That Dreaded Visit

I thought about whether or not to talk about this as it's rather personal, but I thought what the heck. I'm sure almost every woman out there can relate to this. I had a doctor's appointment this morning for my annual exam and women, you know exactly what annual exam I'm talking about. The nurse does all her usual stuff; weight (ugh, didn't lose any pregnancy weight); blood pressure (still perfect).

"Any pregnancy's?" I'm sitting there thinking, you have my entire chart on your little laptop there and you have to ask if I have had any pregnancies? I guess I waited too long to answer cause she asked again.

"Pregnancies?"

"Yes." And then she just sits there looking at me like I should have more to say.

"Do you want to know when they were?"

She says, "No, how many?" Well why didn't you ask that in the first place. Again though, I wonder why she's asking when all of this information should be in my file.

Then she asks, "Are you still taking Mez….(I can't even pronounce it, let alone spell it)?" Ok, you have to ask me about my pregnancies, yet you know my primary care doctor gave me a prescription for dizziness 2 months ago?

So anyway, after we're done playing 20 questions, she tells me the doctor will be in shortly. There's the sheet and the gown. So after she leaves, I get undressed and recover myself up in about 30 seconds. There is nothing more embarrassing than the doctor walking in while you're still standing half naked trying to cover up. Trust me.

So now I'm sitting on the exam table/bed with a sheet over my bottom half and a gown around my top half. Now that I have every bare inch of my body covered, I sit there and wait…and wait…and wait some more. Usually my doctor's office is pretty quick. I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes in the waiting room and never more than a couple in the exam room. They must have been busy today. 20 minutes later, the doctor finally comes in. (Hmmmm, glad I'm not the only one that's put on a few pounds.) Now we get to play 20 questions again. Only this time we get to play while being examined. Why do doctors do this. Don't they know how uncomfortable we already are. We don't want to talk about how Christmas went or what our New Year plans are while you are examining our most private parts. COME ON!

Anyway, that's over. Don't have to worry about it for a whole year now.

Btw, I was able to get to my computer last night and uploaded the video of my Christmas mess. I'll try to get it on here later today.

Christmas should be a 3 day holiday!!

At a bare minimum. A week would be great. But I'd be happy with 3. A day for last minute preparation, Christmas Day, and a day to recuperate. I am completely exhausted. And our house is a mess. You can't even hardly walk through the living room because there are toys everywhere. Some toys aren't even out of their boxes yet. Guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend. We even took down our Christmas Tree Christmas evening so we could have a little more room to put stuff. My husband and I really spoiled our kids this year. We started buying stuff in October and didn't finish until 2 days before Christmas. This was the first year we were really able to do this so we went all out. Ereka actually got tired of opening presents Christmas morning. She really wanted to start playing right away. I took a video of our mess Christmas afternoon, but I can't upload the video off the camera until I get some stuff put away or at least into some kind of organization. I can't even get to the computer. I'll try to get it done this weekend. When you see it, then you'll really believe me. I will probably be doing lots of reviews for this blog over the next couple of weeks. I researched every single toy I bought this year and read tons of reviews so I want to be sure to leave reviews for others too. So far I only have to exchange one toy. We'll see how well the new one works out before I give my opinion of that one. But like I said, we still have toys that haven't been taken out of their packages yet. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Like I said; Christmas should be a 3 day holiday.

FolderShare

Ok, I haven't done a review or promoted a product for awhile, so here's a new one.

