Long Time No See

I fear as though I have not blogged in a while because I haven't learned anything since the last post. That can't be true but I can't come up with anything. I have been going to see alot of concerts and movies and just finishing things at home. I did have my first Craigs List transaction yesterday. That's right on Christmas Day! I have a few things I am trying to sale and one was a concert flute. I had a view inquiries about it but nothing went through. However Christmas Eve Night I checked my email and sure enough a got an email asking about the flute. Long story short the woman was interested for her daughter and we found out that we were both going to the exact same movie, same time and same movie theater on Christmas Day. AMAZING!!! So they took a look at it and bought it. I was very excited to get rid of it and make a little cash. I say a movie theater on Christmas Day is the perfect safe place to sale something on Craigs List.

Finally...

I have been living in my place for over a year and a half and I can't seem to put pictures on my bedroom walls. I don't have a large room but I have alot of wall space. However the other week I came up with a brillant idea and it only cost $10.00 instead of hundreds to cover this wall. I ordered prints from some of my favorite pictures that I have taken mostly on places and nature. I took double side photo stickers that I normally scrapbook with and stuck them right on the wall. The best part is the wall will be ever changing. I can move them around, take them down and add more...with no nails and no frames. I am probably going to lay on my bed and stare at the wall for a while. I am attaching a picture of as much of the wall as I could get from my computer webcam. I have never printed any of my digital pictures and I am very impressed that they look better then I thought they would. Ah the world of digital, how did we every survive before?

Helpful Advice from Self Magazine

I was reading Self Magazine and they like to have Q & A scattered throughout the magazine and there was one that caught me eye. I thought I would share it because I have this problem and I know I am not the only one.

Q. - There's so much I want to do in life, but I never get around to anything. Help me stop procrastining!

A. - That feeling of inertia is frustrating. I know because I suffer from it myself sometimes. Use these strategies to prioritize and get the wheels turning: Divide and conquer. Break the deadlock by writing down everything you've put off, then separating the small and big picture to do's. Pick a priority goal from each list and set a deadline; focus on making headway with each during a week. Stop making excuses. Examine why you're dragging your feet and address the cause directly. Personally, I will delay buying a birthday present because I can't think of the right gift. The solution: Acknowledge there's no such thing as ideal. It's better to buy something decent and have it in time for the party. Look into the future. Identify the emotional consequences should you choose to do nothing about a particular goal. By imagining how disappointed you'll be if you never attempt to write your novel, you'll be more apt to pick up a pen.

Travel Tip #2

I torn this little tip out of Racheal Ray Mag and I almost threw it away last night cleaning up. Here it is...

"Skip Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz-which often tack on service fees-and find the cheapest flights on meta-search engines like Sidestep and Kayak. Also, sign up for personalized airfare alerts on airfarewatchdog.com."

I took a look at these sites and there purpose is to let you search Hotwire, Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline and Orbitz all in one search. Sidestep and Kayak are almost the exact same website, so I would say it would be a personal choice as to which one to use. AirfareWatchDog is a little different. What I found helpful is you can signup for airfare alerts that are tailored to what you are looking for. You can choice departing and arrival airports to look for. Also my favorite is that you can request for alerts for a specific departing and arrival airports. For example I have one set up to look for Richmond to Las Vegas flights. The best part is you can have up to 5 choices in each category and you can change them any time you want.

Now I can't give my full opinion until I have used them for a trip, so stayed tuned for Travel in 09.

Financial Guide

So let me just start by saying that everyone should check their credit report at least once a year. You need to make sure everything is accurate and up to date...

Okay so turns out that I had something that I closed over 3 years ago still reporting that it was open and I even had a confirmation letter from that company saying it was closed. This is an honest mistake on their part, it happens occasionally. What happens when you close a credit card or pay off a loan or what have you the company then needs to send a credit report update to the 3 credit agencies. Now all these companies have a set time a month or every other month where they do a mass update to affect all the customers balances, closed, open status etc. Every now and again something doesn't get reported or doesn't get reported correctly. This is where we come in and why it is important to check our credit reports. Anyhow today I called the company and let them know what I saw on my credit report and they are now sending a credit report update. Of course it will still take 30-45 days for it actually change on my credit report but that it to be expected.

