Saturday, January 29, 2011

I Need Younger Looking Skin

My skin actually looks pretty good, but I have fallen off the wagon in terms of doing anti-aging activities. I did start taking vitamins again recently, so that is a start. But I used to be vigil about skin care, but that was before law school. My life can be divided into pre-law school and post law school. Once I started law school, things like that fell away.

But now I am done and anxious to start again. I am thinking about getting on a skin care system, so want to research some of them like Cindy Crawford's skin care system and some of the others. I really need to
learn some of the more recent anti-aging skin tips, since things have changed since I was on top of all that info. There seems to be so many products out there, it is really hard to know what is what. I am going to read up on some of the European anti-aging systems and see what they offer. My face looks pretty good, but my hands have caught up with me. I need to figure out what to do to make them look better. I have heard you can tell a woman's age by her hands. Oh no!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Where To Go On Vacation This Summer

I live for vacation and I go on different types. I like to explore new cities and countries, and I also like to visit family and friends. Then I like to go to the beach. A good year is when I do all of the above. Last year, I got to go to both Hilton Head and Destin. Both were great---fantastic beach trips. This year, a friend and I are thinking about getting one of those Outer Banks rentals. I have never been to the Outer Banks but have heard a lot of good things about it. It would be fun to try out a new beach and explore the surrounding area. Think I might check into it.

Time To Get A New Phone

I am hoping to get a new phone soon and want a smart phone. The trouble is, what kind? I was looking online today and started feeling overwhelmed. My first thought was an iphone, but then I like the android keyboard. I can get a blackberry for free, and I have heard about the blackberry playbook. The problem is getting a phone is sort of like a commitment, at least a two-year commitment, as that is how long my contract will be. So I want to get the right one. I need a phone that connects to the internet and that I can do messaging on. (My current phone is awful to use for messaging, and I refuse.) But I would like to get on board with that. I am kind of excited. I think a smart phone will open opportunties for me.

Working Out More!

I am happy to say that I have been working out more, going to the Y, mainly walking on the treadmill. I need to ramp it up, both going more and spending more time while I am there. When I am there, I have been watching the TV on the treadmill, which helps me stay there longer. I might actually take one of my
MP3 players and listen to music instead sometime. I like watching TV while exercising, but sometimes I think I work out better when I am listening to peppy music. Think I will do that next time I go.

Country Music Vacations

I live in Nashville, so am very aware of our competition Branson and Branson vacations. At least, it seemed like Branson was our competition for a while. But I haven't heard that much about that lately. Maybe the two towns have each found their niche in the country music vacation and are more complementary now rather than competitors? I have never been to Branson and would like to go. I would like to see how it compares to Nashville.

How To Get My Dog To Behave

I love my dog Stoopot, but he does not know how to behave. The worst thing is, he pulls on the leash, and he is strong. He doesn't look that strong, so it is a little deceiving. But if you aren't paying attention, he could pull you down. I have to be really careful when it is icy outside. I am thinking some dog training advice would help with this. He is not a young pup, but am hoping that maybe old dogs can learn new tricks. I am reluctant to let others walk him, because of this problem, but it would help me out if I thought others could do this too. Something to think about.

I Have No Trouble Sleeping Now

I am usually so sleep deprived these days, I fall asleep usually as soon as my head hits the pillow. I really need to get more sleep. I hear that you need at minimum 5 straight hours. Since I fall asleep on the couch most nights now, I hardly ever get 5 straight hours. That is stupid and totally avoidable. I am not going to do that anymore!There was a time when I was younger that I did have insomnia. I had a very hard time sleeping, and I think I went into depression. I probably could have used some sleep pills. Luckily, I came out of it on my own after a number of months. But that was way too long. Not being able to sleep for such a long time can have really bad effects on you.

What The Heck Is Going On In Egypt?

Watching the news tonight, I am seeing the riots in Egypt. Can't believe this is happening. What is going on? I know people wantt a new regime. They say they want a better future for their children, but they bettter be careful. Hope they don't want to go the route of Iran. Under a religious regime, they might not get that.

