Freebies!

Go get your free on over at Nichole's blog!

For YOUR Pleasure!

Freebies for your thrifty pleasure:

Pup-perroni Dog Treats

Buy 1 get 1 - 7-11 Slurpees!

Pet Greens - Pet Treats

FlixSticks - Dental Picks

Spare Yourself

The following is a public service announcement:

We had some free time today, up here in Chicago, so we all decided to go to the movies. We went to go see M. Night's "The Happening". I'm not too much of a fan of M. Night in the first place, but the previews looked pretty good for this one, so I was happy to go see it. Big mistake. If ever I saw a movie that I felt like I needed to demand a refund afterwards, it was this one. I literally walked out and said, "I want my 2 hours back". There was basically no storyline, and if you could find one, it sucked, the acting was horrendous and the dialogue was just as atrocious. I thought Mark Wahlberg was a better actor. Maybe he is and they just paid him squat for this film. But, whatever the case may be, don't go see this movie, less you want to shave 2 hours off your life.

Chicago

Just keeping you in the loop for a bit...

Residual Money

I've been doing the survey thing for some time now. Longer than I have been blogging. If you are unaware of what I am talking about, I belong to a few survey companies that pay me to take their surveys online. It's almost like free money, because it isn't hard. Most of the surveys aren't bad either, but every once in a while I get stuck doing a really long one that sucks.

About a week ago I took one on snack foods. At the end they asked me if I could be of further assistance. Not only did I get points for taking the preliminary survey (points put towards cash), but now they wanted to send me a Palm Pilot so I can record my snacking for a weeks time. At the end I would simply package the Palm Pilot and send it back to them. In return, they will pay me $50 for doing it! Also, there might be a phase three survey for which I will get paid an additional $10. $60 for not having to do much at all, count me in. I most definitely clicked on the "opt me in" button.

Yesterday I received the Palm Pilot, instructions and included was a bonus $10 Visa gift card just for agreeing to continue the research! This will be one of the easiest $70 I ever made. Do you want to get in on this action? Let me know and I'll show you where to go and you can start getting paid today.

Caught

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The simple nature of riding a motorcycle is you are exposed to the elements. Forget about turning on the A/C, and with summer here it's been getting hot. As soon as you stop moving, you start sweating. The other day I was riding home from Tampa and wouldn't you know it, it started to rain. Better yet, it started to monsoon. Needless to say by the time I got home I was drenched, but the bike was clean! It wasn't pleasant. It feels like pins and needles poking you everywhere. I checked the weather that morning and it wasn't supposed to rain. But, the weathermen also projected a few major hurricanes last year and we see how that panned out.

Freebie Mania!

Today we have some awesome freebies! And speaking of freebies, did you get your free Papa John's? I did! Nothing like free pizza. Let's go get your free on!

Gillette Body Wash (for men I believe)

Betty Crocker Warm Delight Minis (I hate these, but you might like crap. The cool thing is they send you a full size retail pack!)

Kool-Aid, Crystal Light and Country Time Lemonade (Had these a while back, but they are still active)

Mmm Benefiber

Mighty Dog can food

Now, my two favorites:

Free Jockey Panty from Macy's! (Can never have too many panties! Hurry, expires on the 6th of June)

Free Flat Earth: Baked Veggie Chips from Subway! (You have until the 22nd on this one. No purchase necessary. Also, if your Subway does not carry Flat Earth, it can be substituted for any Frito-Lay product!)

I really like the coupon ones because even though they take the coupon from you, you can print another one out and keep going back until the coupon expires! If the place gives you a hard time, go to another location! You can even do this for the Papa John's free pizza! Just have to make sure you redeem it enough times within three days of the strikeout game. Some of you might say that that is cheating the system. I say it's making the system work for me. 

Free Food Is Good

Mmm free Papa John's pizza! I'm getting mine. Find out how to get yours here. But, hurry it will not last long at all.

New Brain Buckets

Nichole and I bought new helmets for the bike the other day. Well, Nichole never had one so she needed one and I had a hand-me-down. Now we both have new ones and they are pretty cool looking. It would have been nice to have a Shoei but they cost a fortune. The cheapest one I saw was $460 and it was ugly. Instead we went with a different brand, but just as good and they both still look awesome. Saved a lot of money in the process too. I'm very happy with mine. Matches the bike the best. Go over to Nichole's and check hers out. It's pretty cool. I didn't care if hers didn't match the bike. I just wanted her to like it.

Car Update

Well, washing my truck did not take the paint off. I knew it wouldn't. So, after talking to the office, the next step is to go get some quotes on buffing the vehicle. Hopefully that will take it off. The part that sucks about it is I'll have to pay for the buffing, bring them the receipt and they will credit us on our rent. I guess there is no other way for them to do it.

My Memorial Day

How was everyone's Memorial Day? Ours was great. On Sunday, I did the church thing in the morning which was awesome. We had a big production with choir, orchestra and the band. We also had videos, lots of lighting and a drama. It was a great production and really touched a lot of people. That afternoon, Nichole and I road the bike over to her fam's house and had a big BBQ there. Good food... too much food.

Yesterday Nichole and I decided to go outlet mall shopping and we drove down to Ellenton Prime Outlets. Good shopping down there. We got some good deals and bargains and had a good time doing it. Although, when we went to the food court to eat, it sucked. There was only one vendor in there that we had even ever heard of and it was Villa pizza, which isn't the best. Needless to say, that's what we had. But, dinner made up for it.