There is an easy way to access all your important (and not-so-important) files on all your computers and you can even share files with other people. FolderShare gives you the ability to do this. It may take a while to master, but once you do, you will love it. FolderShare downloads and installs easily and is compatible with PC's and Macs. FolderShare lets you install the software on all of your computers. Once installed, FolderShare places an icon in the system tray and runs quietly in the background. You can right-click the icon to look at your list of shared folders. Most of the setup takes place via the company's web site. FolderShare is very convenient because it lets you control all of your computers from a single place. FolderShare automatically updates files and so once a file is changed on one system, all of the other linked computers automatically use a direct SSL-encrypted connection to download the updated file. You can even invite other people to share your folders although I've never done this so I don't know much about that aspect about it. FolderShare's web download feature allows you to use any web browser to download a file from any of your computers on your account as long as that computer is turned on and logged in. However, if security is a concern, you should probably avoid using the Web Download feature to access sensitive material. I absolutely love FolderShare. And my boss loves it too. It lets me do work from home when I need to because I can access my work computer from home and vice versa. If I want to put some pictures of my kids on my desktop at work, I can access my picture folder at home. It's great! The company offers technical support via an email form on its web site and there is also more detailed information about this product there. I highly recommend this product and best of all, it's FREE!!!!!

10 things to ponder today:

If a pig loses it voice is it "disgruntled"?
If the pig is sold to the pawn shop, is it considered a hamhock?
If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people happy?
If Wal-Mart is lowering prices everyday how come nothing is free yet?
How can there be self-help "groups"?
Why aren't there any grapes or nuts in grape-nuts?
If Superman is so smart why does he wear his underpants over his trousers?
How do you get off a non-stop flight?
How come wrong numbers are never busy?
What's the speed of dark?

Letter to Verizon Wireless

Sometime around September 6, 2007, I wrote the following letter to Verizon Wireless:

Congratulations Verizon Wireless. You have the only PERFECT website in the entire world. Your website NEVER has any glitches and there are NEVER any problems with it. The only possible errors are those of your stupid consumers who obviously can't do anything correctly. And your customer service is absolutely outstanding! The representative I talked with was only mildly snotty to me when I expressed my request for a credit on my bill. She could have cursed and called me names, but her smug attitude was a perfect reminder of your wonderful customer service representatives. And her ability to not even attempt to make things right is great for your company. After all, how can a huge corporation like Verizon afford to lose $25.00 because of what was obvious (according to your records) completely 100% my fault. I must be held responsible for going online to pay my bill and completely changing my bank account information (which by the way, was done without even going to the section of the website to change this information), to some random account that is not even remotely close to the bank account I've been paying my bill with since I started my Verizon contract.

There is absolutely no possible way that there could have been a glitch somewhere in your website. How stupid of me to think that. And so, again, I want to thank you for your PERFECT website. There is truly no other website that can compete with yours. I will be sure to tell everyone I know about this exceptional experience I had in dealing with your company. Thank you Verizon Wireless.

I then proceeded to post this letter on every free complaint forum I could find (my3cents, complaints board and several others) About 2 weeks after mailing this letter to Verizon, I received a letter basically stating they were looking into my problem. When I went to pay my October bill online there was a $25.00 credit! No letter explaining the credit, no phone call, just a miscellaneous $25.00 credit. I was a little surprised. So the next time you send a complaint letter, really think about it first and then kill 'em with kindness!! (a little sarcasm might help too).

Chipmunk Dancing

My daughter is so cute sometimes. I don't know if any of you have seen previews for the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie yet, but it looks really cute. Here's a short preview:For a preview, it's kind of lengthy. But what I really want to show you is at about 2:10 of the preview. Watch at that point for a few seconds and then watch the following video and make sure your sound is on:

I'm a little biased, but that is the cutest thing. LOL. The first time Ereka saw that commercial, she immediately stood up and danced like the chipmunk. Me and Eric just looked at each other and started laughing. It was so funny.

And while I'm showing videos, here's another one of Ereka doing what many adults can't do at all:

And here's a couple of videos of Ethan walking. He's getting pretty good at it:

And here's a little prayer to end the week on:

Dear Lord,
I pray for wisdom to understand my man;
love to forgive him;
and patience for his moods;
because, Lord, if I pray for strength,
I'll beat him to death.
Amen

Brides Against Breast Cancer

I've been thinking for quite some time as to whether I should keep my wedding dress or sell it or donate or what. It really is a pretty dress.