I Ate A Whole Bag of Chips--Now What?

Here I am at home trying to get motivated to get off the couch, and all I have managed to do is eat a bag of chips. What??? That is so not helpful. The first step would have been not to buy the chips in the first place. Note to self: Do not buy chips. I have made a little headway in losing weight, and I don't want to ruin that. Luckily, when I bought the chips, I also bought some new running shoes, so maybe I can put those to good use over the weekend. I am also going to read some lipofuze reviews and some other reviews to see if there is anything out there that I think would be good to help me lose.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Barcode Scanners Everywhere

Everytime I go to the YMCA now, I have my card scanned in with a barcode scanner. I guess that keeps track of who I am and that I am a member. It also keeps track of my reward points. I get so many points for everytime I show up at the Y, and then I can redeem them for various items. Hope I will go enough to get something good! Plus, there are the bar code scanners at the grocery. I love the self help aisles where you can check yourself out. It makes it so much faster. At work, we create bar codes to put on printed matter and carton labels. It is interesting how much information the barcodes contain. Makes everything easier.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Where To Find Work Clothes

I am looking for some work pants to wear in my current job. I am working in a factory--CEO in training, you might call it--and the dress necessary is quite a bit different than my previous job. I still dress up on some days, but those days tend to be when I have another meeting to go to, or if I am going somewhere nice after work. But on an average day, I don't have to dress up. Some days I enjoy that.

And it is so cold out these days, I could use something like socks Wigwam or leggings or other very warm leg wear. This winter has been tougher in my area than most years. But if I were travelling north to see my relatives, I would really need serious winter outerwear and legwear.

I also need to get some other winter clothes, such as coats, etc. and I need to shop online. I am going to check some sites like Carhartt for Women and Lands End to see what is out there right now. I haven't shopped for a coat in so long I don't know what is stylish right now.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Getting Rid Of Credit Card Debt

Debt can be the bane of the soul, credit card debt in particular. I say credit card debt is particularly bad, because many times people run credit card debt up on junk. Not always, but sometimes you go on shopping sprees or too many dinners out, and then you have enormous credit card debtI kno, because I have been one of those people.

So how do you get credit card debt relief?I am doing it the old fashion way: paying it off slowly. I am paying larger monthly payments that the minimum due, because that is the only way you can make any headway. I should be debt free within 18 months, hopefully sooner. It has been such a huge drag on my life.

I was recently helping a couple of people who are also trying to get debt relief. One couldn't pass a security clearance because of her student loan debt. The other was a 75 year old woman being sued for a large credit card debt. Think of all the things we could do if not saddled with this stupid debt. I am always going to be much more careful with my money from now on.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tennessee Bar Exam Changing Grading System

I found an interesting story today: The Tennessee bar exam will now be graded differently to be more in line with how other states do it.

Tennessee requires 12 essays for the essay portion of the test. Rather than getting a pass or fail grade on each essay, as has been the case, takers will now receive an actual grade on each essay. The points on all essays have to add up to 135 in order to pass the essay portion of the test.

It sounds as if the threshold for the multi-state is going to be different too. Before, you could get as low as 125 on the MS, but then you had to get 9 essays correct on the essay pass/fail model. If you got 130 on the MS, you had to get 8 essays right. If you got 135 on the MS, you had to get 7 essays correct. Now, apparently you have to get 135 on the multi-state portion of the test, for a total of 270 points for both parts.

I think the new grading of the essays will work in favor of those taking the tests, leading to more passing scores. I wonder how many of those who failed the test before would have passed it under this different grading scheme?

