With Christmas just passing, I did a lot of thinking about gift ideas for men in my life. I have a husband and two nephews to buy for, plus a brother in law. So what do you get for the different men in your life? One of the suggestions that a friend of mine made was a set of cufflinks. Why would you buy cufflinks for a man who doesn’t wear formal dress clothing? You wouldn’t, right? What about for a 17 year old? He’d laugh in your face, right?

I couldn’t understand why someone would suggest that I buy cufflinks for any of the males in my life. Then it dawned on me, they don’t truly understand me and my life. They don’t know me as well as I thought that they did. It’s a sad realization that those I thought were close, aren’t.

I’ve heard so many different times about giving a car donation when you buy a new car, but I’ve never really given much thought to it. The only real benefit that they keep mentioning when you hear about them is the tax deduction, but there are other benefits too.

You don’t have to get rid of your old car, which can be a real pain a lot of times. A lot of dealers are no longer taking trade-ins of cars that are over 5 or 6 years old. They definitely don’t take them if they’re well used either. Someone like me, I keep a car until it’s almost dead.

So for me, making a car donation would make sense. They pick up the vehicle, whether it’s running or not. They take and use them, along with other donations such as boats, to raise money that they use to produce videos for children and teens. They have given away over 2.4 million videos that were made with money raised from car donations and even have a few clips that you can view online.

So when you get ready to buy your new car, consider making a car donation with your old car.

Ever have your computer crash and not have anyone to fix it? Then why not seek out a franchise opportunity with Fast Teks On-site Computer Services. Have your own business and provide others around you the chance to have someone who can fix their computer problems quickly. Save other people the headaches that you’ve had in the past.

Fast-Teks even offers a call center to answer calls for your franchise during business hours and non-business hours so you don’t have to worry about missing out on a call. Ever heard from a frantic friend needing computer help immediately because their child spilled soda or kool-aid on the CPU? Fast-Teks can field that call and send someone out to help that frantic client.

Give it a look if you’re interested in starting a new business.

2007 is coming to a quick close and what a year it’s been. I’m waiting patiently for Saturday to get over with. Christmas was nice and quiet, just the three of us here at home. We exchanged a couple small gifts then I curled up for a nap. We ate early, then Rob and I curled up to watch Cars. Well, I crocheted more onto the baby blanket and watched. I’m almost done with it now. Yay.

Saturday we have the family gathering. I’m not really looking overly forward to it to be honest. I never really do. I’m an anti-social soul, especially this time of year. I’m planning on having pizza, chips and dips for everyone so no one has to cook. It’ll make things easier and we don’t have to worry about people not eating because they’re picky. We have soda, water, milk and kool-aid. I’ll also likely make a pot of coffee too.

We’ve decided to buy stuff and wrap it throughout the year, then when Christmas rolls around we don’t have to worry about running around buying things. I know the package we sent to Vegas went over well. I was really happy about that, since I wasn’t sure what to get her. Anyway. This year is almost over, time to think about next year.

Goals for 2008 forthcoming.

Is your new years resolution to start dating (again)? Then you know just how hard it is to find a decent date. You can different personals or dating sites like yahoo personals, but which one is the best? That’s why you should check out the matchmaking service offered by 5 Star Dating. You can find sites that offer Gay and Lesbian services. If you’re interested in someone who is a Christian, they narrow the sites down that way as well.

You can get a comprehensive comparison of sites like eharmony or match.com from the same source and have a more accurate idea of which site will work best for your needs. If you aren’t using a comparison site, you’re getting information from people who may have only looked at one site and not the other, but with 5 Star’s matchmaking service, they have gone to all the different dating sites. You will get a more accurate picture because it’s the same people reviewing the sites.

So if your resolution for 2008 is to find love, let 5 Star Dating find the best dating site for you.

One of the biggest problems with surfing different sites is that some of them have evil popup windows. If you stumble across the wrong website, you can save yourself a lot of hassle with a good popup blocker. If you typo a web address, you can end up on a site that far removed from what you wanted. Somewhere like an adult website that’d riddled with a lot of leecher cookies.

