to prefer the same colors over and over again and her favorite formation seems to be circles!

I'm sure at some point she'll want to do some online Coloring Pages!

TheDollPalace.com offers coloring for girls! The website is easy and free to use and you can sign up within minutes. You can design your own dolls and make avatars too.

Here are just a couple of photos that you can choose from:



I like the great colors that you have to use and it really allows kids to use their imaginations, be creative, and artistic at the same time. Plus, it's something productive online that kids can do without getting into trouble.

I like the fact that there are thousands of great options to choose from and it's the perfect website for teen girls. It also does not seem commercialized. It's a family friendly and safe website where a parent can feel comfortable that their child is in an internet safe space.

Maybe I'll have Grammy check it out and see what she thinks!

This post sponsored by: TheDollPalace.com

7:30pm and I'm exhausted.

Last night I slept horrible. Margot was in and out of the bedroom and sleeping with Grammy. I woke up so early this morning and was sure that Grammy would want to take a nap today.

Not the case.

Plus, our friend Jen came over today and we went out to eat and for ice cream.

Now, I'm in a major sugar death phase.

I think I just need to watch some trashy television and I'll be alright.

My Review.

Once again I have been asked to give a professional opinion of a new website called: PersonalTouchProducts.com

Initially, when I look at the website I see the upper bar that has pictures. It looks as if the website is offering different types of artwork. However, not quite my taste and many of the pictures remind me of something that I would see in my great grandmother's house.

As I read through the website it appears to be a "Start your own business" type of deal. I'm somewhat turned off by all of the typing because there seem to be a lot of hoaxes out there and this could just be another one.

Also, since it's trying to appeal to primarily women ... I think it should be more of a visual sight with pictures and products instead of writing. I'm not sure that the writing actually keeps the attention of the reader.

The login and cart option seem to be placed in the wrong area. More than likely if someone is logging in the already know the product and website. I think that should probably be located at the end of the website instead of losing precious first impression space.

I am still not sure what is offered on the website after looking at it for a few minutes. Not quite sure what I'd actually add to the cart - or why I would want to join the website.

I realize that at the bottom there are some Christian seals and directories. This might or might not be beneficial to the website. Many people are not Christian and some might even be offended and decide that this type of business is not for them.

I like the contact information and how it's set up. It's always good to have the information of something that might be questionable. I think it instills trust into the viewer.

I also like the fact that they have a Better Business Bureau badge on the website. Again, it makes the website look credible and worthy of attention.

This poist sponsored by: PersonalTouchProducts.com

Just waiting...

I'm getting a little nervous about the whole check in the mail thing. I have to have the check and contract signed before I can even start Provera and Lupron Thursday.

Citibank said I should get it within 7-10 days. It would be exactly 10 days Thursday. So I'm just hoping and praying that it works.

The office manager made it very clear that if I didn't have it that I'd have to wait and couldn't go through with the cycle.

Or I'd have to pay the regular price of $5,500 per cycle -- screw that!

Got Hoodia?

Hoodia is one of the newest and up and coming weight loss aids available. It makes you feel like you're full, reduces calorie intake, and it's been proven to suppress your appetite.

A few years ago I actually did weight loss medication. They were extremely expensive and my insurance didn't any of the expenses. All in all, it was worth it because I lost a lot of weight and I feel pretty good about that.

However, if there's a medication that costs a fraction of the pharmaceutical drugs, is better for you, and does the same job ... why not give it a try?!

What time is it?

I have a Skagen watch that I absolutely love. It's been a great watch, however, a few years back I managed to mess up the wrist band. I should probably buy a new one at some point.

Before the Skagen I was wearing swiss army watches I had found one when I worked at Cornell and it was not only a sharp looking watch but it kept perfect time.

I later ended up selling it on eBay and getting some cash. Of course, a watch is like glasses for me. When I find I love wearing the watch...but most of the time I don't wear it because I just don't remember to!

Back in the good ole' days

I'd wake up on a Saturday and feel like hell. I'd start searching for hangover cures at around noon and be miserable until I found one!

Ever since Graem has been born I've been overly responsible and hardly ever drink alcohol. The last time we drank was a few weekends ago when we went for a nice dinner (without child) and ordered a nice bottle of wine.

Now, there's hangover relief out there! TheCureDrink.com offers a great remedy to those harsh mornings where you just want to die.