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Revised-TN-bar-exam-grades-candidates-with-number-964876.php

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Getting Benefits From Drinking Green Tea

I am trying to increase my healthy habits, and drinking green tea is one of them. I used to drink it religiously, but it went the way of my other healthy habits when I went to law school. It is supposed to be filled with lots of great antioxidants, help you lose weight, lower blood pressure, and also serve as a sort of colon cleanser, It helps keep you regular, if you know what I mean. I didn't drink any on vacation, but will resume drinking it in the afternoons at work next week. I try to have 2-3 cups everyday. Hope to see some benefits.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves: A Book Editors Can Love

Want to know how an editor thinks and spends most of his/her working (and often non-working) time? Then read Eat, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, and learn more about punctuation in the process. Delightfully written, she explains the proper way to use punctuation and the differences between American and British punctuation. I am a longtime magazine writer/editor, but late in the game reading the book, only doing so last week. I was on a cruise, found the book in the library, and curled up in a chair, and read the whole thing in one sitting. I was in my element for sure. She talks about editors "falling into a comma," "having commaphilia," and how seasoned editors can argue for hours about the placement of a comma. Sound dreadful? Maybe to you, but to me, I was in editor heaven reading the book. Long live the semicolon!

Want To Get In Shape!

I am back from vacation and once again realize how much I need to lose weight and get in shape. I want to look better in my clothes, be able to wear sexier clothes, and also be healthier! So I need to get on the stick. I hope to go to the Y both today and tomorrow, and then I want to try to go as many days a week as  I can. As far as eating, I don't think I did too much damage on vacation. Don't think I gained much weight if at all. I just wish I hadn't put on weight during law school and bar study. But that's behind me now--can't change that for sure. I did, and that is all there is to it. I am wondering if there are any diet pills that work, that work and don't have bad side effects. I just want to be as healthy as I can be and look as good as I can.

Friday, January 14, 2011

We Need New Computer System At Work

Our computers at work have been working fine since I have been there, a total of four years. Now all of a sudden, every other day or so, something goes wrong. People can't access the system, the system is slow, yadda, yadda, yadda. It gets old. And it is old. I think it just boils down to the fact that the computers and server is old. We need new stuff! I think we might need an Industrial pc or a collection of them, and a new server, and new everything. It all needs to be updated. And quickly, before we start losing business. And that would not be a good thing.

Midlife Career Changers

Yay for us midlife career changers! Check out the tagline for my blog is see that I am a bonafide career changer. Here is a link I found today on cnn.com about career changers. Pretty interesting stuff. The only difference between their situation and mine is that they went from a more lucrative career to a more risky one. My original career, writing and editing, was never very risky, but I went to a more potentially lucrative career: law. But nonetheless, changing courses midstream is sometimes scary, but also exciting. Go for it!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/01/14/extreme.career.makeover.midlife/index.html?hpt=Sbin

OK, I Did Visit The Onboard Casino

In my post the other day, I mentioned that I was boycotting the onboard Holland America casino, because they had gerryrigged their slot machines to only allow higher bids. They would only allow you to bid 9 lines at 5 bids each for example on the penny machine, rather than 1 line at 1 bid.

Well, I figured out how to change the machine. You go to the game menu, and there you can change your lines and bids. Wala! So I did that. Although I shouldn't have because I lost $80, after winning $164. I should have let sleeping dogs lie.

But one thing I am still annoyed at is the difficulty of changing the bids,. You can go to the game menu, as I mentioned, but you have to change the game info on a touch screen. It is very cumbersome, to say the least. So I am still annoyed that they are 1) counting on you not figuring this out, and 2) not having the patience to actually sit there and work with an unresponsive touchscreen. I finally got the bids the way I wanted, but as I said, I am kind of sorry. $80 sorry.

Mt. LeConte--Beautiful And Strenuous Hike

I used to do some strenuous hiking and went to the top of Mt. LeConte twice. There are several different paths to take to the top. The shortest takes 5 hours; the longest 8 hours. Both times we took the shortest way up and the longest path back down. That was a pretty good strategy. I am not sure I could do it again, as I have hurt both knees and wouldn't want to chance getting into a pickle along the path. I wouldn't want to be put in the position where one of the llamas might have to come rescue me and take me up or down.

You can either hike up and down both during the day, or make reservations to stay at their lodge, which is what we did. I would not want to hike up and down in one day, but there was one older man who did that very thing almost everyday. He was amazing. He passed us on the way up, and he outbeat us kids.