It seems like more and more of the popular websites are having to compete with spammers who grab similar addresses so that they can get anyone who typos the web address. For instance, if you typo something like google with one too many o’s or something and end up with an adult web site that you didn’t want to visit. Many of them are riddled with popups for different enhancement drugs.

So yeah, before you surf, make sure that your popup blocker is enabled.

I’ve been doing some more thinking about an earlier post and am seriously considering some sort of nutritional supplements to see if it helps the sluggish feeling I’ve had lately. I’m tired of getting up, taking meds, then wanting to go back to sleep. I do the same thing when I take them in the evening too. I want to sleep a lot more than I should.

I sleep at night, eight hours or more, and when I wake, I’m not rested, not even remotely close. After abut an hour, in which I take meds, eat a little breakfast of some sort, and do a couple small things like get dressed, I’m ready to take a nap. I force myself to stay up, losing myself in whatever I’m doing.

Some nights, after dinner and evening meds, I do lay down and sleep for a couple hours and still go to bed the same time I would if I hadn’t slept. I don’t like this. I should not need to nap to get through a day. Maybe Connie will have some suggestions when I go back in January.

One of my closest friends has this thing for boots. She is oddly obsessed with any pair of sexy boots she sees, more so when they’re leather and lace up the back. Worse yet if they’re pink. Seriously. I never really saw the draw of boots, I’d rather be barefoot and comfortable than try to wear some boots that are meant to look good.

I don’t know why anyone would want to wear boots just because they think they make you look more important or better, especially since most of these so-called sexy boots are stiletto heels that are so high you can’t stand on them, much less walk properly.

I can understand if you’re doing a photo shoot or something, but to go out wearing them? Insane, I say.

A sign that you’re maturing is when you start thinking about things like life insurance and what’s going to happen to your loved ones should something happen to you. Another sign of maturity is actually sitting and looking at the different term life insurance quotes online to see which one is the best.

I know that we need to get some soon because you never know what can happen. I mean, look at the family who lost their home in a fire a week before Christmas. I can’t help but think of the “What If’s” of that scenario. What if someone hadn’t come by and seen the fire? What if they hadn’t gotten out. What would their children have done? They don’t have young children, but they aren’t well off enough to be able to pay for all the expenses. Especially if both of their parents had been lost.

It’s things like this that make you question your priorities in life and reconsider whether you’re putting your eggs in the right basket. I know Rob and I aren’t and we really need to change that. Sooner than later.

When we went to Vestal the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of places that were up for sale. It seems like just a few years ago there was a real estate shortage in the area. People were buying up property left and right, new businesses were being built.

The new racino may be closing, so many businesses are already closing and moving out of the area. Soon all that is going to be left are the shopping centers with the large chains that can afford to stay in dead areas. And it’s not even just businesses that are up for sale.

Along one 20 mile stretch of highway, I counted at least 10 private homes that are on the market. That’s before I quit counting. It’d depressing to watch this area go trhough these cycles, hopefully this one won’t totally kill the region. We have enough major empoyers that it shouldn’t.

Have you ever heard the term structured settlement and not known what it is? I have heard it more than once, especially since my sister is in the middle of a lawsuit over my nephew’s lead poisoning. When you win a lawsuit, there are different ways that it can pay off. It can be done as a lump sum or as a structured settlement.

A Structured Settlement takes the sum of your settlement and breaks it down into smaller payments over the course of time. It’s usually set up this way so that you don’t have all the money come in at once and get overwhelmed. The problem, however, is that often when Structured Settlements are set up, they don’t take into account people getting into a situation where they need more money.

Perhaps your structured settlement is from getting hurt at work and not being able to work for a period of time. If that’s the case, then the payments need to be enough to cover the expenses that are normally incurred, but those aren’t taken into account when the settlement payments are set up. Perhaps you have medical expenses that you’re trying to pay off, but the settlement doesn’t give you enough to pay for them.

Lawsuit settlements aren’t the only type of Structured Settlements, though. Lottery payments are set up that way as well. Most winners take their winnings over time, thinking that they are getting more that way, but sometime down the road, they get hurt or something happens and they’re facing financial hardships. That’s why there are companies like Stone Street Capital out there, they offer you the option of converting your structured payments into a lump sum payout.