We had some good home cooking from Cracker Barrel! I love Cracker Barrel and it's even better now that there is one closer to home. They started venturing farther from the inter-states a few years ago and now there is one 10 minutes up the road. I had the Fancy Fixin's Sampler which is an awesome sampling of some of their favorites. Of course I had to have the hash-brown casserole as well. After dinner, a little shopping in the store and it finished off a great day.

Freebie Corner

Today's freebies are:

2 Load Sample of Snuggle Fabric Softener

Coupon for buy 1 get 1 on Sobe Life Water

Coupon for buy 1 get 1 on Sierra Mist 2 liters

3.3 oz Tube of Lubriderm Lotion with Sunscreen (I said lube... *chuckle*)

*Must register or login to print coupons*

Yellow With Black Speckles

How would you like to go to sleep one night and wake up the next morning to find out your car had a new paint job? Well, that's what happened to me! My yellow Blazer is officially yellow with black speckles! A few days ago they were painting the fence in our complex with a black, water-based paint. I was already gone and at work on the bike and Nichole was just leaving for work when the maintenance guys asked if my truck would be staying where it is (about 3 spots from the fence). Of course she told them yes and they said they would cover it. They did cover it but they only used scotch tape to hold the cover down and apparently it was a blustery day. Needless to say the whole driver's side of my truck is now covered in black speckles. It's even all over the windshield and so now the wipers scrap across it with a nasty, scratchy sound. After talking with the complex about it they said it was water-based and should come off. I'm thinking not though since it rained last night and I was driving and that did nothing. So, we will see. If it doesn't wash off they said to let them know and we would go from there. I'm not too pissed off about it because they did TRY to cover it and they said that if it doesn't wash off they will take care of it. Just upset about it and another thing to add to the platter.

Fine Print

I'm sorry if I offended anyone with the prior posts (now deleted). They were not intentionally offensive. Let it be known that I do not intentionally disrespect friends and what I was stating was, what was asked of us I found funny and some what ridiculous. My personal cell phone is for my personal use and I choose to use it for business. I pay for my minutes and therefore if I choose not to use it, it is my choice.

What I talk about / write about on my blog is pure opinion. Some of it may be true and some may be fiction, but all of it is opinion. So please, do not take everything as literal and just enjoy it. I guess I'll have to screen my topics better.

It's Getting Harder

I saw this article and read it today from CNN. It's about people actually "flipping" Geo Metros and making a profit. With the high gas prices going on, many can barely afford to fill their tanks. I for one, have not filled the tank in my truck in a couple of months. I can't afford to do it all at one time. You are talking $60 just to fill it. Instead I'll drop $10 or $20 in when it is needed. Just can't do it all at once. 

The article states that a brand new Geo Metro back in the day ran about $9,000. Now, they are being sold on Ebay for $7,000 - $8,000! Imagine that. The Metro, being a 3 cylinder, gets just as good of gas mileage as a hybrid. It really made me think of the extremes people are having to go to to get by. It's all about practicality now. 

Speaking of extremes and having no money, I also read an article about a middle class woman that got laid off and could no longer afford her condo. Now she is living out of her car with her two golden retrievers and sleeping in a parking lot "haven" that was created for people that have recently become homeless. It boggles my mind on how middle class people with decent jobs and nice homes and cars are now all of a sudden screwed and scrapping to get by. I just can't wrap my mind around it. How about you?

Super Walmart Sunday

It's a super day for Wal-Mart freebies!

Get a sample of Viva Paper Towels courtesy of Wal-Mart!

Today, Sunday May 18th, Wal-Mart Supercenters are giving away free ice cream sundays to all who come through their doors between the hours of 12pm and 5pm! It's not just any old crappy soft-serve either. We are talking Edy's, Blue Bunny and Breyers people. So, go get yourself some free ice cream from from Wal-Mart. You've spent tons of money there in the past, it's the least they can do. 

Incase you get a headache while being at Wal-Mart (like I do) hit them up for a sample of Excedrin as well.

Freebie Bonanza

Well, as you can see I am back from our awesome vacation. More on that later. I don't have much time available at the moment but I came across some freebies and I couldn't pass them up. So, here you go:

Free Pet Aloe Crumbles...??? What the hell are Pet Aloe Crumbles?

Free Protein 2 Go

Free road atlas

Free Kool-Aid, Crystal Light and Country Time!

Free Ban deorderant

Free Berry Burst Metamucil

Now for the two coolest freebies:

Free Nine Inch Nails album! That's right, a full length album, free download and completely legit from the NIN website!

Free Auntie Anne's pretzel! From May 10th through June 12th Auntie Anne's will be giving away free pretzels! All you have to do is text the word "pretzel" to 70734 and you will receive a coupon for one free pretzel. The best part is you can do this everyday! Only one time a day, but everyday until June 12th. Not all stores are participating, but the ones that are will have signs up. I have not tried this yet, so I do not know if it works, but I'll be trying it out here in a bit.

Mmmm Free Ice Cream and Yogurt

Okay... I don't know what's with all the free ice cream lately, but I like it! We had free Ben & Jerry's just a few days ago and now all the other ice cream shakes are doing it too!

On May 13th, Haagen Dazs will be serving up free scoops of their new flavor, Vanilla Honey Bee (Mmmmm) from 4-8pm only. 

On May 11th, in honor of Mother's Day, TCBY (if you can find one) will be giving away a free cup or cone to all Moms.

