Badly in need of an update?

Looking thru the last few weeks of the blog.. something is missing... Oh!  I know!  Promised updates from Dave!  Well, let me give him a hand.. he's a busy boy...   Firstly, we got our "black Friday" TV and have it set up.  It's pretty nice, and I don't impress easily.  Much better than the 50 inch one we were going to get before he found that deal.  Dave and our son are doing more video-game-playing than TV-watching but we did watch a few blu-rays on it and I TOTALLY SEE WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS now!!    Secondly, he survived LASIK and lived to tell the tale.  We are both 20/20 now.  My pre-LASIK vision was much worse than his pre-LASIK vision and he was disappointed that he didn't have Superman Spidey-senses X-ray vision.  His eyes still have some adjusting to do, and he just needs to let time do it's job and let his body heal and adjust.   Thirdly, we are still looking for a good home for the puppy we found a month ago.  She's a joy and keeps us laughing, so I'm not fanatical about it!    Fourthly, we canceled the Hulu.  Time will tell if we get it again.   I think that's about it.  With the holiday season in our face, who knows when we'll update again?  But I'll give you a hint.. it will be from someone's Christmas gift.... :)   Merry Christmas, Y'all!

New Blog for Ashley

No, don't worry, I'm still here.  But I'm at http://dateam365.blogspot.com/ too.  Team365 is my attempt to put a $1/day budget for food together.  All I've managed to do is put the rules on the board, but I'd love if you came by and supported us on this (hopefully) fun journey.  And I'll make Dave pretty it up and personalize it a bit, so bear with us while it's under construction!

Dogs

I sure hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving holiday.  We got to spend it with a lot of our family - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

 

Yesterday, we had the honor of taking my grandmother back to her home in Virginia.  I decided to swing by the waterfall we found a few months ago.  It's really cool, because it is right beside the road.  You can drive by it or pull in and park and stick your feet in the water.  You can even drive over the bridge and look down onto the falls!  Lovely place!

 

On this particular morning, it was chilly and a little foggy.  We were bundled up in the car, with the heater on; my grandmother's dog safe and warm in her lap.  There is a little blind curve right before you get to the falls and there was a 2-3 month old puppy in the road.  Luckily, it was alive.  Luckily, it followed our car down to the parking area.  Luckily, I got out of the car to see if there was something I could do to help.  Luckily, she almost knocked me over, trying to cover me in sweet puppy slobbery kisses.

 

She is a beautiful dog.  She is very affectionate.  When I put her in the car, she behaved very well.  She craved human attention and whined until she got settled down.  We took her home and put her in our yard with a giant bowl of dog chow and our little dog, Duke. 

 

Now, I have to get on my soap box.  One of our dogs (Daisy) is a pit bull mix.  She was dropped off while she was pregnant.  Lucky for her, she was found and taken care of.  Her puppies were given homes.  She found her way to us and she has been loved and cherished for years.  Our other dog, Duke, was found and given to a vet's office.  The office took care of him until we adopted him.  I don't know if he was "dropped off" or lost.  He mostly behaves, but he is extremely skittish at times.  He is a corgi mix and almost always smiling.  I do NOT understand what gets into people's minds when they leave a pet out in the elements to fend for themselves.  I remember when I was pregnant; I couldn't do anything for myself.  I was miserable and fat and slow and hot and hungry and thirsty and sick.  If I had to chase my food down, I would have just starved.  I barely made it through the air conditioned grocery store without giving up! 

 

Knowing what I know about where these dogs were found, I'm going to stereotype.  I try not to do that often, but there isn't a way to sugar-coat it… some dumb-ass back woods red-necks thought that keeping a pet healthy was more trouble than it's worth.  So instead of going to the trouble of HAVING THEIR DOG SPAYED in the first place or even driving on up to the animal shelter and leaving them there where they can get a meal and a fighting chance, they thought it would be ok to LEAVE A PREGNANT DOG on the side of the road or a small puppy who is barely WEANED out in the cold. 

 

This sweet, sweet puppy looks like she might be a pit bull.  She doesn't have perfect markings.  Here's what I think: I think she belonged to a breeder and when she didn't sell, she was tossed out the when the car slowed down.  I could be wrong. 

 

I'm looking for a home for her.  And we'll take her to the vet and have her spayed.  If we don't find a home for her, we'll keep her.  Someday, we'll end up with another stray or two or three.  People don't seem to stop dumping them and we must have "sucker" written on our forehead in dogese or catese.  And one of these days, you'll get to read all about how I feel about breeders and people who participate in dog fights.... but I'm trying to stay calm today...

Turkey? gross!

This Thanksgiving, several things are different.  Our whole family has gone vegetarian, and we're having dinner at my Dad's house.  Last year, we had to pick around the turkey and ham, but this year, Dad is fixing some of his famous meatless chili and a veggie lasagna for us!  Yay for Dad!

Last year, Dave mentioned that he wanted to eat turkey on Thanksgiving but he didn't and didn't regret not eating it.  This year, I thought I'd try making "turkey" out of seitan.

Seitan is pretty easy to make, I think.  You can buy it packaged and ready to fix for about $7/lb or buy the flour and make your own, which is what I do.  It's about $1/lb (cooked) then.  You make a dough out of the flour and then boil it for an hour.  I make it in my bread machine, so it's no trouble at all.

I let it cool a little and then ground it in my food processor with celery, and some stale pretzels.  Then I made instant stuffing mix and mixed it all together.  I scooped the mixture and put it in muffin tin and baked for 45 minutes.  While it baked, I made vegan "turkey" gravy.  

