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!

Art Is Gorgeous

I like to consider myself an art lover. Although I have not been to many art museums, the few I have been to have been a fantastic experience. If you were to come over to my place you would see that I have a decent amount of art on my walls. There are not any themes, although the living room and dining room combined are all about music. Last Christmas, Nichole bought me these two matching prints that have pianos, drums, horns and a few other instruments that are all put together into an abstract. I really like them. They not only pop with color, but they also match very well with my other two pieces in those rooms. 

Those pieces are from an artist by the name of Anatole Krasnyansky. Those two pieces are not prints, but originals! The one is done on canvas and the other is done on a handmade papyrus. Really neat pieces. My Dad gave them to me as gifts and I love them. He had purchased them while on a cruise during an onboard art auction. The company that puts these auctions on is Park West Art Gallery. They hold the largest collection of fine art. Park West not only does auctions at sea, but they also do auctions throughout the states and Canada and they also do online sales as well. I also have some other pieces purchased from Park West such as a limited edition Le Kinff. They are a fantastic source for really nice original pieces of art. Next time I need some art, I'm going to Park West.

Freebie

Run over to Basenjimom and see where you can get a free sample of Quaker Simple Harvest! Get a granola bar or some oatmeal.

Video Games

The video game industry is a huge industry. Everyone from the ones who design the games to the ones that pimp them in the malls is involved. It has been a growing industry and continues to grow. It's most likely will never reach an end unless we hit a wall in technology. But, anyways.

I was lucky enough to win a XBox 360 for Christmas from work! How cool is that. What really sucks about it though is you get it home and you have the unit and one controller. So, now you have to spend a fortune getting another controller, the right cables if it only comes with basics, a million dollars on the games ($60 average), memory cards, cables and hardware to get it online... It's crazy. Luckily all of my games from original XBox also work on the new one. I ended up rearranging the den so I didn't have to buy a $100 wireless dongle for the unit! $100 for a wireless adaptor is outrageous. And I just spent $40 on another controller. I guess I'll have to wait to spend the $60 on a new game. Not to mention that the game that I want, Guitar Hero 2 (I'll settle for 2 and wait for 3 to come down in price) requires that you purchase a guitar controller that ranges in price from $60 to $120!

Then there is the online thing. I go online and there is of course a subscription to the online service that you have to pay. But, that only gets you online. Then, they want you to spend even more money to upgrade your games, add bonus levels, tracks and cars, and get added features. Anything to make a buck I guess.

I have an original XBox with 3 controllers and headset for sale!

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

So last night we went to the movies on one of our many gift cards. Thank you. We saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Nichole had never seen the first one until the other day when we watched it at home. I think the first one is very entertaining and a good story. But, I find it to be very coincidental, and if they ahd done it really well it would have ended up being 5 hours long. The new one was just as good. Very entertaining, a great story and well worth the trip to the theater (which is only 5 mins. away, if that). Everyone loves treasure, even if it is in a movie and not in real life. If you get a chance, go check it out.

Yesterday

We might be the NFC South Champs, but that is all we are. What a crappy game the Bucs played against the New York Giants yesterday. 1st quarter looked promising, and then it went to shit after that. But, we still had a good time. My Aunt came over and brought some snacks. Beer, food and football. Still not a bad afternoon.

Inkjet Cartridges

Nichole and I have one of those all in one printer / scanner / copier. It's a Lexmark, just like everyone else has. We even have a Lexmark at the studio. The problem with these inkjet printers is the ink cartridges are so expensive. The printer at the studio is always running out of ink. We do use it a lot though. But, the one Nichole and I have has a bigger problem. Not only are the cartridges expensive, but for some reason the ink seems to dry up on it's own. We will go to print a page and it will only print in all blue. Or it might print halfway down the page, but the top will have nothing. I think we might have got a bad batch of ink. But, we spent so much on them, that I would hate to go out and spend more and only have the same problem with new ones. Enter, our good friend, the Internet!

Ink Jet Deals is an awesome site that can help you find good deals on inkjet cartridges. I bet you might even be able to find ink that you can not find in stores. They make it really easy for you too. You can filter through the site for your specific brand of printer. We can find inkjet cartridges for our Lexmark. Have a HP? Or perhaps you need an Epson printer inkjet cartridge. The site also has some great tips on storing and saving ink as well as coupon codes for getting some amazing deals.

This is a sponsored post.

Freebie Monday

Have a treat. Get some Freebies!

