Back to the Workforce....

So after about 3 months of being unemployed, I will be heading back to the workforce! Gone will be the days of sleeping in, lounging in my PJ's all day and just watching TV and doing whatever. I've noticed myself slacking a lot since I've been unemployed. I had a workout regimen when I worked, but since I've been unemployed, I haven't worked out ONCE! I've gotten very lazy in that aspect, as well as cooking. If I could heat something up real quick or go to a friends house or order something, I did it. DH noticed too and says that I cook LESS now that I'm home and have the time. Time? Time for what? I haven't read one book, exercised one time, caught up with stay at home mommy friends, etc. I had such high hopes for when I wasn't working....and now I sit here with all my goals unchecked off my list. Hmph.

BUT, I got the job that I ultimately wanted. I guess I kind of gave up hope after losing my job b/c it closed, and maybe that's why I fell by the wayside. It's a government job, which is what I wanted since I was in the government. It's not too far from my house, same distance as my old one, but just in the opposite direction, and it's a tad more money that I was making. But it's a higher grade level, which is great. I had put in for the job over the same, two actually. Same job, different pay band. So I went in for both interviews on the same day. It was a panel interview (which I HATE!). After the interview, I waited over a month to hear (you always wait forever). The lower pay band I didn't get, so I kind of lost hope for the higher grade. At that point of applying for jobs for 2-3 years (I knew coming in I was losing my job in 2011) I would settle for the lower pay grade. But I didn't get. A few weeks later, I heard about the other pay band. Apparently, the director didn't like the way the first interviews were done, and wanted everyone to come back in for a 2nd round of interviews, done the way they wanted it done. Oh man...another interview? So I went in and I did one thing I never did before in the other panel interviews. I asked for their business cards, and followed up with each of them with a follow up thank you email. I found out about a month or so later, I got the job! I got the call on a Friday night, after 7pm...I was so happy. My BFF was with me so he was the first to find out. I called DH and told him, then my parents. I didn't tell anyone else b/c I wanted it to be official and feared (I'm paranoid) that someone got hold of my number and called as a joke. But alas, about 2 weeks later, I got my tentative offer letter! At that point, I put it out on Facebook and emailed my old co-workers to tell them the news.

I did all the paperwork and all and I start Monday, so this week, it's all crunch time. I have my list of things to do, which I keep adding too, and not crossing many off. I had to help my BFF last night selling his motorcycle and then we had a huge issue at his house...call us Dumb and Dumber pretty much, so this morning and afternoon was spent finding him a new bathroom sink. Good times!

So this week, I'm trying to get as much done, waking up earlier, and doing what I wanted to do since I've been unemployed. I'm getting my hair done tomorrow, new job, new ME. So I think I'm going to get some highlights and a new style. Can't wait! I haven't even gone for a cut since LAST summer (2010) Yes, I'm not a typical girl...not even a trim! And on Friday, my BFF is taking off work and we are hitting AC for one last weekday casino trip since I won't be able to anymore.

I hope to be able to be more disciplined in the upcoming new year. I am in the Money Saving Challenge and I hope to post weekly updates on how I saved money. I will also post some poker reports and all. Anything you guys would like me to blog about?

Borgata Ladies Event 11/13/2011 and Deep Stack 11/16/11

Hubby Mike and I took a weekend trip to AC the weekend of 11/12/11. The Borgata Fall Poker Open was going on, and they had a ladies event, and I LOVE playing the ladies events lol. We went down in the afternoon of the 12th, checked in to B, headed over to Bally's to get tix to the Price is Right Live show, then did some outlet shopping. My name was called to 'Come On Down' but I didn't win the prize, but got a T-shirt :)

Sunday morning we woke up and Hubby Mike went to Bread and Butter to get me a bagel and OJ for breakfast while I showered. This is something new that Jersey Jay told me I NEED to do. We had an in depth talk about food/eating and tournaments. I normally never eat before a tournament, but decided I'm going to. So I had my breakfast and headed down to register. I was seated at table 1, seat 2. Which I figured was good since it meant I wouldn't need to switch tables, so I got to sit and get very comfortable. I didn't play many hands as I saw I was at a very loose table. People would call big bets all the way to the river with ace high and hit an ace on the river. I did get lucky quite a few times with Ace King. Normally I HATE that hand, but it never lost for me in this tourney. I never had any big pre flop hands...my best hand was pocket 10's late in the tourney. I hovered over the 12k mark for quite awhile. As the blinds kept going up, I needed to keep shoving all in. I would get down to like 6500, then shove all in and nobody would call, so I'd be up to about 9500. I won a few double ups with my ace king, and chopped one with ace king. That last one was a killer though. Girl that just sat down with a ton of chips kept raising pre flop. So the one time she does, I look at ace king, and I shove. She calls, but she is shaking like a leaf. Either it's really good for me (nothing for her) or she has me dominated (bad for me). But she had ace king too. Pretty much a chop pot. She held the ace of hearts, and wouldn't you know, the flop was all hearts. I dodged two bullets on the turn and river (spade/club) and we chopped, but I still picked up some chips from the blinds and antes and limpers. A few all in wins later I was up to about 21k (short stack at my table). Same girl raises, I look down at pocket 10s (best hand pre flop I had) and I shove. She raised to about 3k when I shoved. Girl two to my left, Dawn, had a MONSTER chip stack and tanked for a few. She wasn't afraid of the other girl, but was trying to see if I was making a move or not. She finally folded, as did the other girl. I told Dawn I had my pocket 10s and she believed me...she's seen how I have played in the past. At one point, I was up to about 45k, from my 6500. It was only the matter of a few hands. I was texting Hubby Mike i'd be out soon, and I'd text 6500, 9700, 12k, 21k, 35k, 45k. He couldn't believe it. When we got down to the bubble, we all put in 10 bucks and I had about 42k and figured I would just fold every hand just to cash. I've had such a bad run ALL year and i didn't want to bubble NOW. I'd rather wait and fold and cash. Of course with the blinds and antes, I lost quite a few chips, but I made the cash! It was down to 18, and we redrew for seats...I got moved to table 2. Everyone had huge stacks, and I was short stacked. Jamie Kersetter busted in 18th, and pretty much I figured any ace or big card I'm shoving. Girl in the 2 seat min raised, I had an ace and shoved. I held ace 8, she held ace 10. She hit a 10 in the window and a 10 on the turn, so I was out in 17th. I wasn't mad, I cashed finally!