It's in the oven now.  I cannot wait to debut it by the dead carcass on the table.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!


Edited to add:

It was yummy and a huge success!!!

Cheapest Shoe Repair EVA

I basically wear one pair of shoes at work.  They are a pair of black leather loafers and go with 90% of what I wear.  So I leave them in my personal drawer at and wear my old croc-ish shoes to and from work.  I've done this for over a year.  My loafers are in good condition.  I wore them to lunch today and noticed a scarred place in the leather, looks like I scraped the finish off.  Once I got back to work, I colored it in with my handy Sharpie.  Yep.  I'll get another year out of that!

Tea

We drink 2 quarts of iced tea daily.  Sometimes more, depending on how much we're at home.  I keep two pitchers in the fridge at a time, and usually make a batch nightly. It surprises me to find out that some people drink tea and don't know how to make it.  I like to keep things easy for me.. so I bought an electric tea kettle just to make tea in.  The one I got cost about $10 and boils 2 cups of water in a few minutes.  I put 5 tea bags and 2 cups of water in the kettle and push the boil button.  While it's heating up, I dump 1/2 cup of sugar in the jug.  After the water boils, my kettle turns off (which is a feature worth paying extra for!) and I like to let it steep for a little while (ok.. I usually forget about it).  Then carefully pour the tea into the pitcher, stir and fill with water or ice. If you're working on the stove, I liked to use a sauce pan (again, I had a specific one I used just for tea).  I used an old pan that the "non-stick" was "stick" again.  I boiled the tea bags and the sugar together.  Let it cool a bit and funnel it into the pitcher.  This actually made better tasting tea, IMO, but having a tea kettle is easier.   I get the enormous 50-pound bag of sugar at Sam's Club once a year or so.  I honestly have no idea how many servings we get out of it.  It costs about $30, so to keep the math simple, we'll say there are 300 1/2 cups... or $.10 a jug.  The tea bags, I get 100 for $1 so an entire jug costs us about $.11.   I like a bit of flavor every once in a while, so I toss a Celestial Seasonings Fruit Tea Sampler in with four black tea bags.  I got the box as a gift, but even if I splurged on it, it bumps the price of the pitcher to $.26.  There are 3-4 servings in each jug.

The Pizza Fund

Everyone needs an emergency fund of some sort.  It doesn't matter what you call it.  You need some extra money tucked away for an emergency.  Ours has come in handy in the past 4 months (still waiting for Dave to update you with this one) and it got us through a time when, quite frankly, we might not have been able to make it without it.   Now that things are getting more "back to normal", I'd like to explain how our Pizza Fund works.  It's not our Emergency Fund, just something we wanted to try for fun.   We bought 14 frozen pizza crusts for $17.  When we make "homemade pizza", we use spaghetti sauce and cheese.  The sauce is $.40/can and the cheese is $.57 per serving. The pizza is too big for our oven so I cut the crust into quarters.  I treat each triangle as a separate pizza.  I dress 3 of the triangles as pizzas and the 4th one either goes back to the freezer or buttered and garlic'ed and cut into bread sticks.   Each individual pizza costs $.50.  Bread sticks are actually a little cheaper, but I'll go with that.  I make tea for $.25/two quarts, which is more than enough for a meal.  The same "personal pan pizza combo" at Pizza Hut is $5.  I can make it at home for less than $.75.   So I put a "pizza" account in our INGdirect.com account.  Each time we make a pizza at home, I transfer $5.  I could transfer $15, but since we would be more likely to go to Little Caesars than Pizza Hut, the $5 is more accurate for us.

Cheap Food?

Here's something that bothers me. We decided to travel to a small, local grocery store, just to see what it was like. As soon as we walked in the door, several teenagers were asking if customers would like to donate to a food pantry they were collecting for. At first I thought, how great is that? But then I saw some of the stuff that was being donated: Raman noodles, Mountain Dew, chips, etc. A bunch of junk, basically.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good snack. As a matter of fact, I think we bought 12 pounds of cheese and a bag of potato chips because we're child-less this weekend, and sustaining on grilled cheese sandwiches until sometime next week. But I would never DONATE junk to people who are in need of food.

On a very similar vein, Angel Food Ministries sent me an email with the menu of the month. If you're not familiar with them, Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month.

I copied all that from their website. Here is this month's menu, also from their website:

1.5 lb. Sirloin Steaks (4 x 6 oz.)

2 lb. Mac & Beef Dinner Entrée

2 lb. IQF Chicken Breast (Boneless

Skinless)

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef

1 lb. Chicken Breast Fajita Strips

1 lb. Breaded Crunchy Fish Bites

(32 ct.)

1.5 lb. Smoked Chicken Sausage

2 lb. Heat & Serve Green Beans

1 lb. Fajita Blend (Onions, Red &

Green Pepper Strips)

1 lb. Rice

25 oz. Pasta Sauce

1 lb. Pasta

3 lb. Idaho Potatoes

32 oz. 2% Shelf Stable Milk

Dozen Eggs

Dessert

Some of those things are pretty good food choices. Personally, I'd skip the meat, but some people seem to like it. What really chaps my hiney is that they have a special box "Just for me. An assortment of child-friendly snacks. Great for after school or any time." Yum, right?