Purina Dog or Cat food. (A whole bag!)

South Beach Diet Granola Clusters and Drink Mix

Smell like David and Victoria Beckham

Going through menopause? Try this!

Get your colon blow! Colon blow here!

In The Winds Of A Stranger

I would like to share with you today, something I find to be one of the most repulsive things ever. The scent of a stranger's fart!

Today, I was working at the mall and my buddy from the neighboring kiosk was hanging out playing on our computer. Out of nowhere this repugnant stench filled our nostrils. I looked at him and asked him if he ripped ass. But, he did not and neither did I. "It must have been that asian dude", he said. (Asian dude is hanging out by the ice rink, trying to look like he is oblivious to the situation. Yet he has a face of guilt.) I thought I was going to vomit all over the place it was so rotten. But, here's the funny thing...

Everyone basks in the glory that is their own fart. Have you ever left the scene of the crime before the aroma met your nostrils if you were the culprit? NO! Of course you are not going to let it go to waste. It also doesn't bother me too much if it is the flatulent of a family member or close friend (unless they are over 60). Of course if it is potent, I will be venturing away from the toxic cloud and making a big scene so the whole world knows who ripped one. But, at least I know who they are, a little about what they eat and we can laugh it off together.

Is there are moral to this story? If there was, it would be:

Beware of the trailing winds of a passing stranger!

Another Year Shot In The Ass...

Tomorrow is New Years Eve. In years passed I would either go out and party like a rockstar, or go over to the fams house and ring in the new year with some good times. This year, it's going to be low key. Nichole and I didn't get to spend a lot of time together for the holidays, so we are going to have a nice evening in. Some pork chops for dinner, taking down the Christmas decorations, maybe a few Christmas movies and a cold beer at the stroke of midnight. Happy 2008! Let's make it better than last.

They Pulled It Off

So they pulled it off. The New England Patriots took it all the way for an undefeated season, 16-0. The last time that was done was the 1972 Dolphins and they only had 14 games, I believe. Nichole and I went over to Aunt's place to watch the game. It was a pretty decent one too. There were some great plays an for a while there it was looking pretty rough for the Pats. But, in the end, Brady and the Pats pulled it off. You could tell that it was a highly watched game too. I was working in the mall and it died severely. For a Saturday night, it looked like a Wednesday. Congrats Pats. Now, let's not get too cocky in the post-season.

Christmas Re-Cap

Yay! Christmas is over. Now that it has come and gone, I'm pretty sad by how little time I actually had to enjoy the holidays. Growing up, I remember my parents having all kinds of time. We would go as a family shopping at all the different malls in the area. We would go to nice restuarants and have dinner where it's nice and warm and yet it is freezing outside. Nothing is the same anymore. Neither the time nor the weather!

I wish I had had more time to spend with Nichole. Go do a little outlet shopping or head out of town for the day. Or even just stay at home and enjoy a good Christmas movie. But, oh well. Maybe next year.

Christmas was good to us though. Santa brought Nichole a very nice (and expensive) Coach bag! She also got some clothes, ornaments and her elephant. I got some movies (Pirates 3, Superbad and Transformers), tons of gift cards, some clothes, a drill and a new razor. Nichole and I both got new pots and pans, a hand blender, a mixer, an indoor grill, kitchen knives to add to our set and a beautiful handmade afghan made by my mom. I believe it is my only handmade possession. Not too shabby! We got a lot of gift cards this year as well, which is awesome. We spent a little over $100 last night at Target getting things for the house like new lamps and a new shower head. Do I venture to say that I think we almost got too much?

On Christmas, Nicholes and I had to strap on the feedbag. We not only had a huge homemade breakfast at her parent's house, but we also had dinner with my family and hers! The food was fantastic all around (as always) and it was nice to spend time with family. Nichole and I were even talking about even though there was only my immediate family and my Grandma and her husband at my parents house, it was very pleasant, relaxing and great to be there watching the Pixar shorts and chatting.

Put on top of all this, going out drinking and playing Silver Strike at night, I think Christmas was great and everyone had a great time. I'm just going to have to make sure I allot more time for actually enjoying the holiday next.

News Post

I'm a pretty avid news reader. One of the first things I'll do when I jump online is head over to CNN.com and read the headlines. There is always something interesting going on. I came across one titled "For Bloggers, Online Ads Beckon". Sounded interesting and I could relate to that. So, I read it and it was good. I didn't really learn anything new from it, but it does mention Pay Per Post and there is also a quote from a Google rep. She mentions how a click from an ad on a corporate site or a click on an ad from an individuals site makes no difference. But, she fails to mention that by dropping everyone's pagerank they have squeezed a lot of us out of paid ads. Which brings me to my next point.