Here's a picture of the back.

And here's a picture of the front.

My mom made the entire thing. And I've held on to it for over 5 years now. But, I decided there really was no good reason to continue holding on to it. My daughter isn't going to want to wear it. She's going to want a new dress of her own. And I'm not really into keeping clothes for sentimental value. So then I thought about selling it. Well I did a little research on Ebay and wedding dresses really don't sell very well. Understandable. Who wants to buy a wedding dress without trying it on first. So then I thought about donating it to Goodwill or the DAV. But then I thought I really want to donate it to something special. So I did a google search on places to donate wedding dresses. And that's how I found "Brides Against Breast Cancer". I read their website and decided this would be a great way to help women with breast cancer and I can get rid of my wedding dress all at the same time. I haven't 100% decided to do it. I asked my husband for his opinion and even though he said it was my dress and I could do whatever I wanted, I could tell he really doesn't want me to. He thinks that one day if we decide to renew our vows, then I'll want to wear it for that. First of all, there is no way I will ever be able to fit into it again. Second of all, if there comes a day that we do renew our vows, I want to wear something new. Lol. So I'm going to sleep on it for a few days and then I'll decide what to do. I would love some input from anyone else that has done this or who is thinking of doing this. Thanks!

Ice storm? Really? Are you sure?

Well the weather forecasters had been warning us for days that we need to prepare for the HUGE ice storm that is/was gonna hit us. However, this is Kansas and the weather is constantly changing. I was all prepared last night and today to just stay home and relax with my two kids in the warm comfort of my home. I even told my husband grandma, who watches my kids, not to expect me before 9:00 a.m. and I probably wouldn't even go to work. No sense in risking my life for a few hours of pay. Well, I looked out the window at about 6:00 a.m. this morning and all I saw was a much of wet pavement and more rain pouring down. I watched the news and learned that the roads were mostly just wet. Well, crap. So much for my day of relaxation. However, they are warning that it will still get bad. Umph. Unfortunately, the weather forecasters have already blown it. Everybody was expecting it to be treacherous this morning and when they find out it's not, they aren't going to take the weather forecasters seriously for the rest of the day. Will it get bad? Who knows. I'm prepared. I have an ice scraper and a warm coat. Besides, if it does start to ice up, I'll just go home early and avoid all the crazy drivers. They're worse than any ice storm anyway.

Men are like…

1. Men are like .......Laxatives ...... They irritate the shit out of you.

2. Men are like ...... Bananas ...... The older they get, the less firm they are.

3. Men are like ....... Weather ..... Nothing can be done to change them.

4. Men are like ....... Blenders ..... You need One, but you're not quite sure why.

5. Men are like ..... Chocolate Bars .... Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.

6. Men are like ...... Commercials ...... You can't believe a word they say.

7. Men are like ..... Department Stores ..... Their clothes are always 1/2 off.

8. Men are like ....... Government Bonds .... They take soooooooo long to mature.

9. Men are like ...... Mascara ...... They usually run at the first sign of emotion.

10. Men are like ....... Popcorn ...... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.

11. Men are like ..... Snowstorms ............. You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.

12. Men are like ........ Lava Lamps ..... Fun to look at, but not very bright.

13. Men are like ..... Parking Spots ..... All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

Amazon Links

I posted a couple of new links on the right side here. The first one is for Amazon searches. Amazon is really great for researching products. They have real consumer reviews for most of their products and they will show you the best price for the item, new or used. The other link is for Amazon's MP3 downloads. This particular link will take you to the download page for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas CD. This is a really great Christmas CD to have. Amazon has millions of songs to download too. You can download by the song or download the whole CD!

Christmas Giving

I wanted to share a little story about my daughter. My daughter is almost 4 and she is VERY dramatic about everything. A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I took our kids to the mall to see Santa Claus. Before we headed out, my daughter inquired as to what vehicle we were taking. I told her we were taking my car. The following conversation took place.