Why didn't I know about this when I was in college?

So cheap!

When I started my business a few years ago I decided to use my cell phone as my contact number. I put the number on all of my marketing information and figured that would be the best way for people to get ahold of me.

Well, I'm not sure that was the best idea. Most of the time when I'm getting calls I'm either on the road or have a screaming kid in the background!

VOIP Small Business phone systems offer a better solution for small businesses. They can offer long distance for a fraction of the rate that a regular phone line would offer.

They offer some great systems at virtually little to no start up costs. They also offer auto pay and internet services.

It'd be so nice to only have one bill and not have to deal with 20 different vendors when it comes to internet and phone services!

What to do...

Margot and I come from very different families. She was raised around money and I wasn't! She was given a credit card when she was in high school and my parents never believed in credit.

When Graem gets older we hope to install in her the value of a dollar and we want her to be responsible with money.

One way to do that is to get a Teen Prepaid credit card. The good thing about the credit card is that they can use it like cash, you can refill it, and there is no way that they can go over their limit.



PayJr.com allows you to purchase a prepaid credit card for your teen. It's easy and fast to use and you can still have the parental control that is necessary for teenage purchases!

Not to mention, I think it's a great gift for good grades, birthdays, or even Christmas.

This post sponsored by: PayJr.com

I can barely stay awake.

Today I had to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn to sub PE at the elementary school.

My first class was a group of autistic kids. There were five kids and three teachers aids and myself. I really didn't know what to do and the told me to stay with one of the students. The kid ended up getting stuck on the monkey bars and one of the teachers came over and helped me get him down.

Then he started eating mulch and making animal noises. I was so sad and I felt so fortunate to have a happy and healthy child. Then a few minutes passed and I ended up keeping my eye on another kid who had similiar traits. He would throw the mulch in the air.

Then he would start eating the mulch. The teacher had to tell him to spit it out because he would chew on it.

I noticed that the boys looked a like and when I asked the aid said that the boys were autistic twins. Then I later found out that there is only a single mother in the picture.

I can't imagine how that woman is able to care for those children alone. She must be an amazing person to be able to care for those kids that need and demand so much.

As a parent I can't imagine raising a normal and healthy child alone -- yet alone twins who are autistic and needs special services, guidance, and extreme patience.

Here we go again...

Well, a few months ago I wrote how we completely got ourselves out of debt and didn't owe anyone. That was before our most recent infertility "adventure."

Just yesterday I called up the credit card company and got a pretty good offer. They are cutting me a check for $20,000.

That's right...we're in debt for $20,000 again due to infertility. Why can't we just get pregnant and stay pregnant? It would have been a lot cheaper!

One website that offers some great debt help.

I really can appreciate all of the articles they have on the pages and even information that will help you when struggling with debt.

The article that seems the most true is "Smaller Loans have Higher Rates." In most cases we really found that to be true.

They also have another article titled: Ecofriendly Finance Going Green - which I can appreciate!

This post sponsored by: ThriftyScot.co.uk

Sleep.

Okay, I slept like a baby last night without the help of my back meds. Tonight there's no doubt that I'm going to fall asleep again pretty early.

Of course, I have to cook, clean the house, get a subbing job for tomorrow, change laundry, and do some work on the computer.

Not to mention, I bought the chicken in the family pack so I have to take it apart and put it in baggies. Gross. I wonder if it's really worth the extra 10 cents a pound that I save?

Yuck.

Our stupid computer.

If it's not one thing with this computer it's another. Our Dell computer is only a few months old and instantly I opened it and it had error messages.

At one point I had a message to click on a button and it would take away the viruses that were on the computer. So being the computer dummy that I am I clicked on the button and all of a sudden the computer went absolutely pitch black and turned off.

I rebooted the computer and it came up in safe mode. From there the computer kept freezing and then all of a sudden I had one hundred window explorer windows open at once.

I ended up looking for a Spy Sweeper software that might be able to clean the spyware off of my computer.



To say the least it was the most dreadful and scary thing I've ever seen. I felt like the damn computer was truly obsessed by satan.

After I ran the spy sweeper the computer worked fine (aside from having Vista). Then a few weeks later the darn computer started acting up and saying that it was low on memory.

Of course this was the work of Vista and the crummy Dell laptop.