What's with Google's AdSense? Is that not advertising that many of us place on our blogs? Sounds kind of hypocritical to me. I think Google is pissed off because companies like Pay Per Post have butt in and have become the sole source for bloggers to go to and advertise to make money. Google wants AdSense to be top dog, but AdSense is your standard, boring and annoying advertisement. It's not the creative work of people that can relate to the advertisement. They try to relate the ad to your blog by crawling your blog. But, it's not always accurate. A little advice Google, stick with what you do best, crawling the internet for your search engine not my blog.

Help For Understanding Your Finances

Do you ever have those financial questions that you really need to know the answer to but you are not sure where to get that answer? I do, and quite often. Sure you can ask a friend or ask a family member. But, is their answer going to be bias? Are they even going to know the correct answer?

The Internet has become the best resource for such questions. One of the most intuitive sites is Finance Genius. It's in their name! Finance Genius explains financial obligations from Auto Loans, Insurance, Mortgages and even Student Loans. It does not just explain the basics, but they also talk about every type of insurance, refinancing loans and even how your credit score works. The auto section I find very helpful because it not only talks about choosing between a new and used vehicle but it also talks about getting a Used Car Warranty if you should choose a used car.

For those of us that are trying to get our finances in check, are just starting out or God forbid are in deep trouble, check out Finance Genius. It's a guaranteed help.

This is a sponsored post.

Were You Quick or Too Slow?

The link I posted last week for Pinecone Research is no longer available. For those of you that took advantage of this awesome oppertunity, congratulations. For those of you that didn't, sorry.

Stalled Shopping

I haven't even begun to think about what kind of Christmas shopping I have to get done. Yet, Nichole is almost completely done. As I type, she is wrapping up gifts she has bought for me today. But, it makes me sad because I have no idea where to begin. After the disgusting day at the mall today, which I wasn't even scheduled to work but I went in because I need the money, I don't know how much I am going to be able to afford this year. Seriously, it was supposed to be a Friday today and just three weekends before Christmas, yet it was as if it was a Wednesday in the mall. Absolutely ridiculous. Our goal today was $1,286 and we closed at a whopping $486. I wish I didn't have to still work at the mall, but I need that third job. If this is going to be a crappy December, I'll be looking for a new job after the 1st. 

Freebie Found

The freebies have become scarce and very hard to find, but when I find a good one, I jump all over it. In honor of our new puppy, Sammy, I give you this freebie:

Nature's Recipe Devoted Dog Parent Kit

Not only will you receive a sample of Nature's Recipe, but you also get educational videos, a diagnosis wheel, pet relaxation music and informational articles. My personal favorite was the pet relaxation music. I find it hilarious. Can't wait to get it so Sammy can relax to some cool tunes while we are at work.

Making The Extra Buck

Many already know that both my Aunt and myself have quite a few ways of making some extra cash. Not only do we both participate in Pay Per Post, but we also do surveys for several companies. Many of these survey companies give you points to accumulate and once you hit a certain amount you can redeem those points for prizes and even cash. That's what most spring for, the cash. So yeah, I'll do surveys in my free time and get paid. I might be at work doing absolutely nothing, or I might be at home watching TV. Why not get paid? But, anyways, some of the more elite companies will pay you on a survey to survey basis. One of those companies happens to be Pinecone Research. They are one of the best to belong to because they not only pay you on each survey, but they also will send you free products to test! The trick is getting signed up with them. They are so elite that they do not take referrals and there is no signup page that is always available. The trick is finding a banner or link somewhere on the web and clicking it to signup. I happened to find one! So, if you want to make an extra buck, possibly test products and belong to an elite club go here and signup. But, go fast because the page will not be up for long!

Chilly Nights

Just like everyone else, I love this time of year. Two days ago we had a cold front charge through here (Florida). Now a cold front here, just means cooler weather not necessarily cold weather. But, it did get somewhat chilly that night. The first thing I did when I got home was, say hi to Sammy, turn on Christmas radio and light the candles. The air began to fill with the Christmas scents of Yankee Candle. By the time Nichole got home, I was in Christmas pajama pants and sitting comfortably trying to fix the lights on this fake tree we have. (Not our Christmas tree. It will be real.) As the lights on our patio twinkled, we took Sammy for a walk. He had his sweater on and we had our jackets and a cup of hot chocolate. What a pleasant evening it was.