One thing for sure, you want to be prepared for such a hike and have the proper clothes. Most of us had on hiking books, something that looked like Lowa boots or some such. Good tennis shoes would also suffice. But we came down the mountain one time, and there were several people in their 20s contemplating going up. One woman had on little summer shoes, and we told her she would probably not make it wearing those. You would hate to find yourself shoeless halfway up, and or get severe blisters on your feet that were not protected with good boots. Wonder if she ever hiked on up that day? Hope not! If so, maybe a llama had to come to get her.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Should I Try HGH?

As I am getting older, of course I want to stay younger. I look good for my age and act younger than my age (but not ridiculously so). I used to be very vigil about skin care and taking anti-oxidant supplements, but law school and studying for the bar exam took my concentration from it. I still look good, but not as good as when I really was up on what was the best skin care. I am wondering if I should try hgh
--that human growth hormone. I was just reading an article the other night about how it is safe--just don't use the synthetic versions. Maybe I will check into it. I want to look as good as can as long as I can!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Need To Buy New Linens

Now that I have a little more time and money to spend on my condo, I am taking stock of what needs to be done. I need to get some repairs done, declutter, and replace some furniture. The other day when I was cleaning out my guest room, I took a glance at the sheets on the bed. I was shocked. They were clean but worn and old looking. I just haven't had time to pay attention to things like that. When I get home from vacation, one of the first things I will do is get some new linens. I don't even know what is out there right now. I may look at some lines like Ann Gish, HomeSource, Sferra and others. I need to get some sheets and curtains that I am proud of. I bought a new suitcase before coming on the cruise, and just that little thing made me feel so much better. The luggage I had was fine, except that it had been pilled by the cats. And that didn't look good! So now I feel spiffy with my new suitcase. I want to feel the same with new linens and curtains. Little by little, I am getting my act together!

Music Caribbean Style

I am on a cruise ship headed for the Caribbean. There is plenty of music on the cruise. Of course there is, because it is a music cruise. Plenty of music of all kinds until the wee hours. It is really fun. There is so much music, it is almost hard to do other things, like read, sleep, eat, and sunbathe. I am do my darndest to do all of the above We have our first port stop tomorrow. I am going to have fun swimming on the beach, snorkeling, sunning, and eating. I am sure there will be a steel drum band somewhere along the way. I love steel drum music. That is one kind of music we cna't hear on our cruise, but we will for sure on the island.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Boycotting Shipboard Casino

I am on a cruise on a Holland America ship and am boycotting the casino. Now understand, I am not a high roller--definitely a low roller. I only play slots and the cheap ones at that. I can milk a $5 bill in a penny or 2 cent machine for quite a while. Sometimes I win a little, but usually lose. But over the course of a week's cruise, I probably spend $50 to $100 in the casino.

Well, not this year. I ran to the casino last night between activities and looked for a penny slot. Found one and ran through my dollar bill in record time. WTH? I looked closely at the machine and saw that they have gerryrigged the machines to only allow multiple lines to be played. So, instead of a penny slot, it is really a 9 cent slot, And that is the way with every slot machine in the casino--even quarter slots.

That is terribly unfair. And there are less people playing slots this year. Good. They won't gt my money for sure.

Having People With Know-How At Work

My workplace is not perfect, but one thing I have to say is that the people there have know-how. It is a manufacturing facility, and there are all kinds of machines there. Not only do the employees know how to run the machines, they know how to do other general maintenance on both the machines and the building. I have seen them tackle plumbing problems, AC/heating issues, problems with commercial pumps, and other such things. It is nice to have such expertise there. Not only can we get things fixed easily, it also saves us money. I wish I had people like that who lived with me who could fix home repairs!

A Good Night's Sleep

I got my bed from my grandmother, and I love it. I just melt into the bed, and the mattress is so great. My only problem is, I don't spend enough hours in my bed. I am sleep deprived, something I am going to work on toute suite. I am going to get more sleep for my health and beauty. But once I am in my bed, it dreamworld for me.