I now have a new laptop waiting to be opened that is sitting on the counter in the kitchen.

When I get around to it I will transfer all of the files over.

Hopefully, it won't be buggy from the beginning!

Shopping.

It's been ages since I went grocery shopping so I decided to go ahead and stock up. $275 damn dollars later. It looks like we have some chicken, fruit, vegetables, and cereal.

Just enough to get us through the weekend.

Just joking!

A nice country get away!

Every year my grandparents would take a bus to Branson, Missouri! They have some great southern entertainment and of course my grandparents are big fans of the Grand Ole' Opry!

I think it's not just a great get away for older people but I've heard that they have a little bit for everyone - including amusement parks and water parks for the kids!

This would be another great destination for our next family vacation! In fact, this might even come before Disney since Graem can't do the rides quite yet anyway!

WOO WOO!

I'm not sure I've ever been this excited...okay I have...but...

We're getting ready to do IVF! I got the directions from the nurse today. I have to start up lupron .1 cc and provera next week. Hopefully, within 10 days I'll get my period and be able to start on the stimming drugs.

Oh God...I hope this works the first time.

I'm just glad to be getting in before the doctor goes on vacation!

Had they not been able to get me in I'd probably have to wait two months since Margot's family reunion is in August.

Now, I just have to pray that my body doesn't totally hate me and try to go off course.

Just made the call...

to our fertility center to see what they want me to do on CD 13. It looks like they might start me on the birth control pill have me on it for a few days and then I might be able to do a retrieval and transfer before the doctor leaves for vacation.

Boy, I hope that's the case. I really want to get this thing going forward.

I hate being stagnant and feeling like I'm not trying to get pregnant.

I feel like at least straight people have the hope that having sex each month could lead to a pregnancy.

The NMC

The newest thing online is getting your degree. Years ago when I resigned to stay home with the baby I looked into the idea and was overwhelmed. It seemed like there were so many options out there and I just couldn't figure out which ones were good and which ones were not good!

So I did nothing at all!

Now New Media Consortium has offered memberships to great online institutions like Capella University! They whole mindset is that they work together in providing a forum for online universities to improve the education that they can deliver to their students.

The NMC is devised of many top notch universities and the whole idea is that they are presenting media in institutional settings.

Bad gift.

I thought I had chosen the perfect gift for our friend Cheri's little girl Ashlyn. She just turned two and I completely forgot about her birthday!

I was going to get her a pair of crocs. I figure I better call Cheri to get the size and color. Come to find out the kid has four pairs of crocs in all of the many different colors!!

SOO...It looks like we're going to have to get a book for Miss Ashlyn!

I love the Hilton!

So far today I've been at the Clariton Hotel and now I'm at the Hilton. I hang out right in the lobby on their comfy couches and use their wi-fi! Why pay for it when you can get it for free is my motto?

Who knows...at some point I might even decide to stay as a guest at this nice hotel!

A good employer.

Right now I stay at home with the baby. Of course it's by choice. However, I have been looking for the perfect two day a week job that I might be able to do while Graem goes to school.

I just read that Capella University is really a great place to work for. Right now they are advertising some jobs on Monster and they even have a company profile listed.

If you're looking for a place to work - Capella University might just be the place for you.

They have great hours and even nice perks too. I'm sure because the university is online and the hours are varied...if you are a faculty member you might also be allowed a flexible schedule.

So much coordination.

I constantly have a feeling of anxiety lately. It seems like we're trying to do so much with the infertility right now and it makes my head hurt. I'm on CD 14 and waiting to get directions from the fertility center as far as how they would like me to proceed.

Of course, I can't go forward til I sign the contract and give them their money. The hard part about that is that it takes a good 3-4 weeks before we can actually get the money from the bank for the home equity loan. So I had to call my credit cards and see who could give us a good offer and a $20,000 check in the next few days.

It looks like Citibank was able to come through for us and we're actually getting 0% til January of 2008.

So, once I get the check we have to sign the contract and then we're locked into the IVF Refund Program.

I'm excited...but nervous. What if it doesn't work the first few times? What if I use all of my eggs? How much heartache can I take? How much more can my relationship with Margot suffer?

This is all way too exhausting.

Chinese Buffett = yuck.

Today we went to the King Buffet and I feel like total dooky. The food is always delcious as I'm shoveling it into my pie hole. I think I just eat too damn much and before I know it I can barely move.