Check your credit report is extremely important especially when you are looking into getting a new car loan or a mortgage. They are going to look at your credit report and it is in your best interest to make sure everything is correct. It can take a few months to get everything straight on your credit report, so my suggestion is look at it 6 month before you are going to purchase something new.

FYI - If you pull your credit report it doesn't affect your credit score. You have a right to see it and so you are not penalized for it.

It's like when you go and see a really great band...

"It's like when you go and see a really great band, live for the first time and, you know, and nobody's saying it, but everybody's thinking it, we have something to believe in again." - Peyton (One Tree Hill)

I have discovered a great local band or I should say I didn't discover I just finally listened to their stuff and I discovered it for myself. I was so impressed. I just fell in love immediately which is saying alot of me because I am not a big Rock person. I like the good stuff but I would be rocking Pop, Hip Hop, Country, Jazz etc before Rock. So when I say this stuff is good it must be plus I have been told I have good taste in music. (as I am listening to High School Musical - don't hate) Getting off track here...the band is out of Richmond, VA and they are called Against Grace. They just released their first album "Monroe" on iTunes which is how I took a listen. I love the whole album which is hard to come by nowadays. The full songs are even better then the previews on iTunes. They definitely fit into the new kind of radio friendly rock with great music and lyrics but that you can still rock out to. Their songs are like a hybrid of Angels and Airwaves with the fun of Fall Out Boy and Good Charlotte but totally their own sound. Amazing musicians these guys are. They aren't playing Guitar 101 or Drummers for Dummies - these guys can play their instruments extremely well. They all play so well that no one instrument stands out better then the other. Even the guitar riffs are so seamless with the songs and the other instruments that you don't even notice they are playing a solo. They really have created rock compositions for radio. I am just so impressed and will be at their next show in town. Check them out on iTunes!! Support a local band, they are worth the investment!

http://againstgrace.com/

Pot Roast

So for those of you whom are intimidated by the words Pot and Roast together, listen here. It is probably the easiest thing I have ever cooked in my entire life and then you can make stew out of the leftovers. Seriously go to the store buy a pot roast - they are even labeled as such. Take it home, pull out a skillet and threw some EVOO (shout out to Rachael Ray) in the pain and browned up both sides of the meat. Take the meat put it in a baking pan cause that's what I got, threw some mini carrots straight from the bag, opened a can of potatoes threw those in there, hit it with some salt and pepper, cut up some onions and put them on top of the meat, added some water around the veggies and stick that sucker in the over 335 for like 3 hours. It was the bomb and took maybe 10 minutes to prep because I kept crying with the onions. It's the perfect Sunday no fuss kick butt recipe! The boyz will love it!

Cooking With Tyler

I can't help but enjoy Tyler Hilton and his recent venture into Internet Cooking Show Hosting. I will share his recent episode because it looks like something easy to make! I just might try it myself! It is even better that the video is pretty short.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInpmZ5vWqM

I will also post the first episode. It was right funny but the food was just well different!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REvcdrxPSI0&feature=channel


ENJOY!!

Photo Day #2

I went by work to take some pictures of those odd trees where the leaves and flowers have fallen off. I felt like I didn't get the shots that I wanted because of the building around them. I wish I had a backdrop or something to put behind them. Oh well! It wasn't a total bust. However out of the few pics that I took my favorite wasn't off those trees. It was a tree across the street from those trees.

The Heavens Have Opened!

After three days of uploading, saving, arranging, burning, reburning...I believe the 4th or maybe even 5th time of burning my choirs performances to a DVD...it finally worked. They are all there and have transitions and even a cool menu. I am so happy nevermind that it is 1:38am. Good thing tomorrow is Saturday. I now have hope that I can finish this project this weekend!!

So it works...I am just retarded. Hurray! Now I can sleep!