On Wednesday, I figured I'd press my luck and play that deep stack event. I went down with a girlfriend of mine, and we picked up a friend of ours on the way down. We waited for awhile to buy in, but made it in time before the tourney started. This was a re-entry event as well. My table had one guy that constantly raised, every hand...I'm not kidding. That was annoying. I didn't get involved in too many hands and the pots were huge in just the first level. I got killed in the 2nd or 3rd level. I was in the small or big blind and it was raised. One guy called, as did I. I had ace queen of clubs. Flop was Queen 3 7 (to clubs). So here I have top top and an ace high flush draw. I come out betting, raiser folds, guy across from me calls. Turn is a red 4. Again, I bet out 3k this time. Guy calls. River was a red blank. I bet again, guy calls again. I flop over my ace queen. He looks at my cards, looks at the board...it almost looks as though he is folding, then flops over 3 4 off. Really? You call a pre flop raise with that, I come out firing, and you call with bottom pair, shitty kicker? Really? then he goes "I thought you flopped a set' Um, okay, then why are you calling then? Really dude? ugh, so at that point, I so just want to bust out and re enter. I'm short stacked now and pissed off. I never even won a hand at that table, not one. I busted out in the 8th level and figure I'm going to re-buy. I waited in line for 45 minutes to rebuy...I knew I shouldn't have bought back in. By time I got my ticket, got my chips and seated, right in the big blind...surrounded by monster stacks...great. blinds were 600 1200 200 ante. And of course, the small blind raises (just us two). I have king ten of hearts, so I call...he comes out firing on the flop (nothing for me, not even a draw) and I fold. I didn't get many hands in on this table. Let's say it was a bad day.

I did profit $100 playing cash (I call this a win b/c I haven't done anything in cash all year as well). So I had fun with that and may not have cashed in the tourney, but made some money back in cash.

WSOP starts next week at Harrahs...planning on playing event 1...anyone else?

This Blogger's View on the Kardashian/Hump Divorce

With all the media hype around the Kardashian Divorce, I just wanted to offer my opinion on the whole thing.

I never used to be a Kardashian fan...I wouldn't watch their shows, care about when they were coming to town, nothing. Then about a year or so ago, I was watching one of the shows. It was on after something I was watching and I left the TV on while I cleaned, not really watching it, just background noise....but it was enticing. I kept finding myself not being able to turn away from the TV. It was a marathon or whatever of the show, so when my husband came home from work, I was still watching it. He was like 'What are you watching?' and I told him it's a good show. At first he was reluctant, but he started liking it too!!!!!

So I became a Kardashian fan. Hate all you want, but Kris Jenner has formed a complete empire with her girls. She looks great after all these years herself and her daughters are all beauties. Many women hate them because they are jealous of them. I admit I was one of them. They are beautiful, rich, successful, etc. Granted a lot of people say they are only rich off of other people, but even if that's true, you have to admit you wouldn't be mad if that was YOU making that money.

Enter Kris Hump. A big Doofus if you ask me. Never liked him from the get go. And when he was in the Wedding planning part of the show, moron. Every man knows you sit back and let the girls take center stage....they get what they want. Even as we watched it, my husband is like 'Is he an idiot...why is he even talking about what HE wants at the wedding?' And then being late, growing a mustache, hating on her sisters...red flags!

Do I think the wedding was a sham/fake? Absolutely not. I really think Kim is all about family. She has stated numerous times she wants a huge family like she has now, and she's not getting younger. Meaning, if she wants her huge family, she needs to have babies RIGHT now. She also sees how her mom pressures her sister Kourtney to marry Scott since they have a baby together. So she wants to make Mama Jenner happy, get married then have kids. However, she also believes in love within a family. I think she found Kris, fell in lust, mistaking it for love, and got married, quick. That way they can have kids. She was also quoted in saying she wanted kids right after the wedding. She also wants to have a baby when Kourtney has number two and Khloe has number 1.

I applaud Kim for realizing she wasn't in love with Kris, whether it was because he's a doofus, unemployed or pressured her to move to Minnesota. I heard his comment on the upcoming season that by time the kids are in school nobody will know Kim's name. Now, that's a tad messed up since KIM bought her OWN engagement ring, and nobody knew Kris' name before Kim came along. Yea, that pad you were living in New York and LA? All Kim. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. I live in NJ and follow sports a big, not a lot, but I do. and I NEVER heard about this Kris guy until Kim. He's not even that good a basketball player!!!!! Get a job!!!!!!

I do hope Kim finds a NICE guy that will treat her well. A cute one too...so we can see some cute babies!

30 Day Giving Challenge!

I am participating AGAIN this year in the 30 Day Giving Challenge...won't you?

Yesterday was day 1 and I gathered all my expired coupons to send to my Coupons for Troops family.

Today, I 'liked' Petango on facebook and a dollar will be donated. Save a Life with a Like!

Any ideas to help me out this year?

This Country Needs a Suze Smackdown!!!!!!