It's a good thing I'm wearing some elastic pants today. God knows, I'm not beyond unbuttoning my pants to let the gut hang out.

I really want to go ...

to the upcoming Police tour! They're at it again and this time they've got experience and time on their side! I'm sure they are going to sound amazing.

When I was a kid I used to spend the whole summer trying to win tickets for The Police. Of course, I never did. Even if I would have won the tickets I doubt my parents would have let their 8 year old daughter go to a concert by herself!


Now The Police are at it again with the new Police cd that's due out! The new 2 disc CD set has all of my favorite songs on it and I can't wait to purchase it!!



My favorite song is "Every breath you take." I love the beat, harmony, and even chorus of the song. It is the one song that's really stuck with me through the years. At any point this song can come on the radio and although I'm a flipper...I'll keep it on the same station!

Now that I have a daughter of my own I feel a natural instinct to teacher her some of the same things that my father passed on to me -- the appreciation for good music!

The police cd would be a perfect Father's Day, birthday, or Christmas gift! Hmm...maybe I can make up a special day to get this for myself!!

My good ole hangout.

Back this time last year I used to come here to upload pics. Today, I'm hanging out at the Clarion and enjoying the cool weather in their parking lot!

I love the fact that you can go most places in Ithaca and get online access. It makes hanging out online so much better than in the house!

Just yesterday..

Margot forwarded me a list of the things that kids need to do to enter into Kindergarten. I'm sure over the next few days we'll probably print it off and put it on the fridge.

One way to get her prepared is by sending her to a good Summer Program.

Score Learning Centers can help kids get the skills they need to be successful in educational settings.

I just wish there was one closer to us!

This post sponsored by: Score Learning Centers

Baby DOWN!

It's 9:30 and I can't believe girl is still sleeping! I know she's been pretty tired over the past few days. The transition to her big girl bed has gone pretty good and if I could just get Margot back upstairs before 2am I think I'd actually like the idea of having the King size bed for just the two of us!

Do you believe?

Growing up I never believed in ghosts or supernatural powers. I took things for what they were and never doubted that there are anything other than humans and animals out there in the world!

That was until I moved to New York. They say New Yorkers are weird...but I never knew how weird! (just joking).

I had been living here for two years when we met our friends Niki and Diane. They were having a garage sale and we had tons to get rid of so we brought all of our stuff over.

During a slow time in the sale we started talking about houses. They had only lived in the house for a short time and then they started talking about how it was possessed with a ghost named Eugene. Basically, Eugene had lived there before and he would pull pranks on them like shutting the door. Then he would lock them out.

He would make noises throughout the house too. At one point they figured that the best way to deal with Eugene was to tell him to stop and that they weren't playing. Then he'd stop and unlock the doors.

After hearing these stories...I was a believer. These women are very trustworthy and professionals. I can't imagine they are crazy or would lie about something like this!

When I saw the trailer for 1408 Movie I was reminded of Eugene! 1408 Movie was written by Stephen King and has John Cusack and Samuel Jackson starring in the movie.



The trailer is enough to make you start biting your nails and it looks incredibily good...and scary!



The movie as you can see in the trailer is about a man who looses his daughter and looks for a way to solve the mystery and find his own soul. He ends up following clues to a hotel where he is faced with issues of his past. He battles the supernatural powers and it looks like quite the thriller!

Cold!

I can't believe how cold it is outside. This morning I woke up and I was freezing. I'm looking at the thermostat now and it's 50 degrees outside!

Graem is still asleep and so I'm trying to get some work done before she wakes up.

Creepy story!

A few years back we were hanging out with our friends Niki and Diane at their house. If I remember correctly we were in the middle of a garage sale and it was a slow time.

We started talking about ghosts and then they all of a sudden mentioned how they had a ghost at their house. Supposedly, Euguene used to live in the house and his ghost still haunts the house. They told us stories of how when they first moved in they would get locked out of the house. Then the doors would slam out of nowhere...no wind or anything.

They would also hear sounds in the house. Someone who knew the house told them "Oh yeah, there's a ghost that is in your house." Finally, they decided to give Eugene a hard time and just tell him to "knock it off" when he did something weird or out of the ordinary.

When we went to buy our house that was one of the first questions we asked our realitor. Supposedly, in New York State if the house is haunted it has to be noted on the listing!