"Nooooo! We can't take you car"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because my kitchen won't fit in your trunk. We have to take Daddy's truck" hmmmmm

"Why do you need to take your kitchen to see Santa Claus?"

"I have to give Santa my old kitchen so he will bring me a new one"

Interesting. I'm not sure where she picked this up, but I informed her that she could still has Santa for a new kitchen without taking her old kitchen. It took a little while for her to be convinced of this, but she finally decided she need to take her old kitchen to Santa Claus.

I thought of this more and more this past weekend. I think it would be a great idea if malls had some sort of toy exchange when kids go to see Santa Claus. For example, kids bring in a toy when they come to see Santa and they get a FREE picture instead of parents shelling out a ton of money for 1 little picture. Personally, I think this is a wonderful idea. What better way for needy kids to get toys. And I think this is a great way to show children how to share and give. I would love to hear some other thoughts on this.

Things to Ponder:

If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?
How is it possible to have a civil war?
If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
Why do they say "near-miss", when referring to no collision? If it's a near-miss, didn't they hit?
If a mime swears does his mother wash his "hands" with soap ?
Whose cruel idea was it to spell the word "lisp" with an "s"
Why do your feet smell and your nose runs?
Why do they call it Minute Rice when it takes 10 minutes to boil?
If olive oil is made out of olives, what is baby oil made of?
Why do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?

Women

So I did some digging around in my emails and found these funnies about women. And remember God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece. Happy Friday!!

WOMAN'S PERFECT BREAKFAST
She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.
Her son is on the cover of the Wheatie's box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Business Week.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Playgirl.
And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

WOMEN'S REVENGE
"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.
As she fumbled for her wallet, I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.
"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me,
and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN
(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.

MARRIAGE SEMINAR
While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,
Tom and his wife Judy listened to the instructor,
"It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."
He addressed the man,
"Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"
Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?

THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home
and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him
at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,
"Please wake me at 5:00 AM."He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him,
when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

CIGARETTES AND TAMPONS
A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up & down the aisles.
The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.
He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife.
She directs him down the correct aisle.
A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.
She says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?
He answers, "You see, it's like this, yesterday, I sent my wife to the store
to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco
and some rolling papers; cause it's sooooooooooooo much cheaper.
So, I figure if I have to roll my own . so does she.
(I figure this guy is the one on the milk carton!)

Who's Calling Me???

So I was sitting here trying to think about what I should write about today. The phone rings and I look at the caller ID. Same damn number that calls three times a day every!@#$%day. Somebody trying to sell me an online degree. No thank you. I already have a college degree (2 actually). I don't need another. Anyway, this brings me to my website suggestion today. http://whocalled.us/ This is a great website. I get tons of "name unavailable" calls all the time. I never answer them. 99% of the time, they are sales calls. If it's one that calls quite a bit, I just go to this site and enter the phone number as it appears on my caller ID and you get of list of other people who have received calls from that same number. They list when they called, who they were if they talked to them or if they tried calling the number. It's a great way of finding out who called so you know if they're worth talking to or not. I use this website all the time. I wish we had caller ID where I work so I could avoid United Health Care when they call 4 times a day.

I've put things to ponder on here the past couple of days. I'll try to find a good laugh to end the week on and put it on here later.

Smoking Ban

Another hot topic right now is whether or not there should be a city-wide smoking ban. If this passes, that would mean there would be no smoking in ALL public places. I have mixed opinions about this. I don't smoke. My husband doesn't smoke. I know people that do smoke. There is absolutely no smoking in my home or my car. These are all my choice. And I have the freedom to make these choices. The freedom of choosing to smoke or not smoke should be up to the individual. If they want to kill themselves with those nasty things, by all means, let them. There are already a lot of businesses that don't allow smoking and it has been their choice. I think it should be up to the owners of each individual business as to whether they want to allow smoking or not. Owners who have invested their time and money into a business should have the freedom to make the decision on whether or not to ban smoking. Aren't we being hypocritical by asking the government to take away business owners' rights while asking to keep our own at the same time? Do we really need the government to enact more laws that restrict our personal choices.