Cool Map Thingy

Many of you may have noticed, and others of you may have not. For those that have not, you are oblivious to your surroundings. Anyways, I have this really cool map at the bottom of my blog that shows where your visitors are visiting from. It's just a cool thing to have and to see where everyone is at. It is interesting to see hits from other countries and makes me wonder if they even know what I am talking about. You can get your own at hip2map.com. 

Posting

Okay, the amount of posts and the frequency of them was all off last month. November was just a busy month for everyone. Now, December is here and we should be back to normal. So, stop by often and see what's up.

Happy Chill Out Days

So far, working the mall this holiday season has not be lucrative. I was hoping Black Friday was going to give me a nice boost in my pay. It ended up being just a bump. Not only Black Friday, but that whole weekend was not what it should have been or what it has been in years past. It's just a combo of gas prices, housing market and for the simple fact that there are no real "must haves" this year. There really isn't. Even though my paychecks are a joke, I'm actually kind of enjoying it. The holidays have always been and always will be a fast paced time of year. Everyone is usually running around trying to keep up with the Jones' and playing catch up, but this year I think people are taking it slowly and doing what they can. I, for one, am taking it each day at a time and I am in no hurry for it to get here. I'd like to kick back, relax and enjoy the season this year. So, who's with me? 

Decorating

Of course it is that time of year when everyone pulls out all the decorations for Christmas. Nichole and I did our place last weekend. Unfortuanetly we do not have a lot. 

Growing up, our house used to get completely converted for the Christmas season. All the normal day to day stuff would be packed up and replaced with all kinds of Christmas knick-knacks. Not to mention that the outside would take a whole weekend to get decorated. It was insane. My Dad and I had to put in a whole line of breakers just to power the light display. But, now that my Dad is converting and I no longer live at their house, the stuff just stays in the attic through the season. Although, I was over there about a week ago and someone was doing some light decorated. I was really surprised.

Anyways, Nichole and I do not have much, but we have some. We did go out and buy some lights to decorate our patio and windows. We will purchase a few things this year to add to it. For Halloween and Thanksgiving we were able to raid my parent's attic and take what we wanted so we had a pretty nice setup for those holidays. But, I dare raid the attic for Christmas because there are literally around 20-25 bins of Christmas stuff. Maybe as it gets closer, I might see what there is and take a few things.

Hey, I Want Those!

How would you like to get 100 FREE business cards that you can customize just to promote your blog? I would. This is a fantastic way to show off your blog to the random people you meet. Of course it is easy to promote your blog online. But, what about the people that you meet at a restaurant, a bar or even at work. Sure, you can write your URL down on a cocktail napkin, but how professional and serious would you look if you whipped out one of your cards. "You know, let me get you one of my cards. Hhmmm, I seem to be fresh out." (wait for it) "BAM!"

For the professional blogger, get over to Ooprint.com and get your 100 blogger cards for FREE!

This is a sponsored post.

Sammy

This is our Sammy. He is a 1 year old Jack Russell Terrier. We got him from an older couple that had moved into our complex and they couldn't take care of him anymore. I went to drop off the mail one night and I saw their flyer hanging on the peg board, "Sammy. 1 Year Old Jack Russell. Neutered and house broken. Loves children. Very playful." They also included some photos of him. 

Nichole and I were talking about getting a dog but we had never actively looked for one. When I saw this I felt like it was the perfect opportunity. I went home to Nichole and I said, "I know I shouldn't be saying this but, there is a puppy that someone in the complex is giving away." I could barely finish my statement before Nichole was jumping up and down and saying, "Can we get him?"

We were so excited that we called on him that night and went over to see him. He was so excited and wasn't too sure about us all at the same time. His previous owner was kind enough to let us take him home that night and see how he interacts with us and the apartment. 

He is the most perfect dog. Being house broken is such a plus. He has never made a mess nor even chew or tear up anything. He isn't a chewer. He hardly even likes Milk Bones. But, he does love his rawhide. My only complaint is he has to sleep in the bed with us and under the covers. Quite the bed hog at times. I'm still getting used to the fur as well, but it's not bad.