I'm probably the easiest person to scare ... but that doesn't mean that I don't like a good scary movie!

Stephen King has done it again with 1408 Movie! The movie stars John Cusack and Samuel Jackson as they've never acted before. John Cusack plays a father who has lost his daughter. Throughout the movie he battles supernatural powers and later battles his own fears.



Here's a look at the trailer of 1408 Movie:



No doubt this is one of the scariest movies out there and I'm sure that I'll have to recruit someone to go watch it with me. There's no way in hell that Margot will go with me!

Sleep.

Last night I couldn't go to sleep for anything. I kept getting calls from the subbing call service and Margot was downstairs sleeping with Graem.

It seems like the minute Margot got into bed I was able to go to sleep.

Isn't it funny how that works?

Good things are happening at Capella U!

They’ve done it again….you’ve guessed it - Capella University!

Capella strives to bring a great wealth of knowledge to their programs. They are a fully accredited online university that offers studies in just about every discipline. This allows people that work full time to gain an education online at their own pace and on their own watch.

Most recently one of their faculty members received the Fulbright Scholar Grant. He will be teaching abroad in Denmark during the 2007 term.

He teaches marketing and business courses at Capella. Not only is this a great oppourtunity for Patrick Blessinger, but also the students at Capella University!!

They will have the experience of learning from Blessinger’s experiences in Denmark!

How exciting!

The tired family.

As easy as it would be for us to all get into family bed tonight I know we have to be consistent with putting Grammy to bed in her own bed. In fact, this morning she was crying to go back to her own bed. But then she wanted to come up stairs.

I guess that's what we get for having a pretty fickle daughter. Therefore, we probably shouldn't contribute to that by being inconsistent too!

Bath time!

Every night we get ready for bath time. Grammy gets right in with me and we have a fun time. Of course, it's always cut short by her having to pee pee or a few bubbles that I see in the water.

Lately, Graem's been getting out of the tub and still smelling dirty! The other night we had to stick her right back in because she had butt stank.

Check out the courses!

With things changing so much with universities and colleges it is always interesting to see new research being done. Most recently, Capella University is offering a course on Statistical Literacy. The whole idea is to see the implications and results of online education.

Twenty years ago there was no such thing as online education and it’s really changing the way that we get degrees and advanced degrees. My father actually ended up going to a weekend college to obtain his degree. When he was in his 20’s he had a wife and a kid at home and so he had to work full-time to support his family.

Which only left the weekends for him to attend classes.

Now, there are options for full-time working people - online education!

I'm exhausted.

I've been in so much pain at night. I've stopped using my back meds since we figured that we're using my eggs and my back has been killing me. Not to mention, I've been tossing at night and I'm having a hard time falling asleep.

Maybe I just need to get my schedule back to normal.

Yeah!!

So, I just felt like writing and God knows when that happens I never have too much to write about!

Good thing this is just a blog and not some poor friend that I am calling on the phone to talk about absolutely nothing!

That's what blogs are for...right?

Check it out!

I've actually looked at the programs offered at Capella University. Despite, staying home with the baby I tend to have some down time but at very strange times of the day!

Some nights I can't go to sleep and you'll see me online doing absolutely nothing at all. Of course, I see that as the perfect time to do studying or even an online course.

I'm sure that before I enter back into the workforce if I plan on having a management or executive job I'm going to have to get some updated training. If for anything at all, some online classes would really look good on my resume! Not to mention, it allow me a better ability to market myself to future employers if I had an advanced degree.

God knows, living in Ithaca everyone has a Masters or Phd. In fact, we heard the other day that there were Phd candidates that were applying to clean out the cages at the vet school making $6.25 per hour.

That's a shame.

Back to school.

It seems like forever since both Grammy and me went to school. It's nice having her in daycare Wednesday and Friday and we've even talked about putting her in an extra day. That way I can do the errands on one of the days.

Of course with the summer coming up it would make sense to wait til the fall and until I'm able to sub three days a week.

I'm exhausted.

I've been in so much pain at night. I've stopped using my back meds since we figured that we're using my eggs and my back has been killing me. Not to mention, I've been tossing at night and I'm having a hard time falling asleep.

Maybe I just need to get my schedule back to normal.

Get the guide.