They let you take care of what you need to take care of without the wondering if your next payment will be enough. Just something to think about if you’re ever in that position.

So I’ve been thinking a lot about my health lately and wondering if I’m getting everything I need with the changes I made to my diet. I know that I’ve not felt as alert and awake as I should, but I haven’t felt like that for quite a while. It’s made me wonder if there are any vitamins for women that are on the medications that I am. I need to ask my doctor about it when I go back in January.

I want to be healthy and lose more weight, but I don’t want to just rely on the medication to do it all for me. I want to be more proactive instead of reactive this year, that way I can get to a more comfortable weight sooner, rather than later. I need to lose more than I did this year. Hopefully she can suggest some things that I can do that will work for me.

I uploaded the picture from last night. I really love the way it turned out. It is now on my kitchen table with our small tree sitting on it. Tomorrow we have to put up the big tree and decorate it.

I feel kinda crappy, I didn’t get around to sending out cards this year and I haven’t acknowledged those that I’ve gotten. I just haven’t had any holiday spirit this year. I’ve been going through the motions, it seems. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, really. It’s not a financial problem cuz we’re doing okay this year. I just feel all kinds of “meh” about it all.

Anyway, I guess I’ll go play my scrabulous turns. I’ve neglected them, my bad.

So I made this tonight. I didn’t have the right yarn, so I used the standard worsted yarn and the smallest hook I had. It turned out to make a REALLY pretty place mat instead of the potholder it was supposed to be. I didn’t do the double sided or the liner, just the single side. I like how it worked up and think that with other colors (I did burgundy and white) it could make a neat set of place mats. I think red and green or red, white and blue would make neat sets. I didn’t take a picture of my finished yet. I should do it tomorrow when I have decent light.

I need to get back to work on the baby blanket I’m working on, I also have two other afghan ideas that I started and should work on more. Yeah, I have a lot of things I’m working on. I have a lot of others that I want to work on as well. Most of the stuff I want to work on after the baby blanket is done, I don’t have the yarn for yet, so that’ll give me incentive to work on that and get it done so I can go procure more yarn. I downloaded a really pretty afghan pattern that I want to give a shot, but that’s a low priority.

For the fellow crocheters: http://www.freepatterns.com
Register with an email address, no password and you get access.

As a plus sized woman, it’s often hard to find a bra that fits right and isn’t something you’d be ashamed of having seen. Plus sized undergarments are not often viewed as sexy, so to find a company that makes good looking, flattering, plus sized undergarments is a rare find.

Bits Of Lace, however, has brought together many different styles and brands of lingerie in many sizes, including plus sizes that is flattering to any woman. It wouldn’t be hard for feel sexy and desirable in Chantelle Bras, nor would a plus sized woman be ashamed of having their significant other see them in it.

Prima Donna Lingerie is also form flattering and sexy. Any woman, plus sized or not, would be proud to be seen in a Prima Donna Bra. Even if you are looking for an H cup, Bits Of Lace has what you need.

Every woman, no matter their size or shape should have at least one bra that fits them well and makes them feel good. The price you pay for a good, sexy bra is worth it for just the right occassions, if not for everyday wear. Take a few minutes to check out Bit Of Lace and maybe you can find a bit of lace that suits your desires.

Check out my recently published content on AC:

Creative White Elephant Gift Ideas for Christmas

A white elephant gift exchange is a great holiday game where all the participants by a gift, put it in a pool and when the exchange starts, the first person picks a gift, unwraps it and then the next person goes. They can either pick an wrapped gift from under the tree or they can choose the gift the first person opened, allowing the first person to open a new gift. This goes on until all the gifts are disbursed among the crowd.

Many people know this game by other names, such as dirty santa or sneaky santa, but it’s all good fun when it’s boiled down to it. But what can you get for a white elephant gift if you don’t know who is going to end up with it? It can often be difficult to choose something that everyone will be happy to get, so you have to take the time to pick well. It shouldn’t be that hard to select a gift if you know all the participants well, but that is often not the case.