On the other hand, smokers are polluting my air. Secondhand smoke is a health hazard. This is a proven fact. And I'm sorry, but having a nonsmoking and a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section and a non-peeing section in a swimming pool. And are you telling me that all of you smokers are just going to quit going out to all clubs/bars/restaurants if the city enacts a smoking ban? Probably not. I have noticed that smoking bans are increasing all over the country and I'm sure that eventually the City of Wichita will also have a smoking ban. It may not occur as soon as some hope, but I'm certain it will someday. Maybe now is a good time to quit smoking.

Smokers deserve fair treatment just like everyone else. Everybody has a few bad habits. Smoking happens to be theirs. I do not and have never smoked cigarettes, but I do not feel it is my place to take this right from others who wish to do so.

---------------------------------------------

Things to Ponder for the day:

• If the number 2 pencil is so popular why is it still number two?
• Why do they call them hemorrhoids instead of "asteroids"?
• How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink?
• Why do psychics have to ask your name?
• If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn?
• Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
• Why is the alphabet in that order, is it because of that song?
• If you write a book about failure and it doesn't sell, is it a success?
• If love is blind why is lingerie so popular?
• If you're born again, do you have two belly buttons?

Banning Certain Dogs

There's been quite a bit of talk about banning pit bulls and other "vicious" dogs in my city (Wichita, Kansas) and so I thought I'd talk a little bit about it and give my opinion. I do not believe any dog should be banned just because it is a certain breed. A pit bull becomes vicious when an irresponsible and inexperienced owner doesn't train and socialize it properly as a puppy. There are so many irresponsible owners that don's raise their puppies properly and it has become a public safety issue. I'll agree that some kind of action needs to be taken when police are out constantly shooting these dogs just to protect themselves and others. However, I don't believe a breed ban is the answer.

It's not just pit bulls that suffer from poor ownership. There are plenty of people that get puppies or even kittens because they are so darn cute. But when these pets outgrow their cuteness, they get less attention and neglected. Some dogs develop aggression, some do not. Don't blame the dogs, blame the owner. I think they should have a required class of some sort before pet owners get certain pets. I'm sure the Kansas Humane Society could set something up at a reasonable cost. And in my opinion, if you can't afford the class, then you can't afford the proper care of the pet.

Dogs turn out to be mean because people make them that way. If you treat them with respect and love, they will love you back. However, never under any circumstances leave your children alone with one, no matter the breed. Dogs are not humans. They may not understand that a 2 year old tugging on it's tail is just the child playing and they could snap. In the same sense the two year old probably doesn't understand that the dog doesn't like its tail being yanked. Both need to be taught.

Basically this whole thing boils down to the fact that the City needs to do something about the animal abusers instead of banning the animal. Kansas recently passed a law making animal cruelty a felony. They need to do a better job enforcing it.

This is just my personal opinion of the whole situation. What are your thoughts?

Microsoft Excel

I have found a wonderful site for help with Microsoft Excel. I was in the process of setting up a sales spreadsheet for my ebay sales and couldn't get some of my formulas to work so of course I went searching for help on my favorite search engine. I stumbled upon this site. I have now bookmarked it and refer to it quite often. It is so easy to navigate and find exactly what you're looking for. And if you can't find the answer to your problem, just email the website creator, Chip Pearson. He really knows his stuff.



On a totally unrelated note...A few fun things to ponder today...

Is the hokee pokee really what its all about?
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?
How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?
What happens if you get "scared half to death" twice?
If bankers could count how come there are 8 windows and only 4 tellers?
Would a fly without wings be called a "walk"?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
If it's tourist season why can't we shoot them?
If all the world is a stage, where does the audience sit?
Why can't I set my laser printer on "stun"?