When I was enrolled in college there was so much to it. Initally, I had to take the entrance tests, submit high school transcripts, do essays, take tours, and then go to interviews.

Now, it seems so much easier! With Capella University you can actually request a university guide online!

Going to school online has been a great thing for people working or who have hectic schedules and are unable to go to a traditional classroom.

At one point when I first resigned I was interested in going back to further my education. I looked at some online classes and decided that I'd wait because they seemed to expensive.

The reality for me is that I should probably take a few classes just so that I'm marketable when I choose to return back to work.

Unfortunately, there are places out there that don't value the whole "stay-at-home-mom" gig.

Subbing.

I just checked out the subbing gigs and there's nothing that great. I refuse to do any 1/2 day jobs because $40 just isn't doing it for me! I'm sure something better will come along either later tonight or even tomorrow morning.

It would really help Margot if I could do drop off -- so that means the middle schools.

Peppa Pig!

It's always good for a laugh. It's perhaps one of the funniest cartoons out there and I love how the pigs snort after ever single sentence. Then the family laughs hysterically.

God, just if my life were like Peppa Pigs.

Universities busted.

I have been very fortunate not to have to take out student loans for my education. Many of my friends owe thousands of dollars and that's a horrible way to start out life as a new graduate. I can't imagine paying for a student loan that's the cost of a car payment!

What's very disappointing is that many universities have been caught in the kickback scandal where they only represented certain financial institututions for people to get financial aid. In return the university would get a kick back.

That's pretty darn lousy considering they're really preying on the students who don't have any money anyway - hence the reason they're applying for loans in the first place!

Now Capella has settled to go through funding that has no kickbacks and is geared towards students interests.

The audit showed that Capella University had been doing good practices throughout.

Finally, a University that has some sense of ethics and mortality!

Here we go again.

Tomorrow I have to call the fertility center and see how they want me to go forward. I'm on CD 14 and I don't know if they'll want me to go on the pill or wait til my period. It's so hard to figure things out when my cycle is 35 plus days!

Not only do I have to worry about all of this but I don't want to miss the window when the doctor is actually in town.

Wow...

I'll never complain again about the various offers that I receive from PPP. I just made about $150 for around 2 hours of work. Damn, that's what I charge for consulting.

Not too damn shabby!

Never been easier.

I love websites that make it easy to get the information that you request. Capella University has done just that with their website. You can go onto their website and fill out the information and automatically be mailed information on their school.

Capella University has really been making the news lately. They have everything going for them from grant winners to faculty members that are teaching abroad! The most recent news is that they are using a training program developed by Capella University at the Pentagon.

Wow!

Of course, getting the information is just the first step to furthing your education and gaining knowledge.

The rest is up to you!

The Supernatural!

I'm not quite sure if I actually believe in a supernatural...but I'm not willing to not believe. We had friends who moved into their new house only to be told that it had a ghost, Eugene. Eugene used to lock them out of the house, shake the door, and they'd even hear weird noises in the middle of the night.

Things seemed to get better when they would confront Eugene and tell him to knock it off.

Now, these are some pretty sane people and very down to earth. So although I don't doubt that something's going on...I must still be in denial!

Now there's a new Stephen King movie out called 1408 Movie that addresses the supernatural and one man's mortality. John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson star in the movie and it's sure to be the next big thriller.



John Cusack plays a father who has lost his daughter. He is then given clues and the address to a hotel. He goes to the hotel to be faced with the ghosts of his past and future.

Just check out this trailer of 1408 Movie:



I'm pretty excited about this movie and really think I should check this one out on the big screen but I'm going to have to recruit one of my friends to go to the movies with me. I know Margot won't have a thing to do with this scary movie!

All this talk of scary.

You should see me...I look like the crazy lady. I'm sitting in my recliner and it's almost pitch black. Not to mention, we're in the middle of a thunderstorm so I'm expecting the weather to go to hell in about ten minutes.

Gotta love how it gets all creepy as I'm writing about the damn Stephen King movie!

Stephen King is scary.

Just looking at Stephen King I'm horrified! I remember when he was hit a few years ago. Had I been the one to hit him in my car I would have been horrified and might have even been the first to hit and run! His scariness has always been portrayed in his films and books.

The last book of his that I read was "It". You know the scary one with the clown that chases everyone around town.

Now he has a new scare in town.