4 each Stuffed Sandwiches available in a variety of flavors

1.5 lb Mini Corn Dogs

2 each Twin Mini Chicken Sandwiches

2 lb. Chicken Tenders

1 lb. String Cheese (1 oz. sticks))

2 each Peanut Butter and Jelly Jamwich (2.8 oz. each)

1 each Nacho's Lunch Snack with Chips, Cheese and Salsa (3.7 oz.)

1 each Turkey & American Cheese Lunch Snack with Turkey, American and Crackers (2.15 oz.)

1 each Ham & American Cheese Lunch Snack with Ham, American and Crackers (2.15 oz.)



These are NOT healthy foods!!!! These are foods I totally discourage my child to eat!!

So I complained. I assumed it fell on deaf ears, or blind eyes, since it was done via email, but during my research for this article, I found this:

Just 4 Me – After School Fruit & Veggie Box $16.00

An assortment healthy fruit snacks especially for kids.

3 Red Delicious Apples 3 Granny Smith Apples

3 Navel Oranges (1) 1lb. Mini Carrots

(2) 2 oz. Pack Celery Sticks (1) 3-pack Fruit Juice

(1) 6-pack Apple Sauce (1) 6 oz. Bag Banana Chips

(1) Either 2.5 oz. Bag Apple Chips or Sweet Potato Chips

(2) 1.75 oz Ranch Dressing Cups

Oh, Angel Food.. We're so close!! Too bad I can buy these same "snacks" in the produce department of any grocery store for around $10.

So what I'm wondering is this: do we (as a people) not think that "poor" people deserve decent, healthy food? Also, this Angel Food stuff is not free; it's not even really cheap. People are handing over their hard-earned money or food stamps for food that is poisoning them from the inside out! And throwing a bag of frozen green beans doesn't magically make it healthy! I got those green beans once. We use it to keep down swelling because the bag just looks so "generic".

Ok, it's going to start pouring down some awful rain and I'm wondering if I'll have to wear a trash bag home, so I'll get off my soap box now.

-ashley

Pictures from our house

This is what the kitchen cabinets looked like when we walked in.  This is what they look like now (ok, we've actually added nice, modern knobs and finished all of them)

More orange killed.  Death to the orange!  That orange shelf in the corner?  It's white now.  So beautiful!

Here's some lovely examples of the wall paper they have chosen.  And see that floor?  ugh!
One of the first things we did is update that bathroom.  White toilet and grey paint.  Tore the shower doors down and replaced with a bright, happy shower curtain.

Update from Ashley

I guess it's been a while since I've said hi.  As you know from Dave, we've been awfully busy.  Every weekend has been consumed with painting and spending money and painting and spending more money and moving and spending more money.   In the past 5 months we've purchased:  A *new* car  A *new" house *New* living room suite *New* washer and dryer 3 *new* scooters A *new* motorcycle New dishwasher and new fridge for the *new* house. We cash flowed everything except the mortgage on the house.  We've also dumped $1800 into the house getting it pretty.   I'll try to update with pictures, because the transformation of the house has been amazing.  The house had been recently painted/wallpapered before we bought it, but in hues of burnt orange and pepto pink.  There was a room that had alternating green and blue walls.  And one with the darkest brown allowed by law.  Ugh. And did they do a good job?!  Noooo... most of it stopped 3-5 inches below the ceiling.   So many a'weekend has been wasted tearing down wallpaper and painting walls and picking out the best $5 Oops Paint and I bet we've spent more on brushes and rollers than the paint itself.  But you know what?  It's been worth it. Most of the house is a nice beige with white trim.  Andrew's (formally poop brown) room got a few coats of a nice grey/blue and we loved it so much, we painted a bath that color.   We still need to do "something" with the floor there.  I thought I wanted hardwood, but after cleaning the existing hardwood, I think I've talked myself into laminate.  We put the laminate down at the lil house ourselves, so I know we could do it.  But for now, we want to get moved in and enjoy our house.   Our commute is changing.  50 miles a day vs. 10 miles a day I've been enjoying.  Dave's is about the same.  One of our cars gets pretty good gas mileage: 30-35 mpg.  The new one is about half that.  And it take premium gas.  Being the crunchy granola tree hugger that I am, it's killing me a little inside every time we get gas.  And being the frugal bargain hunter that I am, I have to close my eyes when I pump.   I am hoping the bikes get an average of 75 mpg.  Scooter should get more, bike probably gets less.  But those are the numbers I'm using. If we can avoid using the car we nicknamed Harper, we are saving 16.5 cents per mile.  We save 5.5 cents per mile if we ride a bike and keep Echo (the gas saver).  So every time Dave rides his bike to work, it costs $8 less.  If I take my scooter instead of Echo, we save $2.75.  So if we can manage to ride bikes 5 days a week, we save a whopping $55 in gas.  We are trying to evolve from a 2-car family to a 1-car family.  Insurance is pretty expensive for 2 houses, 2 cars, 2 bikes.

Anniversary

Today is an anniversary of sorts for Dave and me. He's already given me a surprise of art supplies and dinner!

Thanks Honey for the best 2 years in my life so far!!

3D or Not 3D

I have to take a moment and apologize for the lack of updates from myself as well. Work and housework for spring have taken up most of my time. There's not much bloggable about raking leaves.

Last weekend my wife and I had a Date Day and finally saw "Alice in Wonderland." We were so enamored of the 3D in the "Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Coraline" that we wanted to see this one in 3D as well. All in all, the film was a great immersion into the world that Tim Burton created, but watching it got me thinking. "Avatar" touted the technology as a major part of the film's appeal. While I haven't seen Avatar, I started thinking about all the films coming out in 3D and wondered "Why?".