Travel Tip #1

I was reading the Rachael Ray Magazine and I learn this fun little tip about booking tickets for airlines. Well I am a big Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia etc searcher and along with the major airlines...I am that person that will refresh and search it again to see if the price will change. Well turns out they are smarter then we are. So essentially I go to Travelocity (my fav) and search for tickets to Vegas as I do so often. I get my first price of $99 (only in 2005), well I decided to search it again and see if I can get it lower. What most often happens is the price jumps up to like $250. Why does it do that? It is NOT because the price really went up and those $99 seats are gone. It is because Travelocity knows I am searching again for the ticket and so it kicks up the price because odds are I will freak and hurray and buy the $250 one before it goes even hire. You see when we refresh that search screen or we even close out and go back it the cookies/temp internet files is still there. The travel type of the day is when searching for tickets go in and delete your cookies and temp internet files before you search again. Now if you are like me and end up search multiple sites, multiple times within 30 minutes you will see yourself deleting those cookies/temp files alot. Might be a tiny bit annoying but at least you will get the real discount price. To be honest now that I think about it I believe the actual airlines sites have these price jumps in a matter of seconds more so then the Travelocity's of the world. Be smarter then them!!

Of course I went to test them out and the prices are changing at all. I guess the next time I actually am searching for a ticket I will have to test this tip out. It makes perfect sense. Just think of when you sign into your email and you don't sign out but you continue to use the same internet explorer page. I can click on my email website again and it will take me back into my inbox with out signing in. Your computer and the website communicate and know it is "still you" and there is no need to ask for a password. Would make perfect sense for airlines to use this type of communication and make money off of it. I am sure they have made a couple hundred at least off of me!

PS - I really did get a $99 tickets to Las Vegas in July of 2005. Special one day sale. Got to love those fares alerts from the airlines and discount websites!

Frustration

I have this project that I have created for myself and it is starting to frustrate me. I have a nice stack of VHS tapes from high school Choir and Band and I want to keep them. Problem is they take up too much room and I don't want to have to always have a VCR for posterity. So the project is to convert them over to DVD's and also in the process edit out all the extra stuff like the choirs that I am not in etc. I found this amazing little device that converts the VHS. http://www.amazon.com/VHS-To-DVD-3-0-Deluxe/dp/B000NDTRG2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1226067107&sr=8-5 The little box you hook everything into is about the size of your credit card and then comes with software. I was a little nervous but I read about it and it was the best around. After a number of months of the project sitting I finally started uploading the videos and once I figured out what I was doing to was pretty easy .

I uploaded all the video sections from my Chorus videos and then I realized that I had the display on the VCR on and that it upload with that menu on it. Needless to say I couldn't just deal with it and so I uploaded them all again last night. Frustration level greatly increases when I have to redo something. Then I was getting frustrated with the software on the part where you create exactly what you want on the DVD. Then I thought I wonder if the Microsoft software will work. I already know how to use that. I flew through making it and it even all fit on one disc. I clicked burn and waited about an hour and then I put it in the DVD player everything was there but the picture! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH At that point I was like screw it I am going to bed. I have to try once again to figure this out. This is how it always is. I come up with these projects and they are usually easy but for some reason I have the hardest time. Now give me something complicated and I can breeze right through it.

I really want to finish this project this weekend! Here's hoping I do!

Picture 1

In our mom and daughter outing to Colonial Williamsburg I got in a few pictures before the batteries died. We were just walking and we ended up under this tree because it was kinda hot nevermind that it is November and should be cold. Anyhow I tried a new setting on my camera of which I can't remember what it was called. So here is my favorite picture of the day.

Stolen Idea...

So I stole the idea from Autumn to post a new picture that I take everyday to help improve my photo "skills". I also thought that maybe this would be a good place to share new things that I have learned or tried. Work on my talents and skills so I will not lose them.

I have a picture I want to post but first I will share my "listen learned the hard way" from last night. I came up with the fabulous idea to make a movie on my computer with pictures, music and titles. Now I have done this once before with my old computer but once it was made I couldn't really do much with it. Well my new computer has the ability to burn DVD's! So I ventured into the world of DVD making. I used Microsoft Movie Maker that was standard on my Dell computer. I created the movie and was laughing with excitement of my witty abilities. Then I clicked on DVD on the screen to venture into create the DVD for it. It was real easy. It even takes you to a screen to add a menu button etc. I put the disc in and clicked burn. Well me being who I am I think to myself well I can go ahead and delete those pics that I found while I am waiting for it to burn. WRONGGGGGGGGGGGG. The burning process finished and I put in the disc into my DVD player. The menu looked great and then I pressed play for the video and there was music and titles but no pictures. OOPS!!!! Needless to say I had to google for the pics again and recreate the movie and then burned it but didn't delete the pics. Worked just perfectly!!! Oh the possibilities of DVD's too create.