I am on a cruise right now, and my bed here is great too. Most of the hotel and cruise ship mattresses I have had have been pretty darn good. A friend of mine has the world's worst mattress on her bed in her guest room. It is like a concrete flloor. I haven't slept at their house for a long time and don't plan to for a while. If I wait long enough, surely they will have a new mattress!

Buying Games For My Nephew

My nephew is now 13 and that means it is harder for me to think of what to get him for his birthday or Christmas. Money is always good, and I give him some of that on each occasion, but I want to give him a present or two as well. Something that I can think of that he might like. He loves video games, so a
psp might work, or just some individual games. I wish I lived near him, so I could spend more time with him and naturally know what he likes or what he already has. Gift cards are also good, and I like to give those as well. But again, they are impersonal, like cash, so always want to give a thoughtful gift as well. It is so much easier for me to buy for my niece!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Diane Sawyer: Curiosity Drives Everything

I saw the most wonderful show about Diane Sawyer the other night. It was actually Diane Sawyer talking about her life and career on the new Oprah Winfrey network. Just Diane talking straight into the camera. Not only is she attractive, but eloquent and also wonderful. She radiates that she is a great person. Very genuine. She comes across as someone you would really like to meet.

She said a few things I could identify with, One is that curiosity drives her and has led to her success. Curiosity has led to her doing some great stories and keeping her on track in her career. Curiosity has also been my driving force as a journalist. You just have to find out about something and write that story. She also said that so many times she felt like quitting her career, but then she would get involved in a story, and then get interested, and she was hooked once more. Again, that strikes home!

Curiosity has really been my engine. I can't imagine not being curious about people, and the world and everything in it.

Getting Into Digital

I am really getting into the digital life, and I love it. In the last couple of years, I have attended a couple of wordpress conferences and wordpress meetings, other digital conferences, and am learning such things as how to be an e-commerce service provider and a variety of e-commerce solutions.

I need to earn more money, supplement my income, and become financially independent if I can. I would love to one day supplement my law career with online writing and such. There seems to be so many opportuntities out there, if you can just focus and tap into some of them.

I have dipped my toe into outsourced affiliate marketing but haven't seen much success yet. But then, I don't put enough time into it. But I will keep working on it, working on it.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Need To Manage My Money Better This Year

I really need to buckle down this year and watch my money and save as much as possible. Pay off as much debt as possible. Get my credit score up. I need to start couponing and being frugal. Not too frugal, but more frugal. Live more simply. I do well with my money, and then I slip up and don't. Once in a while I have had to get one of those cash advances, which I am not happy about, but what are you supposed to do? Like they say, it is better to pay $30 to get $300 for two weeks than pay $100 or more in overdraft fees. But I hope not to have to do it again. I just need to watch it and plan. Don't go out as often. Make more money!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Asbestos Can Be Deadly

Coming from a family where an inordinate number of members have died from lung cancer, I am always worried about breathing in things I shouldn't. Two grandfathers died from lung cancer, and my grandmother. Also my great-grandfather, and probably other family members of which I am not even aware. Of course smoking played a part in their deaths, I am sure, even though they all quite smoking 20 years before their deaths. My grandfather worked in a glass factory when he was a teen, and I am sure they did not wear masks back then. Particles were flying all over the factory. I heard that they could have gotten lodged in his lungs and created cancer so many years later.

And of course, there is radon and asbestos. A friend of mine died from lung cancer when she was in her early 30s, and she never smoked. So the odds may be great that either radon or asbestos might have caused her cancer.

And the commercials on TV about mesothelioma are just heartbreaking. One woman says that when her father worked in a plant when he was young, the asbestos "fell like snow." Many people do not know they have been exposed to asbestos, as it can be present in many place and products. As a lawyer, I wonder if I will ever take any of these case.

The best thing is to get an asbestos survey done if you are buying property, either commercial or residential. You want to make sure that the areas where you spend most of your life are safe to live and breathe. Then, if the building do have asbestos, you can get if fixed. Prevention is certainly key.