Sure, some movies lend themselves to the gimmick (which is what it is at the root, something to put butts in the seats). But how much is too much? "Alice In Wonderland" and "Avatar" use the genre to bring the viewer into the sensory worlds. But why do "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" need to be in 3D? What is the tipping point that a film should have 3D elements to set it apart from its 2D counterpart?

The trailers before Alice were all films that were coming in 3D form. The ones that I was most impressed with were "Toy Story 3" (which is probably due to my attachment with the characters), and "Tron Legacy." As a kid I was blown away by "Tron". As a teenager I thought it was a joke. But, as an adult I am excited as hell about seeing a lightcycle race in 3D.

So True Believers, I want to hear from you. What elements do you think a film should have to warrant the extra ticket cost to see the film in 3D? If you'd like an idea about what's coming up in the format, click here to see a tentative list.

Wasting time

I am so blessed with a wonderful son and husband. To be born and raised in East Tennessee is better than winning the lottery and is training for when I die and go to Heaven. We're closing on my dream house tomorrow. After years of searching, last summer, I got my dream job. That's where I'm at now. Yeah, it's that good!
So I read a lot of blogs. You probably do too, that's why you're reading this. I often see things that are meant to be motivational but usually just make me feel inadequate. I waste a lot of time on the computer at work. I sit at work and read tips on how to accomplish more *at work* and they never apply to me. Not because I'm lazy but because I'm a receptionist. The things I accomplish are exactly all I can accomplish at work. I don't Deskercise because I don't want a visitor to come upon me while I am doing pushups on the Front Desk. I don't pretend that I know more than I do, or that I'm busier than I am. I also don't polish my nails or stare out the window. 

Then I get home. My son misses me and wants all my attention (so does my dog and one of the cats). I just want to take my shoes off and get into my comfy clothes. So I hug my son, face-hug the dog and give her some baby-talk and pat the cat on the head. Then I close the door to my bedroom "for 5-minutes".

A half hour later, I emerge from the cave a new Ashley and make my way to the kitchen. After two hours reading cooking blogs, you'd think I would find inspiration and whip up a nutritious dinner full of flavor that costs $1.57 and have leftovers for lunch. But the siren call of the frozen pizza is strong and I am weak. So I pull dinner out of the plastic and add all kinds of veggies to it (so I don't feel so guilty about feeding it to my growing son, and make sure he takes his vitamin) and put it in the toaster oven for 20 minutes. Then I play some Bejeweled or some Plants vs. Zombies until the timer goes off or I smell burning crust.

Luckily, the sun is still out a little, so I think, "hmm, after dinner, let's do something fun". But my gimpy leg starts whispering, "Yeah, that's not a good idea" and I remember the 34 books I checked out from the library and feel guilty because I haven't even looked at them, much less read any. So I plop down on the sofa after dinner and crack open a library book until it's time for my son to go to bed. I tuck him in and say prayers and kiss him goodnight. Then the dog gets another face-hug.

I go back to the cave and wonder where the day went. After a little more reading and "one more" game of Bejeweled, I turn off the lights and promise that tomorrow will be different.

Irony found in a local mag

The article on the left is an article about vegetarianism. The ad on
the right is for a local restaurant.

Another picture of our pet....

Daisy does not get the humor of Calvin and Hobbes

Women cost more than men

I cost more than my husband does.

 

I find that it's very UNfair that females cost more than males.  I'm not even going to get into the whole "men make more than women" debate.  My man makes more than I do, and I'm grateful.  Neither of us work very hard so we're not complaining about our income. 

 

But it seems like when we go to the store, more than 50% is for me.  Is it because I'm high-maintenance?  No, I don't think so.  But..

 

I use lots more toilet paper. 

I buy feminine products. 

Birth control.

I buy more hair styling products. 

I buy lotion. 

I buy make-up.

I buy nail polish and other nail paraphernalia .

I cut his hair for free and pay to have mine cut. 

I wear hose and bras.

Our outer clothing costs are pretty close to the same, because we buy them at the same places and we never have to dry clean. 

I wear more jewelry.

 

Ok, looking at the above list, it does look like I'm a bit high-maintenance.  But I'm really not!  I've managed to equal out the toilet paper, the feminine products and the birth control.  Let's just say that the first two are disposable and I've perfected the art of non-disposable where those are concerned.  The birth control cost was taken care of by getting my tubes tied years before I met my better half.  But to stay on topic, in all fairness, it doesn't have to be the female that gets "fixed".  I'm not sure what the cost comparisons are for getting tubes tied vs. a vasectomy and all that.  And I am sure that birth control is cheaper than babies, but I've never really seen a cost comparison for that either. 

I do buy a little bit of hair styling products.  Mostly my "always on the counter" can of Rave hairspray that runs about $1/month.  But I have always had to use a bit of something to "boost" my hair.  I'm not picky about *what* gets used; mousse, gel, spritz.  Whatever you got on sale is fine with me!  Same with lotion.  I don't spend much more than $1/bottle.  I'd estimate my lotion costs at $.50/month.  I do have dry, sensitive skin, so I do have to use it and my husband doesn't. 