On May 20th, for their birthday, Dippin Dots will give you a free cup of Birthday Cake flavored dots from 4pm till location close.

Free Comic Book Day!

Saturday is Free Comic Book Day! This Saturday, comic book stores all across the nation not only are giving away free comics but are also having guest artists and writers in the stores to speak with and get autographs. I was not a huge comic book fan when I was a kid, but there were a few I enjoyed. Now that I'm older, I enjoy the more graphic comics from writers such as Frank Miller. Doubt they will be giving away any Frank Miller comics, but I bet the free ones are just as entertaining. So, if you have kids, or even if you don't, get up to your local comic book store and get yourself and your family some comic delight.

Via Basenjimom

Motorcycle

I got my bike! Actually, Nichole and I went and picked it up last Thursday. I've just been so busy with riding it, cleaning it, and figuring out the title and where to keep it things. It was a really quick learning curve for me and I'm very comfortable riding it now. Which is a good thing, because I can't wait to get Nichole on it and start riding together. I'm not completely ready for that yet, plus we still need to get her a brain bucket (helmet). 

Sorry, no pictures yet, but soon.

I was originally planning on keeping it outside with the cover on it. Not my first choice, but really my only choice. They have garages at our complex, but they want $90/month just for a stinking garage. They are out of their mind. Needless to say, after telling them we had a new vehicle they immediately said we have to put it in a garage. That pissed me off. I was prepared to go down there and raise some cane and tell them they were out of there mind. But, I got lucky.

One of our neighbors was just getting home when I was leaving to go ride and he commented on the bike. We chatted for a bit and he mentioned that he had a garage and wouldn't mind sharing if I was interested. I took him up on his offer right away. $45/month is more like it. He has a bike as well, but it's in pieces. So, everything worked out. 

Unfortunately it's been yucky outside these few days and I haven't ben able to ride. Hopefully Thursday will be a sunny day!

Get Your Free On

Clean your teeth! Get some Aquafresh Extreme Clean toothpaste.

Have sensitive teeth? Aquafresh might not cut it, but a free sample of Sensodyne might!

Have you heard of Emergen-C? Come get your free sample of Emergen-C Pink Lemonade drink mix.

And don't forget that tomorrow (April 29th) is free cone day at Ben & Jerry's! Mmmm ice cream.

Free $25

Who wants a free $25 bucks?!? I do and I got it. By signing up for this new money transfer service you will get it too... just for signing up! I was skeptical at first but after knowing a few people who have already done it, it's completely legit and free!

This easy service allows you to transfer money from your account to another members account absolutely fee free! (seems similar to Paypal) Since this is a new service, in order to get the word out there, they are offering $25 for anyone who signs up before May 15th! To be honest, I only signed up to get my $25 bucks. I could care less about the service. Free money is the ultimate freebie. Want to do it? Need more information? Do you want a free $25 for doing nothing? Then let me know either in a comment or email and I will send you a referral email. Or, click on the widget. Either way, your boy (me) will get an extra $10 for referring you. Think about how many people you can refer once you sign up.

More Free Stuff

Get a little bacteria in your life!

You got a pooch? You gotta get Schmackos.

Get yourself a travel size tube of Arm & Hammer toothpaste. (we have like 5 of these!)

Mmmm granola! Get some Quaker Simple Harvest either in granola bar form or oatmeal.

Freebie Mania!

It's been a while since we have had some good 'ol freebie fun time. So, here it goes:

Ever see those 5 Hour Energy commercials and say, "Damn, I'm tired of seeing this commercial."? Well go over here and get your free sample of 5 Hour Energy to perk you back up.

Need some flavor in your life, or your water for that matter. Come get some True Lemon, True Lime and True Orange to put a little flavor in it.

Need a brolly? How about a Bass Brolly? Do you even know what a brolly is? Well go get yourself one anyways.

Ladies... do you carry way too much crap in your purse? (Say yes.) Well, why don't you cut down on the clutter and at least keep all your tampons (like to call em cigars) together with this neat little tampon holder! (LMAO)

Here is something else to throw in that black hole you like to call a purse. Get yourself some of Kashi's Mountain Medley Granola. Guys, you can get some granola too whether you carry a purse or not.

Not necessarily a freebie, but still pretty cool: go sign up for Kohls' Sale Alerts and they will send you a coupon for $5 off your next purchase! Not too shabby.

Got Screwed On That Deal

The cell phone job is not anything to me but a job. Where as the church gig and studio are more like careers. Those two I actually enjoy going to. It's nice to work and get paid for doing the things you love. But, unfortunately between the two, I still need another job to bring in more money. So, I continue to work at the mall. Well, recently I got screwed.

I used to work at the mall that was right up the road from the house. Not only was it close, but it is a nice mall, with nice clientele and it was easy to make money. Making a long story short, the guy that is the manager there cried, bitched and whined long enough that he hired another part timer and basically cut my hours way back. It's not very fair to me, especially since I have been working for this company for so long. The companies excuse is that my availability is not any good. Well no shit when you have 3 jobs. Anyone working the part time hours this company has (27/week) needs another job. 

So, the only fix was to go work out in Tampa in the ghetto mall where no one has money and everyone wants something for nothing. I hate this mall (ghetto as any) and the clientele is even worse. Bunch of poor, dirty, redneck and ghetto, uneducated, waste of space people. I can't make anything out here having to discount and slash prices. Plus the drive alone sucks. It's too far to drive especially in a truck. And now, this manager is starting to bitch because he can't have Sundays off because I do church. Well too fucking bad dude. You took the management position, now deal with it.