*****WARNING! This is a rant! It's all my opinion, but I need to vent a little, and since this is my blog, I'm doing it here!!**********

Since I have been out of work since last month, I don't watch the news like I used to. Before DH and I would go to bed, we'd watch the 10 o'clock news, and in the morning, we have the news on while we get up and get ready. That way we were up to speed so when people at work would bring up a topic, we would be informed of what was going on. Now that I'm not working, I'm going to bed later, and our DVR and TV schedule is full, so we don't watch it at night, and I'm asleep while DH gets ready for work. That being said, I wasn't really up to speed with this whole 'Occupy Wall Street' thing. I'm still not 100% sure what the hey is going on, but all I know is a bunch of people across the country are very upset with corporate greed. I guess these people think that this 'corporate greed' is a new thing, but in reality it's been going on for quite awhile, it's just coming to the surface now. Many of these people are upset for jobs lost or what not for corporate greed. So they are outside for weeks now protesting. Do they think they are getting their points across? Probably not. I figure those on wall street, you know, the big wigs with tons of money are sitting there pointing and laughing at all of them. What's sad is that some of these people are so 'for the purpose' they are getting arrested for getting out of line. Many of these people are unemployed I figure since they can sit outside all day and night protesting. And then get arrested...which will probably go on their records. Then good luck getting a job when the 'arrest' question comes on the job applications. Good job.

What I don't understand is this. I will assume once again that many, if not the majority of the people outside protesting are unemployed. I highly doubt that they have jobs that will allow them to go out and protest and still get paid. That being said, I will guess that many are collecting unemployment benefits. Okay, so let me get this straight. they are out protesting, no jobs, no money coming in. How do they support themselves? How do they support their families, pay the bills, etc? I know some good-hearted people donated items to these people, but really people? In NJ to certify for unemployment each week, you need to answer a few questions, one of which 'Were you actively seeking work?" Of course you answer yes, b/c most people are trying to get interviews, networking, etc. FACE TIME. Not email time. Not talking via emails/text via smartphone. Hmmmmm, smart phone huh? How do these people pay those bills with no job? But I bet they all say 'Yes' when asked the 'actively seeking employment' question. My suggestion is to give a few people jobs and go around, asking for PHOTO id for everyone protesting. Can't supply it? You're gone. You can't stay. So, these people go out checking ID's and SSN's, etc. They then go back to the office and pull up these people. If they have been collecting unemployment, it stops then and there, and they will be required to pay back ALL six weeks or so that they collected. If Bloomberg or Ray Kelly or whoever gives out this information people may take them seriously. Stop living off other people's money. So, they go to the people that people will be collecting info from ID's and if you are found to be falsely collecting unemployment, you will be required to pay back the 6 weeks and no more unemployment. Bet a lot of people will not be protesting! I probably wouldn't mind as much, but people are getting hurt, arrested, etc. It just went way to far in my opinion.

I've also come across some news about Student Loans and how the government is stepping in to help. Wait, what???? I was upset about the whole saving the big financial institutions, but if the government didn't, well, this country would be a lot more in trouble then we are now. The whole issue I cannot STAND and I hear it all the time is the mortgage industry. That these big banks loaned out money for people to buy homes that they couldn't afford. Wait. The banks didn't just go knocking on random people's doors saying 'Here's 500k, want it????' NO, people would go online or call the banks or go in and ASK for the money. The bank says 'Ok, here you go' and then the people SIGN on the dotted line for their line. And in ALL that mortgage paperwork is ALL the info. But do people read it? Nope. They took out mortgages they couldn't afford. They either financed 100%(like my DH and I did) or did an ARM, where they pay just the interest, then after 3, 5 7, etc years the numbers will reset. But nobody foreshadowed the housing market crash. Really people? What did you expect, paying $3k a month in interest on a house you can't afford, then when it resets you can't afford the mortgage? Did you do your homework? NO. Were the banks greedy trying to get more interest money from you? Absolutely. But YOU signed saying you will make the payments, etc. Then you cried for the government to help you. And cried and cried until some fairy godmother came to bail you out, helping you refinance to make your payments more affordable.

Want to know what this girl did? When DH and I got engaged, we bought a house. We moved in together a year before our wedding. We went from no payments (both lived with parents) to having a mortgage payment, utilities, house insurance, grocery bills, etc. It was a SHOCK. I cried myself to sleep when we first moved in, trying to figure out how would could afford our lifestyle. Oh, and we were planning a wedding too. I did a LOT of research and started watching Suze Orman. I needed a way to afford all of our stuff. We put no money down on our house as we wanted to have money to buy furniture, etc. We got the cheapest carpets we could (previous owners had a dog and two cats, and my father in law is allergic), got very cheap living room furniture (between 300-400 dollars for a new couch, sofa AND recliner!). We made a dining room table out of a poker table. We put plywood above the table and voila, dining room table. We used our old bedroom furniture in the bedrooms. Watching Suze and researching ways to decrease spending really opened my eyes. This is when I took on couponing...started out slow and now and one of those 'Extreme Couponers' I get asked in the store if I've ever been on the show. No I reply, it's not real...but that's for another blog post. DH and I sat down, and decided after the wedding, we would pay down ALL our debt, and started ASAP we'd set up a budget. We wanted to save for our future as well. It was hard work, but we got through it. 5 years later, I'm not working currently, we have our EF plus some. We fully fund our Roths, no debt other then 8k in student loan debt at 2% and our house. I've followed a budget since then, and I watch Suze Orman every Saturday night. DH and I don't go out. Yet, our friends that claim they are broke, can't save, can't pay bills go out EVERY weekend to bars. Ones where it's $6 for a beer and $9 for a cocktail. They go out Friday and Saturday nights, then Sunday afternoon for football time...yet they can't pay their bills? Disgusting. It really irritates me.