Make-up.  Argh.  I hate it.  Wish I didn't need it.. but I do!  I have permanent eyeliner, but I don't think that really "paid" for itself.  Eyeliner is fairly cheap!  But I still need something to coat my skin (foundation/powder), some color for my cheeks, eyes and lips.  And mascara.  I'd guess that 75% of my make-up costs go straight to mascara!  I pick up "color" cheap at The Dollar Tree and Target.  Never pay more than $1 for that stuff!  I like a nice mineral powder for my foundation, but ymmv. 

I rarely buy polish, and when I do, I try to get it for $1/color or less.  I think I have a grand total of $5 worth of polish at home.  My nails are super-smooth and polish doesn't stick.  I've used $10 polish and it doesn't stay any longer than the $1 stuff.  So I don't spend a lot of money.  I usually only polish for a special occasion, so it's really not a big deal.  I do have a collection of emery boards and nail files and buffers, so I probably actually do spend more than at first look.  My husband?  He uses a $1 nail-clipper.

Ok, so every 4 weeks or so, I sit him down and put a cape around his neck and give him a nice hair cut.  I'm lucky that I've got some talent in this area.  However, short of trimming my own bangs, I can't cut my own hair.  So I put off getting a hair cut as long as possible!  And try to use a coupon or catch a good sale (it happens).  So, depending how long it is between cuts, I get a new style every time I go.  I think the last time I went was in August, when they cut it short enough to spike.  Now it's down to my shoulders.  Luckily, it's grown out very uniformly, so I've just gone with it. 

Neither of us spend a lot on clothes.  I bought two pair of shoes to wear to work when I started my job; a brown pair and a black pair.  Every outfit I own goes with one pair of shoes or the other.  Except a navy blue dress I have.  So it doesn't get worn! Neither of us use a dry cleaners, but those costs don't discriminate.  It's very possible that men pay more for women or women pay more than men. 

When we got married, nearly $1000 was spent on my wedding set and we got change back from $100 for his ring.  Every once in a blue moon, I'll buy a pair of earrings or a new ring.  Or my husband buys them for me.  Other than his wedding band (and the replacement wedding band when he lost the first one), I've never bought him any jewelry.  He doesn't have any other jewelry, except a $4 wrist watch (that I bought for myself and didn't like and he accepted it). 

 

So are women just more expensive?  I think so.  And I think it's not fair!  My husband's grooming products fit on one shelf behind the bathroom mirror and mine take up 2 shelves, half of the cabinet under the sink, a shelf above the toilet and two shelves in the closet!  I have a dedicated vanity that is overflowing with my "stuff" too.  He can easily "splurge" on the good shaving cream and a razor, and I skimp with the cheap, pink disposable ones. 

 

And we're relatively young.  I assume my costs will go up as I age.  I'll have to use more make-up and won't be able to get away with the cheap, sparkly stuff.  Hair coloring, better bras, support garments, etc.  He'll never have to deal with any of those additional costs.  He'll only get better with age.  His hat collection may grow as his hair line decreases, but it's still a small price to pay. 

Catching up on TV

A few years ago I cancelled my cable because I got tired of paying so much money for the three channels we watched regularly. Thanks to internet streaming and Netflix Instant Queue, I'm getting a chance to catch up on some shows that I've missed out on in the last few seasons.

Recently, Rescue Me Season 5 arrived on the Instant option and I have to say this is one of the best seasons so far. The revelation about Jimmy and Tommy's drinking have really amped up the series. The season has also gotten better about the non-sequitor moments of humor to break up the seriousness of the series. I do wish the show would feature Adam Ferrara a little bit more. I also miss seeing Uncle Teddy on his drunken tirades (The Monkey Incident is still one of my favorite moments.) I introduced this show to Dave a while back, and if you have a Netflix Account, you can watch seasons 1-5 instantly. I highly recommend it to anyone who loved the Sopranos (before it started to Suck) or The Shield.

Hi from Ashley

I promised myself I'd post something today.  However, my creative juices just aren't flowing.  I'll tell you what we did this weekend: we shopped the OOPS Paint at the Big Box hardware stores.  Right now, we have 10 gallons of paint that we've paid a total of $50+tax for.  

I'd like to post a favorite website of mine.  http://home.earthlink.net/~astrology/confessi.html  I stumbled across this website 12 years ago and I bet I've read it 100 times since.  I started a page on facebook for bottom feeders.  I hope you'll take some time to click on the link and read it.  Some of it is a bit "over the top", but I think we can all learn something from the wisdom on the page.

I think that's about all I can muster up right now.  Between having the "cold that never ends" and losing my hour, I'm going to have to let the boys carry the blog for a while longer.  

I "Move" That We Wait For Natal

The big news from the Games Developer Conference today was the final product of Sony's "Move" motion controller. Sony's attempt to capture some of the Wii market has been on the radar since last year's E3, but there's been very little concrete design plans or even a name.

Now that Sony has show their cards, here's my take on it.

The Good

The Price Tag: Initial reports show that the Move will be available in three formats. The starter kit (which includes the controller, the required PlayStation Eye camera, and a game) are set to retail for around $100. It will also be available as a standalone controller, and the whole kit will be available as part as a system bundle.

The Tech: Because of the way the controller works (the camera captures the movement of a colored ball from the end of the move), the system is much more responsive. This also addresses the issue that the Wii has with the IR sometimes being out of the range of the sensor bar.

Real Ultimate Power: The controller and its subcontroller (read Wiimote and Nunchuck) are both rechargeable through the USB connectors on the console. Also, both are wireless, which for anyone who doesn't have the arm-span of an infant T-Rex will appreciate (I consistently clotheslined myself with the Wii).