So, I told Nichole the other day that I'm looking to replace this job. Looking for a Friday and Saturday gig. Too bad i can't get more hours at the studio or church right now.

Sometimes You Want To Reach Out And Choke Em

I think I met the most annoying person ever yesterday! It was at the studio. This guy comes in with his dreadlocks and pants around his knees. Apparently he had talked to Corey, but Corey never told me about it. This guy says he rewrote the National Anthem and had a poster with the words on it. Well, I can tell you right now the words suck. Sometimes they didn't even make sense. It was all run-on sentences. Another thing that pissed me off about it was he was trying to capitalize on the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina thing. Everyone has to jump onboard I guess. But you know what, not to sound harsh or uncaring, but that was long ago. Get over it. It's done with. Let's move on. I'm so sick of hearing about this 9/11 crap that I could scream. 

Anyways, he wants to record his version of the anthem at the studio and he tried (key word is tried) to sing it for me and it was horrendous. But, I can't tell the dude that he sucks. So, I had to suffer.

To boot, what made it all worse is he then stood there for half an hour telling me his life story as I'm ready to pull my hair out. I wanted to reach out and choke the guy and tell him to get lost. It was a blessing once he left. I have never met anyone like that before and I hope I never have to again.

Free Ice Cream!

Happy Birthday to Ben & Jerry's! To celebrate their birthday, they are giving you a free ice cream cone! All you have to do is show up. Visit their website to find a location near you.

Motorcycle

I'm sure for anybody reading this blog (except for a select few of you), you are not aware that Nichole and I are buying a motorcycle! I'm pretty excited about it. Not only is it going to be a fun "toy" to have and a blast to drive for recreation, but it is going to save me a lot in gas money. My good friend and studio owner Corey recently purchased a new bike and offered me a good deal for his old one. Knowing that he babies all of his toys and that he would not rip me off, I started to really consider it. After weeks of figuring out finances and deciding what I wanted to do, I have the money and we are going to go get it sometime this week. 

2002 Suzuki GSXF600 Katana. It's nothing too fancy. It is a crotch rocket, but not what you might think in a crotch rocket. It's a sports touring bike, therefore it is more comfortable and you do not lay down on it like a sports bike. The bike only has 6,000 miles and for a 2002 that's not bad. We are also getting a full skirt bike cover and helmets with it. The bike is pretty much stock although it does have an awesome after-market Yoshi exhaust and jets to not only make it look and sound good but give it some added power. I can't wait to pick it up. The picture is not the actual bike, but same model and color scheme.

Forever and a Day

Wow, it's been almost a month since my last post. I guess I have just been too wrapped up in everything. I really haven't had the time to keep up with this. Maybe I'll get back into it. Maybe not. We'll see.

Cookout Sundays

Yesterday was such a nice relaxing day. I haven't had a day like that in a long time. Nichole and I went up to Springhill to see some family and celebrate my Aunt's birthday! Just a few of us lounging out by the pool, drinking some beer and having some good cookout food. Burgers, hot dogs, tater salad, cole slaw and deviled eggs... and don't forget the beer! It was really nice to just relax and not do much of anything. I also had a good time playing ball with my little cousins. Birthday cookouts are always the best.

Free

Gold Bond Ultimate Restoring Lotion

Need some regularity in your life? Try new Fiber One Cereal. "It's in the name"

Glad ForceFlex Garbage Bags

Vaseline Intensive Rescue

Vacation Time

Well, a while back I talked about how Nichole and I were going to go to Breckenridge in September for a wedding. But, after going through the costs and some thought about it we decided to scrap that idea and decided to do, what I think is, the ultimate vacation.

We booked a cruise! Just 47 days from now, May 4th, we will be sailing out of Port Canaveral for the Bahamas. It will be a 4 day cruise aboard the Carnival Sensation. Withen my family, we like to call this cruise, "The Booze Cruise". Haha. Our ports of call will be Freeport and Nassau. Having cruised before, I have been to these places, but I can't wait to go again. What makes this even more exciting though is Nichole is a first time cruiser. Having never cruised before, this will be a whole new experience for her. 47 days and counting.

The Chase

I just thought I would share with you, what our Sammy did yesterday. 

So, after church, I knew I had to go pick up Katie (my sister) from her job at McDonald's. She's too lazy to walk. So, I had to drive clear across the county just to pick her up. But, anyways, I decided I would take Sammy with for a  car ride and then let him run around like a fool in my parent's backyard. He had a great time running around with the other dogs and trying to hump Bridget! Haha. On the way back home I stopped by Cheryl's house to pick up the computer. Once we finally got home, I'm getting out of the car and before I could even close the door Sammy jumps out of the car and takes off! He bolted across the parking lot and down the sidewalk. I took off after him, but he was running at full speed and I had flip flops on. His ears were flapping in the wind and you could hear him galloping away. Meanwhile I'm trying to chase him down, running out of breath and to no avail. He gets all the way to the other side of the complex before he stops to pee on a tree and I lurched at him. But, he was too quick and got about another 20 feet ahead and peed on that tree. I catch up, jump and caught him. Of course he got a spanking and a good talking to as I carried him home... both of us panting.