As for obtaining the dog we were blessed. His previous owner wanted nothing for him other than to give him a loving home, which he has. She even told us that she couldn't have found a better home for him. As with all apartments we had to put a $300 deposit down for him. No big deal, but we really felt bad for his previous owner. They had just moved into the complex less than a week ago, with the intentions of giving Sammy away, and they had to pay $300 as well. The complex would not give them any kind of refund whatsoever. They wouldn't even transfer the $300 to us. So, unfortunately the couple got screwed out $300 for 5 days. It's a shame.

But, anywho, Sammy is so great and loves attention. I know he'll be jumping up and down and so excited to see me when I go home!

New Addition To The Family

About a week ago Nichole and I added a new member to our family. His name is Sammy and he is the greatest dog ever. He is a Jack Russell Terrior, around 1 year old and already house broken. Can't beat it. Check back in for pictures and more details soon.

Holiday Shopping

We all know I work in the mall from time to time. I'm there right now. Yesterday was Black Friday and we did so so in sales. I'll be honest, there really wasn't that many people in the mall. Not like in years past. No one seems to be having any huge doorbusting sales this year to drawer the crowds. 

I was reading some articles talking about how holiday shopping this year is going to be luke warm and how stores are strugling. I also read some articles, post Black Friday, that were saying some malls opened up at midnight! They are out of their mind. You wouldn't catch me here at that time. They go on to also say that by mid day a lot of shoppers had already left and the crowds started to dwindle because shoppers were burnt out on it. I would totally agree with that at our mall. By mid day it seemed just like a normal weekend. I don't know what's going to happen, but if the trends continue, I forsee a lot stores starting to pull out of the mall. I know we are getting close. Here's to a lousy holiday shopping season! 

Benefits Rock

Okay, I know I haven't blogged in forever. But, don't give me any grief. I've been so busy and tired with work I just haven't had the chance. But, on with my post.

I love Nichole's new job! The hours she works are not only great (banker for those not in the know), but her benefits are fantastic too. Both her and I now have medical insurance and dental (which I haven't had since high school). Time to get those eyes checked. But there's more! She also gets fantastic discounts on theme parks, movie tickets and more. Today, we discovered yet another perk.

A local restaurant manager came into her bank today and invited everyone and their families to a soft opening of their new restaurant and everything was to be complimentary! Not being one to pass up anything for free, we booked our time and went. FREE DINNER!

How fantastic it was. The place is called Flamestone: An American Grill. You can check them out here. The place is owned by a well known, local restauranteur. Not only is the atmosphere gorgeous, even the bathrooms, but the service was superb. Now, whether the service will change once they are officially open, who knows. But, I do know that our waitress was fantastic.

We had some Chardonnay, a watermelon Martini, calamari, both of us had 9oz filet mignons, and for desert we had their awesome "cupcake trio". The grand total came to $78, and it was completely free!

I was really surprised by what they had available for their soft opening. They had every kind of liquor and spirit you could think of, all kinds of wine and huge assortment of meats and entrees. And it was all free. If you live in the area, definitely go and check them out. Nichole and I will absolutely be going back.

Free Stuff

Playtex Personal Cleansing Cloth (lmao)

Degree Deorderant for Men

Huggies Gentle Care Baby Wipes

NutraSweet

Head & Shoulders

Arby's Milk Shake

Arby's Sandwich

Holidays

Everyone has heard it before, "Christmas is nothing more than a consumer holiday and an excuse to spend hoards of money". Some may believe this is true and others may not. But, if you read this, you will find yet another point of view that I find to be quite funny and in many ways , I believe, true.

Weather Or Not

Has anyone else noticed the cooler weather? I know anyone from anywhere north of Georgia has, but I'm talking Florida. It's been beautiful the last couple of days. This morning it was almost cold! It's about time it cooled off around here. Whether this is a fluke or it's here to stay I don't know. I have not had a chance to catch up on my news as of yet.

Speaking of the weather, I believe that the meteorologists in charge of predicting the hurricane season have lost all of their credit. They sucked last year and they continue to suck this year. I remember earlier in the year they were saying this is going to be the most active season yet. I call BS on them! I realize that the activity has been much farther south this year than it has in the past, but we are only on the letter N! N is for Noel. So, they can take their predictions and shove it.

Blog America Tour

The Blog America Tour meeting at the Hard Rock last Thursday was awesome! My Aunt Colleen was able to make but unfortunately my Aunt Cheryl was not. You can read why over here. We met up with Ted, Ashley and their "techie" Travis at the Hard Rock Casino. My overachieving Aunt Colleen brought 100 can goods for the event to give to charity and in return she won an iRobot Roomba automatic "vacuum"! Pretty cool stuff. We ate dinner, thanks to Ted, and gambled a bit. What else did you think we were going to do at a casino? We also talked some blogging business and got a sneak peek at Argus. There was a little bit of filming involved as well. We didn't leave empty handed though. We also got some really cool Izea and Argus swag to take home!