The Bad

Games (?): I'm going to put this in the bad category and hope that I'm proven wrong. So far, the games that have been demoed are direct targets to popular Wii Party fare (Golf, boxing, and virtual pet games) albeit with significantly better graphics. The one up-tick is SOCOM 4 is to be released with compatibility. In addition 36 third-party vendors, including Activision, EA & Ubisoft are dedicated to releasing titles. Here's hoping they follow through since this is one area where Sony could do major market damage to Nintendo. Until I hear more though, I'm not impressed with how well my dinner party guests can throw virtual darts.

The Ugly

The controller. It looks like a bottle of lube.

Try getting that out of your head. You can't, I've tried.

In summary, some analysts are saying that this could give Sony the fuel to pull ahead of any direct competition. While I don't think it will convert any current Wii lovers, I do think that it's a smart move to keep the customers they currently have who might be considering getting the Great White Menace for social gaming. As far as being what destroys the 360, I think we need to see what Natal brings to the table. At least Microsoft gave us a name.

I make Bloggings

Hello all! This is my first posting to the blog and I thought I'd take a few minutes to introduce myself to let you know what to expect. As Dave said, I'm a gamer; but a bit on the casual side. I'm trying to improve on that since getting a 360. Previously, we had a Wii, but a burglary last fall relieved us of it.

In addition to gaming, I'm also into comics, movies, and other geek pastimes. So, you'll be getting plenty of reviews from that front too.

Finally, another thing you'll get from me are day-to-day observations and detailed accounts of some of the bizarre incidents I have, or encounters I have with people. That being said....

________________________________

Sunday morning I read what was quite possibly one of the greatest sentences in the history of the English language.

"After years of complaints about flocks of vultures vomiting onto playgrounds and houses, Greeneville is trying a new approach to scare them off."

After that, I expected to read about the intricate, Rube-Goldberg device that turns a seemingly innocuous slide into a catapult for birds of prey. Instead, Park officials are hanging carcasses of the animals from trees to frighten away the offending animals. Somehow, rotting animal carcasses are considered a welcomed alternative to live, vomiting birds. The solution seems to be a bit outdated, even though it worked for pirates and cattle-rustlers.

I also couldn't help but think that the community missed out on a natural tourism cash cow. Think about it, what could bring more money? A free playground, or a pay-per-view performance of birds that throw up? This could have been their "Old Faithful"! The marketing potential is endless. They could put blank canvases on the ground and sell them like those elephant paintings at the zoo! That being said, if any additional stimulus funds become available, Greenville should be excluded. They had their chance. They blew it.

Last weekend update

As you already know, we got married last week.  True to ourselves, we spent our honeymoon looking for a great bargain during half-price weekend.....

Our Honeymoon trip included 

2 pajama pants
6 pairs of pants
2 jeans
4 shirts

a much needed bread slicer

a cool popcorn popper
Sewing machine
1 sheet
1 blanket

It also included a night in the "luxurious" Crowne Plaza.  It was a disappointment to both of us.  The walls were paper-thin, the view was awful, the room was "meh".  No premium channels, either.  What?!  That's right, you read that... no premium channels... !  I don't think I've ever been in a hotel that didn't have free HBO or Sho!    We had to pay for parking (thanks for looking out for your guests!) and our breakfast wasn't even gratis!  I think we would have been happier at The Red Roof Inn!  

That's what I thought of it.  I was NOT impressed with the room or the way we were treated at this fancy-scmhancy hotel.  

And our total for the shopping?  $27.26 

More Tips

What makes this funny to me is how much I've changed since I wrote this stuff...... The most obvious is the "chicken thing" and that whoo hoo! now I have a convection oven!

Save Money on Cooking and Eating

 

• Eat less meat.

I don't buy meat in the meat department at the grocery store.  I used to buy things like hot dogs and sandwich meat, and I bought some meat from the frozen food section, but the few times I have gotten "fresh" meat, I always screw it up, and it's too expensive to screw up.

• Become a vegetarian.

Being a vegetarian is expensive.  Fresh produce is as expensive as fresh meat.  And meat substitute is a lot more expensive than the meat.  I am all about everyone becoming a vegetarian but it is not a money saver.

• Eat leftovers.

Believe it or not, this is something I am horrible about.  I am getting better, but I give a lot of leftovers to the dog.  She loves it, but I wish I planned better.

• Cook large amounts and freeze extra for busy nights.

Great advice! 

• Scrape out food jars to use the last little bit.

Doesn't everyone do this already??

• Cook from scratch.

I think we all know this is a money-saver, but it's not always easy.

• Never eat out.

There is an exception to this in my family: Chinese food.  I can't fix it, I'm not going to try and they do such a good job of it and we can all enjoy a nice dinner for less than $20 when we have that craving. 

• Eat from your stocked pantry.

Again, stating the obvious.  But I don't buy food to keep in the larder just to have it in there.  That doesn't make sense to me.  I buy food when it's a grand deal and store it in the pantry.

• Bring lunch from home (it's worth it to invest in proper containers).

This as always been good advice, if it's practical to do so.  Some places just don't have the facilities to make it worth while.  On my last job, we didn't have a microwave, just a toaster oven.  So the meal options were slim.  I got tired of cold sandwiches and toasted sandwiches and room temp sandwiches.

• Eat less. The average American eats too much.

This is true, but if I eat less, I'm miserable.  And it puts me in a foul mood and makes everyone around me miserable.  And I'm unproductive.  Meals are a good investment if you make wise choices.