Happy St. Patty's Day

I can't wait to go home tonight and have dinner. Being St. Patty's Day, what else would we be eating but corned beef and cabbage. It's been cooking the crock since last night. Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and some good Gulden's mustard. It's going to be an awesome meal.

Trash to Treasure

Speaking of free (see prior post), Nichole and I have been getting some good free stuff lately. As my family takes care of my grandmother's estate, I claimed the desktop computer. My Aunt was kind enough to bring it back with her yesterday and I ran by to pick it up. It does need a little work and has some virus and spyware issues, but once those are fixed it will be trucking. Our old desktop was so slow and old that it was time for a replacement. But, the best "free" we have had all week was last night...

I was taking Sammy for a walk and we had to go drop off the trash. There is always some interesting crap lying by the dumpster. Quite often you will find some paintings and pictures, cabinets, bed frames and I have even seen a stove and TV. It's amazing what people throw away, but most of it is all junk. Well, not last night! Lying next to the dumpster was this very nice, chocolate brown, leather (might be vinyl) headboard with a sign attached, "Free Headboard. Enjoy!" I was skeptical for a second. It has to be damaged or something. But, after taking a good look, it looked perfect. I brought Nichole down with a flashlight and we took a look at it. It was like brand new! Why would anyone give it away for free or throw it out if it was brand new condition. They could have gotten something for it. People are always trying to sell their "wares" on the peg boards. But, another man's trash is another man's treasure. After some work and modifications, we now have, what is basically, a brand new, in perfect condition, chocolate brown leather headboard. It's awesome. Now, we have to get rid of our old one.

So.... we have for sale:

Light oak, queen headboard with iron work

We also have:

Mintek DVD Player with remote

(not sure what size) CRT computer monitor, black

Free

Run over here to get your free on! (It's been a while)

Church Chat

The Oklahoma trip was awesome and well worth it. We learned a lot and got to meet some really cool individuals. Now, the team that went, has some new ideas and thoughts about going forward in our multi-site ministry. When we returned last Monday, we were thrust, full force, into this holy week. I've have been so busy with church lately that I have had to go out there the past 4 days! I have to go today. It's really cool what we can pull off. For Palm Sunday we had our regular worship team of instruments (drums, bass, guitar, piano, etc.) and we added a small orchestra consisting of viola, violin, cello, flute, trumpets, oboe, clarinet and sax. Services looked awesome and sounded amazing.

Back To Blogging

I haven't blogged in a while because we were having some ad/spyware/porn issues on the blog. For some reason, both my Aunt's blog and mine got infiltrated with spyware. But, it had to have been embedded in the blogs, because only those blogs had pop up spyware. Well, thank God it is gone. So, now there will be lots of catching up to do.

What We Are Doing Here...

Just a few shots of what we have seen and what we have come out here for. 

This is Life Church's Production Suite. From here the message and service is captured not only for recording and archive purposes but it is also beamed via satellite to their 18 satellite/multisite sites. The signal is beamed in realtime, therefore all the multisites receive the signal in realtime and display it to their congregation. It's really awesome, what they do. This is what Van Dyke is eventually wanting to do.

This is at one of their multisites. We went to Tulsa today to see how they put together on of their multisites. This one in particular because it is a portable site, meaning that every weekend they load in all this gear, set it up and then tear it down after service. It all contains 3 huge screens, intelligent (moving) lights, hazers, a full band, lots of trussing and a decent sized sound system. This is only the sanctuary. At all their multisites they also have a children's ministry and meeting areas. It's a big production. This is how our multisite at Van Dyke operates. Again, this site receives the message in realtime via satellite. It's a pretty cool experience.

Okie

So, I'm in Norman (20 mins south of Oklahoma City) Oklahoma and it's not much different than Florida. Of course there are some different options for food such as Taco Bueno, Red Robin and Grandy's and there are plenty of people that do not know how to drive, but other than that it's about the same. Except for the topography of the land. I thought Florida was flat... but this is flat. You can see for miles across the land. We are on the fourth floor of our hotel, so I can see even farther than that from here! It's pretty cool.

We decided to eat Red Robin last night for something different. I definitely did not want to eat at some place we have back home and with red Robin being right next to our hotel we decided to go there. I had an awesome Sicilian Burger. Mmmmm good. 

Also, we are staying at a La Quinta Inn & Suites. Now it is common knowledge that, in English, La Quinta means "Next to Denny's". But, this is the first La Quinta I have seen that is not next to Denny's! They are right next to an Ihop though. Maybe since it is an Inn & Suites they decided that they must also upgrade the restaurant.

Here are some shots from the hotel room. Nothing exciting...

Here I Am

Here we are... in Norman, Oklahoma and it is cold. I mean freezing cold. Well, maybe not as cold as where my friend Leebo is, but still cold. It dropped down into the upper teens last night. No snow though. Right now it is in the lower 30s. That might not be that cold to some of you but there is some wind out here in plains and it cuts right through you. Plus, remember, I am from Florida where it is always warm. This past winter I didn't even have to bust out any of my sweaters or long sleeves. But, I have them now. I'll try to stay warm.

Flying Sucks

Nothing like sitting at the airport waiting. Yep. My flight on American Airlines this morning was originally for 7:50 am. So, I got up bright and early to head on out to the airport. I got here and yes, the flight was cancelled. Apparently they are having some nasty weather (snow) in Dallas, where my connecting flight was at. So, after waiting over an hour in a huge line to get to the ticket counter, I was issued a ticket on Delta for a 12:25 flight to Atlanta and then to Oklahoma. Well, at least we are getting there. But wait, there's more. We go to our terminal and go through all the screening and de-clothing bs just to find out our flight got pushed back an hour! Now we are leaving Tampa at 1:25 pm instead of the original 7:50 am! At least we will not have to wait as long in Atlanta for our 3:40 pm connecting flight.