Getting back to student loans, now President Obama is helping out those that took out too large student loans. Really? Here we go again. Nobody told these people to go to an expensive school. Nobody said going to college is a necessity...it's a LUXURY people! If you can't afford it, then don't go. Save up money and pay CASH (Suze's advice). I have student loans, from my undergrad and grad years. And I've managed to get them from over $50k to $8k in a few years. These are loans you don't mess with as they will not be forgiven in bankruptcy, they will stick with you forever. But yet people are crying it's too much money, they can't pay them back. Well, I say that if you need the government to help you, you have to help them too. You don't want to pay back your student loans? You want them forgiven b/c you can't afford them? Well, then your degree goes back too. You no longer will have a prestigious degree from a prestigious university. Bet then too people will pay back their student loans!

I just think people need to put on their big girl panties and man up and make up for their own mistakes. Stop putting your hand out asking for money or help. You want help, you have to do it on your own. Looking at corporate greed, they aren't looking at for YOUR best interests. The only person to help YOU and YOUR best interests is youself! Step up! we need to hold these people to the fire. It wasn't all the banks fault....they say the banks were greedy, well so were you, applying and taking mortgages that were WAY above your head. How can we teach our kids responsibility when adults just point the blame at everyone else for their own problems?

Having a Baby

This post is more a less a rant/vent about having a baby. I think I'm at the time in my life where it's time to have a baby and start a family. When DH and I first got married 4 years ago, he wanted to have kids right away, but I wanted to wait and enjoy married life with just us two and to get on more stable ground finance wise. We also live in a small 2 bedroom condo and never thought we'd have the room for a kid, or more then 1 kid.

Fast forward to now. We are pretty much stable finance wise, even though I'm not currently working due to my Army base closing last month. It's been 4 years of us enjoying ourselves and at this point, I think it's time to start a family. We're not getting any younger and I think 4 years as husband and wife is more then enough. I know we haven't gone on any real vacations other then AC, but that's what makes him love me. I don't need some expensive vacation to 'get away' AC is perfect...just an hour drive, free rooms, free food, gambling, boardwalk, restaurants, etc. That's why he married me, I'm pretty much a cheap date. Eventually I'd like to get to Disney with him. A lot of people say I needed to go with him first, just us two. But I don't know. Too many kids around, us not having any. I'd feel left out, Disney is a family place. I think I'd enjoy it much more with a little one.

So I've made the decision to come off BCP and I started taking folic acid. I did try the prenatal vitamins, but it made me pee so darn much, so I came off and took the folic acid. But I'm peeing a lot too, and maybe it's the folic acid. No Uti or anything, I got tested. So eventually I will go back on the PNV. So now, I have my mom telling me I don't want to have a baby. I've always been bad with pain in my earlier years. I'd get a papercut or a bloody nose and be like 'Why me? I'm dying!' I guess my mom remembers that and can't even imagine nine months of me being pregnant, let alone labor. But my mother in law says that if it was so bad, the pain that is, that people would have one kid and never have another. But people are having kids left and right. If they can get through it so can I, right?

I'm also a worry wart and worry about every little thing. My friend is now telling me that I need to be ready to have a kid up my ass for 18 years. Am I ready for that. Yes. I have never heard a mother say they'd give up their kids so they can have their freedom back. Since we were married, DH and I can do whatever we want, whenever we want...no worries. But now, I will have a baby to worry about. My friend also says that I will have no alone time. I have no alone time now anyways. I don't like to be alone. That's why I always had a boyfriend. Never had a time where more then 1 week I was alone. I like the company I guess. I think too much when I'm alone.

So I don't know, my head is spinning and now I'm second guessing everything and it's a bad feeling. Moms out there...new moms and old moms....am I just way overthinking this????

Read over your Bills and Fight for Yourself!

Okay, so not the best title, but I couldn't think of something snazzy or anything, but I wanted to get a few points across to everyone. Now that I'm unemployed, I figured I would have the time to keep my home tidy, do dishes, wash floors, etc everyday. But I'm finding I DON'T have the time. Whether it's a friend needing a favor, or my mom needing a ride somewhere since she can't drive for a few months, I have no ME time. And by ME time I don't mean watching TV or reading (although I have a few books to still read that I haven't had time to since I left the working world). But what I have been having to do is call companies or email them to fight for what's due to me...or what I feel is due to me. Here goes:

When DH and I went on vacation after I lost my job, we encountered two huge issues. We had gone into a Starbucks to get a frap after window shopping in high end stores. We walk in and after we did about 7 people followed. We placed our order and moved to the section where you pick up your order. Everyone followed suit and we all stood there in the order in which we placed our orders. People in front of us got their drinks, then we were next. But the person behind us got their first. But that was okay, it was a black coffee. Then everyone else behind us got their orders. Okay, the one guy was making the fraps so he was probably working on ours. Nope. So after the rush, we were left there alone, with no $6 frap. So the two men working started cleaning up. So DH is like 'Excuse me' Now, the guys had to have seen us standing there. We were right in front of them. No 'How can I help you' or anything, we had to call to their attention that we still didn't have our order, which was dated 15 minutes earlier. So we stood there for 15 minutes for a $6 drink. My DH tells him we didn't get our order, shows the receipt and he's like 'Are you sure?' Um, yes, I'm not holding a drink in my hand, so yea I'm sure we didn't get it. So the one makes it and gives it to us. No apology, no 'have a nice day' nothing. So on the way out, I grabbed the feedback form and planned to write a 'nastygram' as I call it when we returned home. I did, and I received a nice email back AND 4 coupons for free drinks, ANY size! That was nice of them.