I just saw the trailer for 1408 Movie and it seriously has me scared crazy. It's about a man who's daughter dies and he tries to search for clues that might lead to her death and his own serenity. He's given clues by someone and at some point has to battle his own fears in a haunted hotel.

John Cusack and Samuel Jackson are making this film one damn scary film. As much as I love a good thriller I know I'm going to have to watch this with someone other than Margot and I'll have to catch a Saturday matinee showing so that I can walk out in the daylight.

Check out this trailer:



Maybe I can recruit my dear friend, Jen, to watch this scary movie with me. I'm sure we'll be biting our nails and holding each other's hands like silly school girls all through the movie!

If you're looking for the scary and thrilling movie of the year check out 1408 Movie by Stephen King.

I think I got it.

Well, I got the call back from the fertility center and it looks as if I've been approved to go into the IVF refund program. Of course, now I just have to make sure that I don't cycle when the doctor's out of town and they want their $20,000 and a signed contract before ANYTHING.

Gotta love how the good ole' dollar makes the world go around.

He's done it again!

I cheated. I admit it. I just watched the trailer for the 1408 Movie and it's so damn scary I had to turn on all of the lights.

Of course, what makes it scarier is that it's getting dark outside because we're due for a thunderstorm.

Stephen King has always been known for his scary movies and I must admit that the last Stephen King movie I saw was probably "It" with the crazy and scary clown.

1408 Movie is one of the scariest trailers I have ever seen so I can only imagine what the movie is going to be like.



I have a love/hate relationship with scary movies. I love the thought of going to a chartbuster and during the whole movie I'm having a fit of anxiety and I can barely watch most of it because I stick my head down my shirt. Not to mention, I end up biting my nails to the core!

Take a look at this trailer:



If that doesn't win scariest movie of the year - then I'll vote for a Republican for president. That's a big promise ... but I'm so sure that this movie is going to be the next scary movie...I'm willing to make a big wager!

Pacifier?

Grammy has never used a pacifier even though I purchased about 20 of them before she was born. Now she's found them from when I got them out for her baby and she's sucking on them constantly.

Great, just another habit that we're going to have to break!

Freaky scary.

When I was a kid I was told this story that has stuck with me over the years. It talked about a guy who met this lady and they fell madly in love with each other. They ended up having sex and she had to travel home on an airplane.

Before she left for her trip he gave her a package and said "don't open it til you get on the plane." He said "If you love me after you open it then it was meant to be and I'll be here for you."

So, she got onto the plane thinking that it was going to be a diamond ring...well, she opened the nicely wrapped gift and found a small coffin figurine. Inside was a message "Welcome to the wonderful world of AIDS."

For some reason the story made quite an impression and I think my Southern Baptist parents probably told it to me so I wouldn't have premarital sex! However, it was quite scary then and remains to be.

I'm always up for scary movies and I'm quite the anxious filled person. I'll bite off all of my nails and sweat through all of my clothing before the end of the movie!

Now there's a new movie out called 1408 Movie that might even be scarier than my earlier story!



John Cusack is starring in the movie so it's sure to be a chart buster and another great thriller!

Check out this trailer of 1408 Movie:



I'm horrified. Maybe that's the reason why I just got out of my chair and turned on three lights!

No softball.

Well, we weren't even able to get to the softball game because Margot and me are fighting like cats and dogs. She's constantly snippy and I just can't take it tonight.

So, she's taking Graem outside and I'm working on my blogging work.

I'm dying...

to go to the upcoming Police Worldwide tour! I have never been to one of their concerts but I remember in the late 80's when they were touring in Houston. They had a sold out show at the summit and they were giving away tickets on the radio.

To say the least, my southern Baptist parents were not about to let me go...but I sure did try to win those tickets on the radio. Of course, living in Houston with over 4 million people --- I didn't have a chance to win the two tickets given away each day!

Now The Police are at it again with the new police cd that's due out! The new CDs have all of the old favorites that I grew up listening to.



My favorite songs are "Every breath you take" and "Roxanne". Both make me extremely happy and have me remembering my youth like it was yesterday! Of course, this was the happier side of my yesteryears!

Now, it's up to me to teach my kid the great music that I used to listen to as a kid! The reality is...my dad listened to this music, I did, and now I can pass it on to little Grammy!

The police cd would be a perfect Father's Day gift too!