Page Rank

Well, I'm now a Page Rank 0. The big 0. Just like the rest of ya.

Business Trip

I'm getting to get away for the weekend, which should be nice. A few guys from the church and myself are flying to Oklahoma for the weekend. Yeah, I know... there is absolutely nothing in Okie. But, we are going for a conference with a stage and lighting company... the geeks we are. I'm excited to be going. Not only do I love flying, but it's all paid for by the church. We'll be gone for 4 days. It should be a good time. It will be nice to get away from work and the daily grind. I don't even know what the weather will be like. I guess I should get on that.

Free With Pruchase

Tying with my previous post:

If these high gas prices got you worried or upset, here is a tip that might help. Go get your gas from Shell. Currently they are offering a FREE Microfiber Cloth with every fuel purchase over 10 gallons. All you have to do is show your receipt. You also have 3 color choices: red, yellow or brown. I got red. Maybe that will help sooth the ass-raping you just received.

Fun Times Ahead

Okay, we have all been saying it / thinking it for some time now. But, now it is in print on CNN.com! Gas prices recently jumped quite a bit up to about $3.13/$3.15 around here. Now they are saying don't be surprised if some areas see $4.00/gal by spring! Come on. Now we are just being silly. It's so outrageous. And don't forget, with gas prices still increasing, that will mean other commodities such as FOOD will continue to rise. I wanted to keep my truck and pay it off before I got a new vehicle, but I can't see myself being able to afford $4.00/gal on a truck that gets only around 15 mpg. It's just a waiting game. A waiting for the inevitable. 

Suck my ass OPEC. And that goes for the rest of you oil suppliers and refineries.

Gettin Paid

I haven't seen a good Pay Per Post in quite a while. And I still have a Google rank! Maybe the Real Rank thing is starting to kick in because my Real Rank sucks. Well, at least surveys are still coming in. I have about 4,000 points at Lightspeed and I don't know what to do with it. I could get about $30 via PayPal or I could find a pretty cool gadget, movie or toy. We'll see. Come on Pay Per Post. Send me some opps!

Fair

We did go to the fair last Wednesday. I think it was the first time I have ever been and it wasn't an armband day. Because of that, it was dead... which was cool. No lines and no waiting. We checked out all the crafts and shows. It was Honey Day so there was a few honey booths. We also rode a few rides, but they were not as much fun without the crowds and lines. The best part is, of course, the fair food. We had sausage and peppers, cheese steak, corn dogs, beer, elephant ears and ice cream. We also won Sammy a toy fish which was destroyed in 5 minutes. Cheap prizes. Although it rained some and got cold we still had a good time.

New Toys

Nichole and I bought a new TV last night!

It was a bedroom replacement. Our living room set, which is a 36 inch flatscreen (not flat panel) and was free, does not need to be replaced. But, in our bedroom we had an older 20 inch flatscreen (not flat panel) that sat on an end table at the foot of our bed. First of all, we both wear glasses and if you didn't wear them, 20 inches was pointless and almost painful. To boot, if you adjusted the blanket or moved your feet, you would be disrupting the viewing pleasure of the other. So, it was time. 

We got this 32 inch Polaroid. Polaroid is supposed to be getting a lot better and for a secondary TV, you can't beat it. It also has a built in DVD player. I did mount it on the wall, which was a task. Especially when I had to drill big holes to feed the cables through the wall! Others will say that you can't do that because you live in an apartment. Yeah right. I'm going to enjoy my TV the way it was meant to be. I'll change out the door handles in the apartment if I want to. I'll even change the bathroom light fixture because it sucks, and just put the crappy one back when we leave. Then, I'll spackle the crap out of the walls when we leave.

The only problem with the TV is it is almost as big as the living room's. It will eventually have to go bigger.

Free

Print these coupons and get yourself some free food!

Campbell's Stock Pot Fresh Soups

4 pack of GoodBelly Fruit Drink

State Fair Time

I see that Mr. Fab got to go to the State Fair already this year. It just started on the 7th and Nichole and I are hoping to go. I haven't been in a couple of years and Nichole has only been once. As a kid, we would go almost every year. I always loved going to the fair and I especially couldn't wait to ride on the rides, which we always did last after seeing the craft shows, exhibits, animals and shows. Oh, and don't forget about Cracker Country which I also always enjoy. So, we will see. I really hope we get a chance to go. I might just have to take a day off of work.

Yesterday

Yesterday was the service for my Grandmother. There was quite a bit of family there and a lot that I had not seen in many years. The service was very nice (totally different than what I am used to) and the words spoke by family members were comforting. Afterwards we had everyone over to the house for food, socializing and remembrance. It was very nice and for the most part pleasant. Plus, Nichole and I were able to come home with some free luggage for our trip in September.

Traffic Sucks

Friday evening, I believe I sat in the worst traffic I have ever been in. At about 5:30pm, John from the cell phone joint, called me and asked me if I would go all the way out to our Tampa store and work for the rest of the night. Apparantly they were looking like garbage. So with just a little over 3 hours of the night left, I was supposed to drive 40 mins (normal time) to University Mall and close out the night. Yeah, okay...whatcha going to pay me? $50? Okay! 