Also, while on vacation, we were unable to use the indoor pool for two days (the reason we stayed at this particular place) And on another day, we had no TV all morning and all day. Not that I'm a TV watcher, but it was during the week and I like to watch a few shows (the news, Regis, Let's Make a Deal, Price is Right, etc) and I couldn't. So again, when we returned home, I wrote a nastygram and got upgraded to a suite during our next stay. I made our reservations first, then called for the upgrade today, but it's not in the system, so they forwarded me to the person that sent me the email...I'm currently waiting for a return call or email.

So it DOES pay to make your opinion count to companies. They want to make it right and don't want to leave a sour taste in your mouth, which is fine by me!

However, there are companies that make mistakes and you have to fight tooth and nail to get what's due. Since I came home from vacation, I'm finding a lot of errors on bills that I have to call up and fight, wait on hold, etc. First it was with Cablevision, although the woman I spoke to explained it. So what was due was right, it was just the way the bill read made it look like I had a past due balance. No biggie. I then got my Allstate car insurance bill. I could pay a set amount each month, or save $30 and pay it in full. So DH and I discussed it and decided $30 is $30 so I will pay it in full, then replenish the EF each month with what I would have paid to the car insurance. So I call to pay and to take myself off the Value Plan where it comes out of my account every month. My luck I'd pay in full and they would still take out the money each month. The guy I spoke to had a different amount then I had. I said no, that's the amount I pay if I do the monthly installments. On my bill it had that number, plus a number $30 if I pay in full. So he took my payment. The next day, I get a bill from Allstate for the $30. Really??? YOU send ME a bill saying if I pay in full it's this amount. I go to do that and it's wrong? REALLY? So I call back and the guy said they issued me a credit for the $30. WRONG again...it's not a credit...YOU tell ME I owe this amount, it's IN writing! Why do I have to keep calling companies for THEIR mistakes!!!!?????

If any lesson is learned it's look over all your bills and fight for your rights! If you pay for something, you better get it...if not complain...you can get some free stuff out of the deal!

Is anyone else experiencing these same issues as of late? How did you handle it?

My Love of COACH

I started falling head over heels with Coach back when I was in college. I was with a guy for a few years and since I was in college, I was working part-time to earn gas money and spending money. One of my boyfriend's close friends was a guy he worked with. We would hang out a lot with this guy and his fiancee, she was equally as nice. One day, we all went over to the friends house to meet up with some of the fiancee's friends to head to some haunted hay ride type thing and dinner. I was so excited as I LOVE meeting new people. But I wasn't prepared for what happened at their apartment.

I knew that the finacee came from a family with a ton of money and they were paying for their elegant wedding. However, all her friends that were there ALL had Coach bags. Looking at that, I felt so ashamed to have some $10 purse from Mandee or Joyce Leslie. The one girl had a pen with the pushy thing to write, and it must have hit against something in her purse and the pen's ink went EVERYWHERE in her purse. She was like 'Oh, well I was due for a new one anyways'. I was shocked inside, but hid it well. I was thinking 'Oh my goodness, $400 for a purse and you put an uncapped pen in it!!!!???'. This is a time in my life when I wanted to fit in, so later then year when my mom asked me what I wanted when I graduated from college it was a Coach bag, hands down. And my mom obliged.

I was so excited when I got my VERY own Coach bag! I treated that thing like gold. I never put candy or food or pens in there, nothing. And I loved it to no end. One day, I was with my then boyfriend (different from the boyfriend above, now husband) and a good friend of mine and the strap just broke right off. I was crushed! It was a very expensive purse and I took such great care of it. That weekend, I went to the Coach store with my mom's receipt (she doesn't throw anything away either!) and I showed the cashier. She looked at the purse, then looked at the receipt, dated from about 2 years prior. She asked if I ever used the purse. I responded yes, for about 2 years. It was so clean and pristine she couldn't believe that it was used! She said the policy is to send it back to the Coach warehouse or whatever for repair, along with $20 for them to ship it back to me. I obliged, gave $20 to her and left. I figured I would get the same one back, but when I did, it was a BRAND new one! They couldn't fix the strap so they just sent me a BRAND new one! SAWEET! Love the lifetime warranty!

So last year, my husband got me a Coach bag and matching wristlet for my 30th bday. I loved it and immediately switched over my purses from what I had to this new one...and I've used it all year. I went to the Coach outlet on my bday weekend with my best friend and got the smaller demi purse version of my purse and a wallet for $100 bucks. While there, I looked at the warranty sign on the checkout counter. I made a mental note to save the receipt in my drawer. We then went to the shoe store as my friend needed new shoes...as we were there I noticed a wear mark on my purse. So I said, "Let's go back and see what they say" Figuring I would be back the next week on vacation, I figured I would just get some info, then have DH search for the receipt to get it repaired. The manager said it's wear and tear and that if they send it out, they will return it as normal wear and tear. There was actually a second mark my best friend saw while we were at the counter. I asked the lady what I could do, she said I should look into the leather purses as they don't wear as much as the signature ones do, but I'm not a fan of the leather stuff. She said they couldn't exchange the bad one for a brand new one. I figured I'd need the receipt, so I told her the story and she said, no receipt needed, we can do it right here....or I could get store credit for the lowest value of the purse then use that credit to buy another one. So I immediately exchanged it. The ladies were so helpful and not snotty at all!

See, you may spend a lot on a Coach purse (but not as much at the outlet store, where I always get mine anyways) but you have it, or it's cash equivalent for LIFE. You may be a cheapy one for $20 and it can last a few years, then you have to spend more on it....and with me with my love for shoes and purses, I don't need that many. I don't have the room for it anyways, but I know I will always have my Coach purse!

MAGGOTS aand BUGS Oh My!!