Halloween... At The Mall???

They did trick or treating in the mall again this year just like they do every year. There were tons of people here this evening. So many that most stores ran out of candy around 6pm and it started at 4pm and was supposed to last until 8pm. It's 8:15 now and there are still a lot of people here. Lots of little kids dressed up of course and a few middle school aged kids. But, one of the reasons the mall does allow this is to draw business to the mall. 

Obviously that doesn't work. The kids are too busy screaming, "candy, candy, candy" and mom and dad are too busy chasing after them. Therefore, myself nor anyone else makes any sales and it might as well have been empty in here. We counted how many people we saw with a shopping bag in hand and you saw maybe 1 in 30... maybe. I think I might have made 3 or 4 sales since 4 o' clock when the Halloween festivity started.

And who the hell brings their kids to the mall to go trick or treating anyways? Are parents that lazy now? I remember my Dad hand making all of our costumes as kids and then we would all haul down to Grandma's, meet up with our cousins, and go trick or treating in the neighborhood. Outside..., where it is dark..., with the moon overhead... It was always cool seeing all the different decorations people had and the different jack-o-lanterns, and passing other trick or treaters giggling at each other as the go from house to house. I remember a couple of years we even got full size candybars from the neighborhood. 

Let me tell you something, when I have kids, I will be carving pumpkins with them, making costumes and we will be trick or treating outside, in a neighborhood like it should be. To me, that is what Halloween is all about.

Blog America Tour

For the fellow Posties that are out there, you know what this is. The guys from Pay Per Post are heading out across America and their first stop is right here in Tampa at the Hard Rock Casino. I will be attending this event to meet other Posties and to meet the people behind Pay Per Post. Both of my Aunts, Basenjimom and Colleen, should be in attendance. It should be fun. I heard there might be some swag too! So, if you are in Tampa Bay, are a Postie and haven't heard of this, get in the know and get to the Hard Rock tomorrow night (Nov 1st) at 7pm.

Credit Got You Down

I applied for a new credit card with Bank of America on the 11th of October and I still have not received the card yet! Which reminds me, I need to get on the horn with them. They tell you 10 days and you will have your card. That's a lie. But, anyways, I got a really good interest rate on it because I have been careful and have good credit. But, for those that don't have good credit, getting a decent credit card, or loan for that matter, can be a nightmare. Enter Bad Credit Offers. This intuitive site allows you compare bad credit credit card offers side by side so you can see what is going to work best for you. They also allow you to compare bad credit loans whether they are home loans, auto loans or personal loans. I'm glad I have good credit. But, if you don't, check these guys out. I bet they can help.

This is a sponsored post.

Pagerank

I see Google finally did their pagerank update. As you can see by my widget I am a lousy pagerank 1. But you know what, I don't care. I'm really just here to share my thoughts, ideas and give my readers insight into who i am. My Aunt Colleen just did a post about the pagerank update and how too many bloggers are starting to be money oriented instead of content oriented. I'm with here on the fact that if I am going to read your blog I want it to be full of content and not just sponsored posts and reviews that you get paid for. Now, don't get me wrong. I love blogging for money, but I still have a higher ratio of unpaid posts to paid posts. Now the trick is to get a higher pagerank and get some better opps to blog about, yet still have plenty of unpaid posts about this and that.

Saving For Tomorrow

My Aunt has a very interesting post about an article she read in the newspaper. It is about a family that is in so much financial trouble that they are stuck. They have no running water, have had the power turned off multiple times and are afraid to leave the house due to foreclosure! The point my Aunt was trying to make, and I totally agree with her is, if this family had an EMERGENCY FUND they would not be in so much trouble. 

I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful family member that cares enough to encourage me and even help me set up an emergency fund for myself. Though I am young and it doesn't look like I will need it anytime soon, you just never know when you might catch that curve ball and need some money to get by. I setup my e-fund with ING Direct because they not only have an awesome interest rate on their savings, but they also gave me money to set one up with them! Free money, can't beat it. You can do it too! Get your emergency fund started now and get paid to do it. All you have to do is email me and I will send you a link that will entitle you to a free $25 bonus just for signing up. Email me now and start saving for tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Unfortuanetly I am at the mall all day, but maybe I'll do something later with Nichole. We didn't get to watch The Great Pumpkin last night either. Maybe it will be on again today and I'll have Nichole DVR it. I thought I'd let you check out our pumpkins as well.