I head on out there and what would you know, rush hour traffic. But, not any type of traffic. We were talking 4 miles of bumper to bumper traffic, crawling at no more than 5 mph on a 2 lane / 2 way bridge across the bay (Hwy 60 aka. Gulf to Bay). It was horrendous. I have never been in traffic that bad. What sucked even worse was even if I wanted to get off or turn around, I couldn't. The bridge itself is well over 5 miles and there are only maybe 2 or 3 turnarounds on it. So, I was stuck. But, after being on the road for one and a half hours I finally made it to the mall. It ended up being a good night over in Tampa and we busted out some good numbers thanks to me.

Grandma

For my readers that are not family or already aware, my Grandmother passed away this Wednesday after a battle with Pancreatic cancers. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly and untreatable cancer due to its un-detectability. Nichole and I will be going over for the memorial service on Saturday.

Freebies!

Get your free on!

Tide with Dawn Stain Scrubbers

Jergens Body Moisturizer

Corazonas Chips

Flat Earth Chips

Do You Know Your Colors?

30

I got 30! Better than Fabby. But, I still missed 208! It's actually kind of hard. You start listing anything you can think of after the basics. ie. foods, animals, refrigerators, etc. See how well you can do.

Dog Park

So, I took Sammy to the park yesterday. Unfortunately Nichole couldn't go. We are fortunate though that we have an awesome park with a dog park in it not even five minutes away. So, as a special treat that is where we went. He is one of those dogs that can't sit still in the car. He starts slobbering up the windows and what not. He especially got over excited when we drove by all the dogs. I decided I would take him for a walk on the boardwalks first so he would calm down before we went by all the other dogs. They keep the dogs segregated which is really nice. Sammy doesn't do too well with other big dogs so we went in the smaller dog side. There were at least 20 dogs in there running around, playing and smelling each other. Sammy wasn't too sure at first, but he grew some nuts and I finally let him off the leash to see what he would do. Besides trying to hump one dog, he did really well. He seemed to enjoy himself, especially with the other Jack Russells that were there (3 others). One of the Jacks was a puppy and was jumping so high in the air and then darting, faster that I have ever seen a dog run, across the park. It was a good afternoon and I'm sure Sammy can't wait until we go back.

Gimme Money

So, it's been a couple of days since my last post. I've been busy...

The buzz around here (work) has been getting our taxes prepared and that awesome little kickback we all should be expecting this June. For the few of you that are possibly not aware: coming in June the government will be releasing a relief package to all bread earners. For someone like myself or Nichole, if you made over $3k this tax year (which we did of course) we will be receiving a $600 check each! I believe it's not all finalized yet, but we sure will be getting something. That $1,200 will pay for our whole trip to Colorado in September. It's not often you can say the government is giving away money.

As for our taxes, we both already filed ours so we can get an early return. All our 1099s and W2s came so why not get it over with and give me my money! The pretty decent amount we will be getting back will all be getting dumped into our E-Fund (aren't you proud Cheryl?)

Frozen Footballs and Beet Red Faces

Of coursed I watched the games yesterday. I had to watch the Patriots game online while I was at work, but I got to watch the Green Bay game on TV. It was a pretty decent game and I'm happy the Giants won and are going to the Super Bowl. Green Bay fans are obnoxious and I wanted to see an upset. But, man, was it cold up there. -2 degrees is unbearable. If you watched, did you see Coughlin's beet red face. I bet that was hurting after last nights game. It seems almost all of the continental United States went cold.

We just had a big storm rip through here the other night and it dropped the temperture conciderably. It's funny how it is warm one day and then overnight it drops to freezing temps. You never know what to wear without going outside to check. They even had snow in Alabama and Georgia! One of the malls that the cell phone joint has a kiosk in even closed early due to the bad weather. Looks like it should be warming up through the next week though.

Funny

Out front of the Studio. Thought it was hilarious.

Tag! You're It.

I've been tagged! Apparantly, My Aunt wants me to think. I hate thinking. It's too hard. Lol. Okay, here we go:

The Rules:

1-Link to the person's blog who tagged you.

2-Post these rules in your post.

3-List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.

4-Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5-Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

Now for my seven things:

1 - I currently have 3 part time jobs, and if you include Pay Per Post, that would make 4.

2 - I have moved at least once every year since 2002.

3 - I can't break the habit of biting my nails.

4 - One of the most relaxing things is having my dog lick my toes after being in shoes all day.

5 - I had my nipple pierced. HAD

6 - I would rather be blind than be deaf.

7 - I operated roller coasters, was an Audio Engineer and did audio tech for Howl O Scream at Busch Gardens.

Now, I don't know if I know anyone that hasn't already been tagged...

Let's see, there is Nichole's cousin (who hasn't blogged in ages) and that's all that I know of. Sad isn't it?

Macbook Air

Have you seen the Macbook Air? 

Now you have. This is one badass computer. Weighing in at just 3 pounds and at it's thickest it is a mere .76 inches makes it one of the smallest and lightest notebooks around. It makes my Macbook look like a brick. Yet this Macbook still has almost everything you need. It still has a decent sized screen at 13.3 inches and is backlit by the power of LED. (Maybe this would solve the backlight issues I have with my Macbook). 802.11n wireless technology is built in as a standard (I would hope so) and the hard drive is a standard at 80 gigs. Although you do have the option of getting a 64 gig solid state drive that has no moving parts. The processing unit is a custom build for the Macbook Air. We are looking at an Intel Core 2 Duo clocked at 1.6 or 1.8 GHz. Pretty fast. All together this is a pretty badass notebook. But, I did say almost...