EW, just saying or writing the word gives me the skeevies! This is the SECOND time this summer we have gotten maggots in our outside garbage can! We got some a few months back and DH took care of it, b/c I won't go NEAR bugs. We came home on Sunday night after the downpour we experienced. As we walked up to our stoop, DH was like 'Dude, look at that!' And there all over our garbage can was maggots...creepy crawly maggots! So we came inside and DH took the bug spray and sprayed all over the garbage can and ground around the can. Gross. I know one of our 'neighbors' kids like to walk by and pick up the lid of other people's garbage's and just dump half eaten food in there, so we're assuming this is what caused all the dirty maggots. And since I refuse to go digging to find the culprit (as is DH) I won't go starting trouble. Although I did want to gather some up and leave them on their doorstep or car, but whatever :)

So I was off on Monday and decided to take some action. I woke up and just missed Shia LeBouf on Regis (damn) and said it was going to be a bad day. But I was kidding, or so I thought. I got up and decided to take the trash out that we had in the house, so I grab the handles to pull out the bag and it ripped. Then, the DD cup that DH had on the top spilled out all over the inside of the garbage can, and some dripped to the floor. I got the garbage out, put it in a new bag and took it to the curb. We are supposed to have our garbage in a can, but I wasn't touching the can, and everyone else drops their bags off anyways. When I came back to the house, I took a good look at the maggots. gross. they were on the sidewalk too! so I went in and grabbed the spray. I sprayed all over, the sidewalk, the can, the dirt. When I ran out, I grabbed the bleach and started bleaching them to death. I found 3 by our welcome mat and got them with the bleach. (I think they got there from me throwing the bleach). I figured at that point, I would stay inside and let DH handle it from there.

So later in the afternoon, I figured I'd cut my coupons. So I grabbed my binder, and put it on my lap and put away some coupons I had laying around. I closed it up, and placed it on the floor next to me. When I did, I saw a HUGE spider crawling on it. I screamed. The patio door was open, so anyone that lives near me had to hear my blood curdling scream. So after a minute or two (felt like an eternity) I unfroze and decided I had to kill it. But now I couldn't find it!!!! I grabbed a show ready to hit, but couldn't find him. Oh great, now a loose spider in the house. I got my cell phone to call my best friend. As the phone was ringing, he came out from hiding and I got him! My friend answered and I told him what happened LOL. I was going to ask him to come over to kill it. hahahahahaha.

DH texted he would be home late b/c of work issues, so I decided to read some of my book and then take a shower. So I'm in the shower, relaxing, and then I see it. On the handle of the door was ANOTHER huge spider. Another blood curdling scream. Then I realize I'm stuck in this stand up shower, inches from the spider. Another scream. Nobody is home...and even if a friend were over or if a neighbor happened to break my door down thinking someone was being murdered, did I want them to see me buck naked? I think not. So there he is, just chilling..then starts moving....I freeze again. Then I look around for something to swat him with....shower gel? I grab DH's (not using mine) and start to hit the handle, he falls...ew. I can't step on him. So I start banging on the ground where he is with the bottle and he dies and I swish him to the drain....ah.

DH finally gets home and I fill him in on my bug ordeal. He's very proud of me for killing two spiders. they are my greatest fear. So he goes outside to take care of the maggots. I gave him the rest of the bleach, then start going through my stockpile. Found cleaner with bleach, then found a site that says ammonia kills them too. I didn't know they were still IN the can, just thought they were on the outside. So he took the ammonia with him and the cleaner. He took the can out to the curb. At this point, neither of us wanted to clean it, so we figured we'd let the garbage men just take the thing and I'd pay $20 bucks for a new one. Well, he took the can out and poured the cleaner AND the ammonia into the can. Big no no. I didn't know either, but when I called my dad he's like 'Are you nuts?!' so DH called poison control and said just to dilute the can with water. DH is fine though, didn't inhale anything or get anything on him. So that was that...or so we thought.

Yesterday we wake up and I look outside and I see some maggots on the can again! WHAT?! how did that toxic mixture not kill them???!!! There was only a few, not many. DH went out and sprayed lysol on the can before he went to work. When I came home, I only noticed one or two still alive. No biggie. I had called the garbage pickup company and asked them to take the whole can and I put a note on it too. Told them what happened and they said they'd have them pick it up today (no pickup yesterday). When I went to go shopping with my best friend for new cans, I made him open the can. He didn't want to, but I pestered him...there were tons still alive in there! HOW?!. We still had to dump the liquid out of the can, DH did that when he got home. He then sprayed lysol on the grass where the maggots came out.

So hopefully they garbage men took our little bug problem away today. I can just imagine any of our neighbors seeing DH spraying lysol on the grass lol. Ah, the joys of condo ownership :)

Put a Bad Beat On Hunger Charity Poker Tournament 8/21/11

As all of you may or may not know, I love giving back to charity. I donate a lot of food and health and beauty products to the Food Banks, etc. When I came across this poker tournament at Borgata, I knew I had to play. It was a Deep Stack Turbo Event Rebuy. You start with 25k in chips, blind levels are 15 minutes for the first 12 rounds, then 25 minutes after that. You can also re buy (buy back in if you bust out) during the first 8 rounds. I was really excited to play this event since I haven't played a tourney in a few months and it was for a good cause. My poker coach came and played as well.

We decided to buy in late to avoid many of the crazies that would donk off their chips and just re-buy in. We both manage our bankrolls well and we both decided if we busted out we would not buy back in. We could play cash or another tournament that night if we had wanted to. I got seated in the back of the poker room in the tournament area and sat at a nice table. Everyone said hello when I sat down. I got median hands and decided not to play them at first, I wanted to get a read on the table. Bad choice to do when you are 8 levels in, and the blinds go up pretty fast. Looking back, should have probably bought in a level or two earlier, but that's nor here nor there.