Motherhood...It will change your life

I get tons of emails everyday. I save very few of them. I received the following in an email some time ago and thought it was well worth saving and worth posting here.

Time is running out for my friend.

We are sitting at lunch when she casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." What she means is that her biological clock has begun its countdown and she is considering the prospect of motherhood.

"We're taking a survey," she says, half jokingly.

"Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say carefully.

"I know," she says. "No more sleeping in on Saturdays, no more spontaneous vacations..."

But that is not what I mean at all.

I look at my friend, trying to decide what to tell her.

I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of childbirth heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking "What if that had been my child?" That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will look at the mothers and wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think she should know that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will immediately reduce her to the primitive level. That a slightly urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop her best crystal without a moment's
hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might successfully arrange for child care, but one day she will be waiting to go into an important business meeting, and she will think about her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure he is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday routine decisions will no longer be routine. That a visit to Mc Donald's and a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's room will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that danger may be lurking in the rest room.

I want her to know that however decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child.

That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not so much to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish his.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My friend's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is always careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his son. I think she should know that she will fall in love with her husband again for reasons she would never have imagined.

I wish my modern friend could sense the bond she will feel with other women throughout history who have tried desperately to stop war and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your son learn to hit a baseball. I want to capture for her the laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real that it hurts.

My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.

"You'll never regret it," I say finally.

by Dale Hanson Bourke
Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul

Google it!

A couple of useful tips I want to give out right now.

Google. 'nuff said. Ok, not really, but in my honest opinion Google is absolutely the best search engine. And they have a lot of awesome features. Google is my home page and I have a google toolbar which is also wonderful. Google has tons of gadgets to choose from to add to your home page. The picture above is my personal home page. And as long as I am signed in, I can have the exact same web page at home that I have at work. I can make changes at either place and the changes will be saved. The same goes for my toolbar. I can be browsing while I'm at work and if I see something that I want to look more into when I get home, I can bookmark it on my google toolbar and it will be on bookmarks on my google toolbar at home too. And if I'm on someone else's computer, but want my bookmarks, all I have to do is go to google's home page and log in to my account and everything is there. It's great!!

And Google as a search engine is great too. You can find just about everything on Google. Did you know you can google someone's name and if there is anything on the internet about that person, it will show up. For example, if you type "Joe Blow" (with the quotes or you will get everything containing Joe and/or Blow), every webpage with his name will show. And if you get too many hits with their name, you can narrow it down even further by typing a city and/or state after the quotes and it will then only show web pages with their name and the city or state. You can learn an awful lot about someone just by googling their name. Go ahead. Google your name and see what you find. You might be surprised.

My next tip:

Yahoo Groups. I've recently learned about yahoo groups. I currently belong to 17 yahoo groups; 9 freecycle groups, 4 paralegal groups, 3 microsoft word/office groups and 1 WordPerfect group. In just the few short weeks that I've been a member of these groups (with the exception of the freecycle groups which I will discuss in a later post), I have gained so much new knowledge about each subject. I really don't know what else to say. It is definitely something everyone could benefit from. They have tons of groups to choose from. I will make at least one suggestion. If you choose to receive the posts as emails, I strongly recommend setting your email up through Outlook or Outlook Express and then set up rules to have the emails sent to specific folders or your inbox will be inedated(sp?) with tons of emails; especially if it is a popular group. Yahoo really have some great forums to be a part of. If you have any questions, you leave it in my comment section.

By the way, I was not paid for this post by either Google or Yahoo. These are my own personal opinions. Thank you.

Under Construction

I am just starting out with this whole blogging thing. I really want this to be a fun and informational blog for myself and everyone I know. Until I get familiar with all the cool features and things that you can do with blogging, there won't be a lot to look at. Until then...