• I can haz yarnz!

What did you do today?

A family that I’ve grew up with lost their home today. They had just remodeled most of the home over the last few years and it was a total loss. It makes me feel sick to know they have to start over… At least they got out safely. Thank god there are still people in this world who stop to help. *sigh*

http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=7209057

Singer-Songwriter Dan Fogelberg Dies
Dec 16, 7:47 PM (ET)

NEW YORK (AP) - Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne” helped define the soft-rock era, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.

His death was announced Sunday in a statement by Anna Loynes of the Solters & Digney public relations agency, and was also posted on the singer’s Web site.
(more…)

It’s a sad reality that it’s become far more expensive to pay for Christmas gifts. It’s become far more expensive to live the life that most people feel that they should be able to live. People want to live above their means and end up relying on their credit to attain the lifestyle they want.

What’s an even sadder reality is that most people end up with absolutely horrible credit trying to pay off their lifestyle. That’s why there are places that you can get bad credit loans that are meant to help you get back on your feet. Sadly, most people won’t use them to get back on their feet, however. They will get themselves further in debt.

Even if you can get yourself out of credit card debt, you still have a hard time finding a mortgage company that will even look at you, unless you go for a bad credit home loans and those end up having an even higher interest rate. It’s a sad cycle that is damn hard to break out of.

I don’t know about you, but I never knew that there was a whole line of Nike golf apparel and equipment. I knew there were shoes, but I didn’t realize that there were clubs too. For a golfer who is a fan of Nike products, this would be a golfer’s paradise.

It’s even a great way of making their Christmas dreams come true. No better way to make a golfer happy than with new clubs from a company that they already love.

So with Christmas right around the corner, the commercials on television are getting more and more pushy. Every other break, there are commercials for women’s jewelry. There are commercials for gifts that a man should get for a woman. But where are the commercials for men’s jewelry? What about for the gifts that men want?

Are you telling me that women are really that much better at picking out gifts for their man? I don’t really see that as the case. I have a hard time picking out the ‘right’ gift for my husband and he’s fairly easy to shop for. But seriously, why aren’t there more commercials for mens jewelry or clothing.

You see car commercials, tools, really stupid and obvious gift ideas, but nothing like they push for a gift for a woman. Stupid commercialization.

I’ve heard a lot of people with wireless internet bitch and whine about it dropping all the time. My DSL modem doubles as a wireless router as well, but I never had the need for it until I got my laptop this spring. Once I got that set up with the wireless, I was able to ‘net from wherever I want in the house. I’ve never had any issues with the wireless dropping either. It makes me wonder why others have so many issues. Do they have the same issues with a wired connection? I get the same speed wirelessly as I do wired, I have no dropping issues unless the isp has an issue.

I’ve been considering going fully wireless, but it’s a bit of a waste, since my modem sits right on my desk and there’s no reason for my desktop to be wireless. I do know that we’re getting a second laptop at some point and that will be wireless, but beyond that, there’s no real point in it, other than the fact that it would eliminate the two ethernet cables that are under my carpet running to the server and Rob’s computer.

They don’t even really bother me either, since they’re under the carpet and not getting tangled in anything now. Who knows, maybe I’ll eventually get rid of the server and his desktop, but that’s a long time down the road.

I wrote a graphic rant, was going to post it here, but decided to delete it instead. Decided it wasn’t worth the possible drama. Not like it’s about anything new. Meh.

I need to work today, I need to get together enough money to buy a new primary drive for this computer, it’s getting loud and weird sounding. I have no real desire to work.

I’ve been crocheting a baby blanket out of this gorgeous multicolored blue yarn.. and I ran out. I checked at Wal-Mart because they carry the brand and they didn’t have it there. That means I need to drive 30 frikkin miles for 2 skeins so I have enough to finish it.

I made my first tray of stars and trees chocolates, I’ve abused .. erm food processed my mints for peppermint bark.. Second mold procured for candy making. I’m feeling ambitious! I even made bbq ribs and dressing for dinner.

Now, I’m back to the computer again, looking for the desire to work.

Blah I say. Blah.