There was tons of action at my table and early on I made some bad laydowns. In the big blind, I got ace four off. I check. Flop is ace rag rag. No straight or flush draws, but my ace is still weak with about 3-4 limpers in the pot behind me, we all check around. King hits the turn. Check to me, I check, guy in late position bets and got called. Damn. Is he betting his king, or did he check his big ace on the flop, then representing a king. since it was my third hand in, and the guy didn't play any of the previous hands, I laid it down. Would have one. He and the other guy both had a king. But I felt weak. Oh well.

Next hand in the small, I got jack 4 off. I limp, guy in BB checks. Now, this is an action table...every hand had action. Raise, re-raise, etc. Flop is jack four rag. I hit two pair. No straight or flush draw. So I decide to bet out....let me get raised. I felt strong here. I bet out, BB thought for awhile, then folded. Damn. So did everyone else...oh well, still won a pot!

Wasn't getting many good hands and watched my stack dwindle. Once in awhile, I'd win a small pot, but with blinds and antes, I was still adding a lot to my diminishing stack. When I sat down, I only had about 22k (they blinded us out) so I was already short stacked at my table. I think at best I got up to about a little over 30k. I got down to about 11k or 12k, and I shoved all in with an ace. Blinds were coming my way, and I figured any pair, two big cards or any ace I have to shove....well, I look down at an ace and shove. Got called with 8 5 off. Wow. Well, I hit my nine on the flop and doubled up. A few hands later, I'm in the BB with I can't remember, and it's me and SB (lot of chips). He checks, and I hit a piece of the board, not a big piece, but a piece. I shove, he folds. So I gained some blinds and antes there.

Blinds are 2k-4k and 400 or 500 ante. I have about 20 or 22k in front of me, so I have about 5 big blinds left. Figure I'm in the same spot as before and I'm behind the button with Ace Jack suited and decide to shove. The other girl at my table calls (also short stacked). She had pocket 8s. Board blanks for me and I'm out. meanwhile, almost EVERY other flop had an ace. Figures the one time I need one, they are nowhere to be found.

All in all, had a good time. The food bank and brought in some cheese and crackers and fruit for us to nibble on, so that was nice of them. I didn't stick around to see the ending or anything, but I saw on the blog that nobody from my table, or anyone I knew cashed or had their pic posted. I grabbed a bite at the buffet, played Let it Ride and the Hangover slot. I lost $40 there at that slot, but it's deceiving...I didn't feel like I lost it...I had a blast playing it! Played War as well (by the money wheel) and won back some money, then we headed home in the storms in Monmouth County.

I Started My Christmas Shopping!

Thanks to Hounding with FrugalSuz, I was able to start my Christmas shopping! This year, the holidays will be tight for DH and I since we will be living on one income. So I'm trying to find some creative ways to give nice gifts without spending a boatload of money. The list this year is being cut, and the budget is also being cut drastically for Christmas. I'm not sure how our families will like it, but we don't have the money to go splurging on gifts for everyone.

I went to CVS and got the following:
Conair Ceramic Hair Straightener (for my niece). Sticker said it was $34.49 but FrugalSuz said they are on clearance. So I took one off, went to the price check thing and it was on clearance for $8.62! I had some ECBs to use up, and I got a $5 ECB back when getting it, making it $3.62!!!! and it's really pretty too with the pink!

Colgate Optic Toothbrush - 2.99 and got a $2 ECB in return.

I spent $1.42 OOP and got back $7 in ECBs!

I'm hoping for some really great deals at RA, CVS and WAGS in the upcoming months so I can use my coupon hounding expertise to get some great deals for the holidays!

Newspaper Thefts due to show 'Extreme Couponing'

http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2011/08/17/20110817coupon-seeking-consumers-swipe-newspapers.html

The above referenced newspaper article has me outraged that people will resort to STEALING newspapers and coupons for their own benefit. Don't adults realize that stealing is a crime? On one episode of Extreme Couponing, we saw a woman go to abandonded or empty homes and stealing the newspapers that were just sitting there. Now people are doing the same thing, and even going to stores and stealing newspapers for their coupons, instead of just purchasing the newspaper, like responsible adults do. Don't adults teach their children right from wrong, and not to imitate what they see on TV?????

I think TLC or the producers of Extreme Couponing need to come out with some statement about how much the truth is stretched on this show. It's not REALITY people! Neither is Jersey Shore or any other reality show...there are WRITERS for the shows to make it enjoyable for the audience to watch. Don't follow their examples. If you want to know how to really save money at the store and not do anything illegal, or even immoral, just ask me or attend one of my forthcoming coupon classes. Or if you dread going to the grocery store, hire me to be your personal grocery shopper. I enjoy going to the grocery store, and love helping people, so this is a passion I'm looking to pursue.

So let's dissect this article:

The Arkansas Woman allegedly stole 185 copies of a newspaper, and she said she didn't think it was illegal. Last I checked, if a newspaper has a price on it, and you don't pay for it, it's stealing. I haven't been in college classes for a few years, so maybe the law changed? Come on...let's get serious here!

The Denton Police lady. Not sure how this all went down. Were the papers there to be purchased and she just took them? Were they there for free for anyone to take? If that's the case, take one, and leave the rest for everyone else. What makes you think you're more important then anyone else?