Here is last years.

This is this years!

Happy Halloween!!!

Freebies

Nestle Crunch Bar

Purina Naturals Cat Food

Purex Detergent

Science Diet Dog Food

The Big K-raphole

Nichole and I had one of those coupons for a free bag of candy from Kmart. Now, I never shop Kmart because it is probably the dumpiest/trashiest place to shop. Especially the one here in good ol' Tarpon. But heck, I was going to go get my free candy. So, we walked in and you are instantly immersed into that stale stench of Kmart. You know that unique smell that stores have? Walmart has it, the mall has it and unfortunately Kmart has it. Kmart has a really nasty, sour and stale odor. Anyways, We proceed to the candy aisle which is nothing but and few mounds of candy piled in the middle of an aisle. Was there even shelving underneath? Probably not. We walked around and looked for probably about 10 minutes and couldn't figure out the utter chaos. Nothing was labeled and if there was a label, it wasn't for the product that was there. So, we grabbed 2 bags of candy (1 which we would purchase), and went to the checkout. Not surprisingly the cashiers were some low-life, scraggly looking people that looked as though they sleep in the garden department. She proceeds to ring up our candy and just can't seem to figure it out. As she calls over this behemoth of a lady that can barely walk, the manager says this isn't the right candy. We need to get this other size and brand of candy. The candy we selected was $2.50, but we needed a $2.79 bag. Okay, it's cheaper, just give me my bag of candy. The manager proceeds to give me an attitude and I told her that they need to get their aisles fixed so I can find the correct bag and that they need to better explain what is to be the free item on the coupon. So, ten minutes later we have our 1 free bag of Snickers, they have their shitty coupon and none of our money. 

These types of promotions are supposed to generate business for them, but no one is going to spend any money with them if that is going to be the experience. Just give me my free candy and I'll see you next time you are giving away something for free.

Metal Everywhere

If I had a garage, I would definitely install lots of storage to keep things organized. It seems like the trend for those remodeling their garages is metal. Metal, metal everywhere. Diamond plate is one of the more common types used and my garage would be no exception. But, I do not have a garage. So, I am asked, "Would you put metal cabinets in your kitchen?". 

That would be a negative. Although the metal theme fits very well in the garage where there is an "industrial" feel, the kitchen is part of the home and I feel that the metal would not work at all. Stainless steel appliance is the extent to how much metal would go in my kitchen and even then I am not totally sure. I believe that not only would the metal cabinets, if they were in a kitchen, be obtrusive, but they would also be loud when opening and closing them. I'll stick with the more traditional wood cabinets, especially if they are deep and rich in color and we'll see about the stainless steel appliances.

This is a sponsored post.

Pumpkins Everywhere

We have been seeing the pumpkin patches sprouting up everywhere and they are all pretty well established. Nichole and I both drive by tons of them daily between our commutes. We can't wait to go get our nice size pumpkin and carve him up. What kind of face will he get this year? Last year it was a scary one. This year will it be a goofy one? Or perhaps a traditional one. Maybe it will be scary again. I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. For now we are going to go to the pet store and buy some new fish.

A Few More...

Fiber One Cereal

Garnier Nutri Pure Cleaners

Freebies

It's been a while since we have had some good freebies. I almost forgot what they look like. Here we go:

Tylenol Rapid Release Gels

Jergens Lotion

Gas-X Strips

Curel Healing Lotion

Cottonelle Fresh Wipes

Carmex Lip Balm

Enjoy!

Online Coupon Codes

Would you happen to be looking for a great place to find Online Coupons? I was, and I found the spot. Believe it or not, I found them at an unlikely site. NCNatural, which is a website all about North Carolina, has a great section just full of coupon codes that anyone can use while shopping for products online. Don't worry about these coupons being old and expired because NCNatural updates the coupon database on a daily basis so you are always getting the freshest deals. The site is so easy to navigate and find a coupon you might be looking for that you can be ordering your product in a few seconds. While on there I found some awesome BestBuy coupons and even some Amazon coupon codes. I know I can use these.

This Is A Sponsored Post.

USF Bulls!