One thing that had to be sacrificed for thinness was the optical drive or CD/DVD drive. But, wait. How can they do away with that? Well, they do have a work around. Included is a new software program called Remote Disc. It will actually let you load a CD on your Macbook Air via wireless from another computer. You are basically bogarting the optical drive of the other computer no matter if it is a Mac or PC, laptop or desktop. I guess they are relying on the fact that you already have another computer in your house.

All in all I think it is an awesome notebook and I'm sure Apple will be successful with it. Is it worth it at a price mark of $1,799? I think not. At least not for me. The only benefits I would gain would be a faster processor, a thinner, lighter and cooler Macbook... oh, and maybe my LCD wouldn't flicker. (Maybe they should fix that problem first). But, I would lose my optical drive. Still an awesome notebook and a flashy hint at what the future has for notebooks.

The Show

Come one, come all to The Leebo Show! Leebo is a close friend of my Aunt's and he's always good for a laugh. It's usually rude or crude, but always good. Just the other night we were watching the game at Buffalo Wildwings and I thought I was going to choke I was laughing so hard. Nothing like a little "intruder" and some good old bathroom humor to get you rollin. So, stop by The Leebo Show for a great pick-me-up.

Another Freebie Day?

February is looking like a good month for free stuff. Head over to Basenjimom to find out about Free Pancake Day!

Free Pretzel Day!

February 2nd is Free Pretzel Day at Auntie Anne's! To celebrate there 20th birthday, Auntie Anne's is giving away one free original or one free cinnamon sugar pretzel to everyone who stops by any of their locations between the hours of 10am and 4pm! All you have to do is get your ass there and they will gladly hand you a free pretzel. 

Free Pretzel Day will also mark the beginning of their What a Difference a Family Makes: A New Twist on Giving Back program. This program recognizes families who make a difference in their community. Starting on February 2nd you can go to www.atwistongivingback.com and nominate either your family or a family that you know. Twenty families will be awarded with grants up to $20,000!

Get Your Dose...

Get your daily dose of freebies over are Basenjimom!

Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money

You all should know by now that I'm all about the free stuff and I'm definitely all about making more money. Some of you have even asked where I get all my pocket change and extra cash from. Well, Smorty is your answer. If you have a blog, you can get paid for blogging. It's that easy. In a nutshell, Smorty is your middleman and direct link with advertisers who will pay for you to blog about them or their product. Smorty makes it so easy as well. On your homepage, you will see a list of your opportunities and you pick which ones you want. Once you write up your post, submit it and you are done. Piece of cake. So, if you have a blog, why aren't you getting paid for blogging? If you don't have a blog, get one and start making that extra cash.

Time For New Eyes

Nichole and I both wear glasses and the last time either of us had our eyes checked was years ago. Yeah, I know, pretty bad huh? But, we have been discussing getting our eyes checked since before Christmas. Now that the rush of the holidays is over, we have the time to get them checked. I know that I will need new glasses. I prefer something that has square frames and a nutral color. Pretty much like what I have now. I love the frames I have now. Gun metal gray and designer Guess frames to boot. I'm sure I will not be getting designer frames as my next set. But, even a nice set of generic frames can run you a bit. So, I've been thinking about looking online for some good deals. Maybe even someone that sells frames directly to you from the manufacturer. Someone like this Great Discovery: www.ZenniOptical.com. I think they have great deals because they not only sell directly to you with no middle-man, but they also sell their own manufactured frames so you can even get a greater deal. It's all about the bargains.

This is a sponsored post.

Taking It Back To The Oldschool...

Cause I'm an old fool, who's so cool. Guess where that line of lyrics came from. Anyways. 

Nichole loves to play Tetris. I remember playing Tetris on my dads original, pea-soup green Gameboy. Yeah, monochrome. Lol. Since she loves playing it, and I do enjoy a thrilling game from time to time, I had purchased it for our original XBox. But, unfortunately out of all our old games, Tetris is the only one that will not work on the new 360. After searching both Babbages and EB Games at our mall, I found the very last Tetris Evolution for 360 hidden behind some other games. Last night we played it and I enjoy the new spins they throw on the old game. Multi-colored of course, but with some of the original music! Sometimes old school is the new school.

Where in the World is Colleen?

My Family loves to travel places. Who doesn't though? I like to travel too. But, being the struggling young chap I am, I don't get to go places much. But, Nichole and I do have a vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado booked for next September. But, I digress...

My Aunt Colleen is lucky enough to be traveling once again. Didn't she just get back from Canada? Lucky. She is running this really neat contest called "Where in the World is Colleen?" on her Simple Life blog. She didn't divulge to anyone, but a few, on to where she is going. Your job is to guess where she is going. Would you like to know what you are playing for?

The Prizes:

1st prize - a $50 Travelocity Gift Card and a souvenir from her trip

2nd prize - a $25 Travelocity Gift Card and a souvenir from her trip

3rd, 4th and 5th prize - a souvenir from her trip

Go here to learn about the rules as well as all the other clues leading up to my clue.

And now for my clue...

"Colleen will be in a destination that was featured in the movie Eurotrip."

Good luck!