• Don't use the vending machines at work.

They are full of junk, but if they keep you from being truly hungry, then it's not going to break the bank if you buy a pack of crackers and a coke for $1.  It's a bad habit, so I recommend not doing it every day, but the food in the vending machines are cheaper than fast food and not much more expensive than if you'd brought the same snacks from home.

• Always have a meal plan. Always.

Good idea in theory, sometimes it's hard to follow in reality.  I have a flexible meal plan.  We have a list of foods we all agree on, and we usually stick to them.  But it's not written in stone, and if I find a great deal on chili then we have chili twice in the meal plan instead of once.

• Keep soup starter jars in the freezer. A little leftover this, a little leftover that. Nothing is wasted.

I literally don't have room in the freezer for this.  Besides, I don't make soup.  I warm soup from cans.  I am more of a casserole gal.

• Get creative with leftovers. Concoct new recipes, so nothing is wasted.

I actually do love doing this kind of thing.  I try not to have leftovers, because most of the time, they are just shoved to the back of the fridge (because of that meal-plan!) but when I clean out the freezer, I love to be creative.  I've never had anything turn out bad enough we couldn't eat it!

• Base most of your meals on rice or beans to cut down on meat consumption.

We don't *do* rice much.  I've tried to use it to stretch meals out, but it is a lot of trouble to make and I don't like it very much.  I use a lot of TVP but don't tell my family!

• Look for events that entertain and feed you at the same time. Church socials, shopping at Sam's (think about those free samples)

I bought 4 tickets to a pancake breakfast fund-raiser and we had a blast!  I highly recommend doing something like this!  I have never gone to one of the many spaghetti suppers the churches throw around here.  I make pretty good spaghetti fast and cheap at home.  However, here's a big confession.  I have taken myself and my son to the movies right after school.  They have free popcorn and drinks and free refills.  That will be our dinner and it's only $7.  I know, I'm the worst mom in the world, but I don't do it every day or even every week.  We did it once on accident (went to the movies after school, and filled up on popcorn and didn't want dinner!) and I thought it really wasn't a bad deal!

            However, I feel that taking the free samples at Sam's without the intent to purchase is the same as stealing. To say, "I'm skipping dinner and going to Sam's instead" is immoral.

• Don't drink soda. Drink water!

And not the bottled-kind, either

• Make your own jello cups (or applesauce cups, or pudding cups) for lunches and snacks.

I assume they mean make your own instead of buying the snack-packs.  Which is the same concept of taking your own lunch and we've already covered that!

• If your kids complain about generic cereal, put the generic in a name-brand box. They'll never know the difference!

I would never do this.  My kid doesn't not complain about generic cereal.  If he did, he would not get cereal.  He would be served oatmeal (which he doesn't like).  If you do this kind of thing, you are teaching your kid to whine and think that name-brand is better.  If your kids complain about generic cereal, then don't buy it for them.  Period.

• Use Angel Food Ministries if you have one in your area.

And if their prices are low.  You might end up with a freezer/pantry full of food that you wouldn't normally buy.

• Rear your own chickens.

I'm not going into this too much.  I can't raise chickens where I live.  I don't know if they mean to get them for the meat or the eggs.  Either way, I buy a dozen eggs about once a month for about $.10 each.  We don't eat eggs, but I do use them in recipes and baking.  I buy a whole chicken if it's less than $.50/lb or chicken legs and thighs if they are less than $.40/lb.  After a little researching, I found that processing plants make a profit of $.16 per bird.  So, I'm paying $.16 for someone else to incubate, feed, raise, medicate, store, kill and dress my broiler?  Uh… bargain.  Same with the eggs.  I am sure it's a lot of fun to find fresh eggs in your back yard with some fat, scary hen sitting on them. 

• Join a freezer club. Get together with like-minded people to exchange meals for your freezers. It's cheaper to prepare a lot of one meal and split it up, than to prepare a bunch of different meals.

I don't think this is a good idea.  Your idea of "good food" or "clean environment" might be different than mine. 

• Make your own baby food.

If you have a baby, that's a good idea.  I don't remember buying baby food for my son, but I'm sure I did. 

• Always take a snack and bottle of water wherever you go. You won't be tempted to stop for expensive fast food or drinks.

I think this has already been covered. 

• Grow your own produce. No room? Try a square foot garden Or use pots on the patio.

Room isn't always the issue.  I've killed more tomato plants than I like to admit.  So, I don't eat tomatoes.  Peppers and cucumbers are actually cheap during the summer.  That's about all I'd feel like growing.

• Freeze, can, or dehydrate your produce.

Canning is too much trouble and expense.  I'll just buy canned vegetables.  Freezing is a good idea.  But I can still buy frozen vegetables when I need them (and sometimes $1/bag). 

• Cook with the crockpot to avoid using the oven, which warms up the house.

Until recently, I rarely used the oven.  My oven was horrible and nothing turned out good in it.  So I used a crock-pot and my toaster oven a lot.  I love the crock-pot because it is cheaper but you just can't go wrong using it!

·         Use a convection oven to accomplish the same purpose.

These are an investment and I haven't gotten one yet.  If I did a lot of baking, I might consider it, but the payback now is too long, if ever.

Valentine's Day from a Girl's Point of View

I'm great with the idea of a special day set aside for love and hearts.  I'm not 100% sure why it's set in the middle of February, but I'm sure there's a reason.   However, I think anniversaries should be reserved for these "special" days.  Not a random day, chosen by The Man because sales are low this time of year. I mean, how did they manage that?!  I work in the construction industry.  I wish they would designate "new construction" as sexy and practically mandatory for you to buy your sweetheart so we wouldn't be facing lay-offs!