I get updates, on my phone, for every quarter of the Bucs and USF games. Well, the USF Bulls played the UCF Knights today and unfortunately I didn't get to see the game, (I don't think it was aired anyways) but I did get the updates. I was amazed by the score. USF beat the crap out of the Knights with a final score of 64 - 12! I haven't seen a score that high in either NFL or NCAA in a while. That's just ridiculous. UCF is supposed to have a pretty decent defense as well. Apparantly they didn't show up today. If they keep this up, they might go all the way. I can't wait to go to the game next month. Lets keep up the momentum!

Walking For Breast Cancer

My Aunt just finished the 3 Day walk up in Philidelphia. This is her 2nd year in a row and she says it was fantastic. She called me yesterday to let me know that she had finished her walk and her toes were all scraggly and nasty. Lol. Glad she thought of me. Run over to her blog and congratulate her on her amazing feat all for the support of breast cancer.

Insurance

Auto insurance is a necessity in the state of Florida as well as many other states. I'm currently paying a higher premium than most because I am a guy under the age of twenty five and I have a few tickets on my record. Luckily, I haven't had to make an insurance claim so far and don't plan to anytime soon either. I'm thinking about switching my auto insurance provider to see if I can get a better rate as well as to see if I can get a bundled plan. I've been looking for renters insurance for our place and I would like to have it from the same company as my auto insurance to keep things simple. Secureinsurancequotes.com is a great place to go to get free insurance quotes from multiple companies instead of having to go to each providers website and entering in all your info a million times. They not only do auto insurance quotes, but they also do homeowners insurance, term life insurance and health insurance quotes.

This is a sponsored post.

Real Ideas

We have a conference at Van Dyke Methodist this weekend. It's called Real Ideas. It started today and I am waiting for the next session. It's really cool. What we are doing is we invited Pastors, Volunteers, Tech Teams and Worship Leaders from other Tampa Bay churches to come have service with us then take some of our classes about operating a ministry. The majority of the people that come are from smaller churches looking to see what can help them gain a larger following. We'll be talking about everything from having a great leader to having a visually stunning service. I think it is a really cool idea and definately shows that the possibilities are endless. That's not saying that Van Dyke has reached the end either. Just today we received three palettes of brand new lighting! Some really cool "toys". I love this gig.

Making The Buck

Leave it to Apple to squeeze every last dollar out of you. Their computers are awesome. I really love the sleekness and ease of use of the operating system. Plus, they look cool. But man, they cost a whole bunch. The one I really want is $2,400! But, it is nice. Thankfully, the Macbook I use now is the churches and I get to use it as if it was mine absolutly free. 

I was on the Apple website today just looking at what's new and I came across a bit of software in the store section. Apparantly all the current Macbooks have 802.11n (the newest wireless standard) built into the hardware! So, cool. I can use the newest and fastest WiFi and I didn't even know it. I thought this book was b and g only. Here's the little catch. The Macbook has the capability, but Apple wants you to pay $2 to use it. The $2 is for what is called the 802.11n Enabler which is a piece of software/firmware that while enable the "n" capabilites. $2!!! I know it's nothing, a drop in the bucket, but come on Apple. We already bought the computer, now you want us to pay for the software too? What the hell are they going to do with $2? That's just their way of pinching every penny out of your wallet.

Decorating

Nichole and I decorated our place for Halloween. Ooo spooky! We have quite a bit of stuff for Halloween thanks to my Dad not decorating anymore. We took the stuff we liked. There's a lot of it, but not so much that it is not tasteful. I think it looks good. I decided to clean the carpets before we decorated and were tossed into the holiday season. They were filthy. Gray water to say the least. But, they look so good now. We got just the right amount of Halloween in every room of our apartment. Even the bathroom. We also decorated our patio, front door and bedroom window. Lights, garland, ghost and pumpkins. I guess we are kids at heart. 

Football Town

Looks like good ol' Tampa Bay might be somewhat of a football town this year. Still early of course, but it sure is looking good. Not only are the Bucs on a winning streak, now 3-1, but so are the USF Bulls! 

This year the Bucs are looking pretty strong. We actually have a running game, which we have hardly ever had. I'm seeing protection for our QB from the offensive line as well. We had won 2 homes games the past two weeks and I was feeling ify about this week at Carolina (the Bucs usually do not play well away), but we kicked ass. Let's keep up the momentum.

The USF Bulls have been a huge surprise. I do not follow college football too much, especially the newer teams such as the Bulls. They are only in their 7th season and and are already in the top ten! 4-0 I do not want to sound like I am jumping on the bandwagon, but "Go Bulls!"