But I digress.  I recall a show several years ago where there were two sisters, close in age. The older sister was popular and the younger sister was more "artistic" and mopey.  It was Valentine's Day and the older sister was tallying up her gifts and the younger sister had told her boyfriend it was a stupid holiday and not to do anything special.  Well, as the day went on, she was getting quite resentful about him ignoring the holiday, even tho it was exactly what she said she wanted!!  

Obviously, I'm like the younger sister.  And ever since I saw that show, I've wondered, "If I tell him not to get me anything, am I going to feel left out if I don't get anything?"  So far, I never have.  But the worry is always in the back of my mind.  I love the extra hugs and the "Happy Valentine's Day" wishes.  I love looking around and seeing all the bright hearts and teddy bears and the red in the midst of all this "blah" weather.  But one of the saddest sights in the world is to go to Kroger at 5pm on Valentine's day and watch the scramble.  Men -old enough to know better!- filling their carts with flowers and balloons and candy and stuffed animals and looking for an appropriate card.  And why?  Out of love?  No, they're doing it out of fear.  And, to me, that is NOT worth celebrating.

Surviving our economy: a wide range of tips

I got this list in an email.  I have LOTS to say about it!  I don't remember where it came from, but some of my replies are older.  I ate meat when I wrote this!

 

Surviving our economy: a wide range of tips

 

 

Save Money Grocery Shopping

 

• Shop for produce at a local farm stand.

I have never seen a local farm stand.  Every once in a while, I see a truck with a fellow or two with some tomatoes and squash for sale.  I have gone to Farmer's Market and found the prices to be more than I can afford.  I have had luck with buying produce from the Flea Market.

• Never buy coffee, soda, or other drinks or snacks out.

I agree with this to a point.  It's a hard rule to follow.  When I must have something to drink, I splurge on a $1 McDonalds Tea.  I also keep those tubes of water-flavoring stuff in the glove compartment for "free water".  I used to keep packs of crackers in the glove compartment, but they go stale quickly so now I just stop at a convenience store for a pack of crackers for $.50 instead if I am in danger of starving to death!

• Always grocery shop with a list.

Um, yes and no.. Have a list, but be willing to be flexible, depending on what you find at the store when you get there.  I always have some cushioning in my budget to allow for deals or stocking up.

• Take advantage of sales on items that you would normally buy.

Duh.  I think we all know this.  But I'm going to elaborate on this a little: be willing to try things you wouldn't normally buy as long as it's in your budget and it's "cheap enough".  Anything can be thrown in a casserole.

• Only shop once a month.

I would not be able to do this, and I don't know how it would save money.  If grocery stores ran specials once a month, this would be wonderful advice.  But since they have weekly ads, that's when I have to poke my head in.  Besides, I don't have the storage space for a month's worth of groceries.  In my opinion, this is just bad advice.

• Keep a price book and track prices by unit cost.

I've never had a price book.  I think, in theory, they are a good idea.  But in practice, they take a LONG time to put together and since groceries have gone up 50% in the past year, one that you made last year would be obsolete now. 

• Stockpile staples when prices are low.

Best tip so far!  If you know what your prices are (thus the price book concept) you will make a killing when your supplies are on sale.  However, I haven't found a sale that beats buying bulk yet.

• Buy generic items. Plan meals according to what is on sale that week.

I rarely buy groceries that are name-brand.  A few exceptions that I can think of are cake mix and velveeta.  They are usually no more than the store brand, so I get them when they are on sale.  I am a HUGE supporter of Store-brands.

• Take advantage of rainchecks if the store doesn't have a sale item that you need.

I've never ran into this problem.

• Take advantage of rebates at Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid; but only if you'll use the item and will follow through on the rebate.

I've never done this.  I don't follow through on rebates anyway.  I've never even been tempted to buy something because of a rebate.

• Buy enough of a sale item to last 12 weeks. That's about how long sales take to cycle.

I haven't tested this concept, but how awesome would be it be to be this organized?!

• Shop at discount marts: Grocery outlet, The Dollar Store, etc.

I don't shop for groceries at the Dollar Store, because the groceries that they carry are usually $.89 at the grocery store!  There are exceptions (I got a killer deal on some olive oil once and wish I'd gotten 20 bottles), so KNOW YOUR prices!! 

• Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Many stores offer a small discount per bag.

None of the stores around here do that, but I have seen a lot of the re-usable bags for sale for $1 there.  I think it's a wonderful idea, but I don't feel they are being marketed in the best way.  The thing I run into is "why should I spend a buck on a bag with the store's logo on it to save the store $.025?"  I think a better idea would be to give a coupon for a free bag for every $x spent AND charge $.05 per plastic bags.  There's an incentive to bring my own bags.  If it costs me NOT to, not if it costs me to.

• Take advantage of stores that double coupons.

No stores around here do this on a regular basis.  Once in a while one of the stores I don't shop at has triple coupons, as long as they are less than $.35

• Watch out for deals on things that your friends need, and have them do the same for you.

We do a very informal version of this.  My sister has the Sam's Club membership and every once in a while, I ask her to get me a bulk item from there next time she's there.  And I'll call her if something she regularly gets is on sale and ask her if she wants me to pick some up.  It happens more with non-grocery bargains, but has happened in the grocery store.