The Boise one, that irks me the MOST. This is why I use a legitimate couponing service now. I will pay the higher fees for that then go to the store to buy them. I have had a few experiences at the stores with this one. At my local corner store one night, I ran in looking to pick up a few copies of the paper. They had already taken off the top header of each paper, I guess they submit that to get reimbursed for the payment of papers or whatever. So I grabbed the remaining 4 copies that were left and I went home. I went through them later that evening and wouldn't you know? EVERY SINGLE ONE had the coupons removed from them. So not only did I pay full price, and the store will get reimbursed, but they stole the inserts! So I never went back there to get newspapers, but I did submit a letter to the newspaper informing them of the issue. There were times also that I went to my grocery store and gotten mulitple papers. I would just grab about 4 from the stack and go on my merry way. And a lot of the times I did that, I noticed inserts were missing. So then I did my due diligence and would go through EACH ONE before purchasing it. I never once stole any inserts, but I would go through each paper to make sure the inserts were in there, and if any were missing, I wouldn't purchase it. Of course people started, customers and employees. I know they were watching me, waiting to catch me stealing something. Well, they were wasting their time. So now, I just order them. I've only had one or two small issues with it, which were credited to my account, so no big deal. But what irks me is that people pay the same amount for one paper, but steal inserts from others, meanwhile, I pay for my few copies and wouldn't get inserts. What makes these people think they are special, or entitled to receive items that others are paying for and not receiving?

Since this show has come out, it has been such a hassle for us honest and moral couponers. In the beginning I loved watching the show, but after the first episode, I, and many other legitimate couponers knew what was coming. I didn't think it would get as bad as it did, but all we need is the channel or producers to just say this isn't meant as reality. They people on the show even admit it's not real. Many of the coupons used weren't used for their intended purchases and almost every single store on there limits their quanities of both products purchased and coupons able to use, but all that was overridden, making it seem like anyone can do it, but in REALITY you can't. Is it so hard to ask for a real reality show about couponing??????

We Lost a Great Kid and Heaven Gained an Angel

I got word on Monday that one of my co-worker's son passed away Saturday in a tragic accident at Bushkill Falls. I have been so emotional thinking about it, how the family must feel, how his friend must feel, etc and figured this was the best way to let out my feelings.

When I first got word (via email from my boss), the subject line was 'Incident Report for' person's full name. So when I saw that and who it was from, I figured something had happened at work, like a violation or something. Then when I opened it, my boss had wrote 'funeral information forthcoming' WHAT?! My heart sank, and my stomach turned. Then I scrolled down, tears in my eyes. He's a young guy, maybe 50 at most and he's so vibrant and full of life...what could have happened? Then when I read the whole report, it was the death of his son, not me. For a moment, I felt a little relief, then realized how devastated my co-worker must be after what happened. All that was said on there was that he was at Bushkill Falls in PA and fell into the falls, however, doing more investigating, I found out more.

Lincoln was a teenager. He was a great kid from what everyone says. I personally never met him, but if he's anything like his father, the world lost a great kid. His dad is so smart, vibrant he must have passed these traits to his son. Lincoln and his friend had gone hiking at Bushkills Falls. I read on a blog online the first hand scene of what happened. Apparently, he and his friend jumped over a guardrail that led to being 'off the trail'. That's what kids do right? They think they are invincible. I know I always felt that way at least. They were horsing around by the edge of the cliff I guess and he slipped and fell. The onlookers heard the yell, and saw his friend rush down to help him. Since they are in the woods, it wasn't easy to get help as there is no cell service or anything, and where the onlookers were, they couldn't get down to where he lay, but the friend did I guess. He was laying face down in the water and the people thought he might have lived....they waited for a miracle to see him move. The friend turned his body around face up and performed CPR and screamed for help. Sadly, Lincoln did not survive.

I'm not a parent yet, but I can't even begin to imagine how my coworker and family must feel. To bury your own child, isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Burying your parents? I know my coworker is a great parent, but he must be beside himself about how it all happened. Kids will be kids like I said earlier...they will do things that looking back on it, was stupid...we've all done it, right? Sped down the highway, cutting people off, doing drugs, etc?

I've been crying a lot about this all week...reading blogs about it, reading news articles about it. I guess what I'm trying to put out there is this. Parents, hug your kids a little tighter then usual, give them your love, give them kisses before bed and before they leave, or you leave for work in the morning. Can you imagine if you never saw your kid again and you didn't kiss them goodbye or hug them before they left for the day? And for kids....be careful out there. If there's a guardrail, don't go over it...it's there to protect you for a reason. Even if your friend eggs you on...just remember this tragey. Hopefully nobody will have to go through the pain of this tragedy.

Borgata 8/10/11

Yesterday was my BFF's bday. The original plan was to hit Parx for their opening event, but last minute he had to go to Maryland in the morning. I was going to go with him, but at times I get car sick and I'm not allowed to drive his truck, so I opted out. He went to MD at 6am, and left at 9am to hit B. He got there around noon, I got there around 12:15. We played some slots, Let it ride, roulette etc. We also ate after awhile. I was itching to play some 2/5, but it was his bday and I didn't want to ruin it by playing poker. He has a running joke that I have a squirrel in my head and all it thinks about it poker, and shuffling poker chips :)

He says if I want to play to play, he will watch for a bit. NOW, I call him my lucky charm. He bought me into the ladies event last year (without Hubby Mike knowing) as one of my bday gifts. He said I could tell Mike if I cashed...and I came in 13th. So we told Hubby Mike. I have fared well with him around, but there was maybe one or two times I lost (not a lot) with him there. He hasn't been to AC all 2011...yesterday was his first venture back. I have been on a losing streak minus 2 times all year. Coincidence? you decide.

So we go and I get seated at a table. I took down a smallish pot early on with jack 7 off in big blind and flopped top pair...bet the whole way and a donkey kept calling, then folded on river.

The hand that made my session is pocket fours. I didnt really play many hands and at this point BFF was bored and went to play War (yes they have that at the B by the money wheel!). So I get pocket fours in big blind. Seat 3 raises to 20. I hadn't really played much, nor gotten good cards. Small blind came in not too long before, he sat with $300 too. He calls, I look at my fours. What the hey, I'll call. I haven't hit a flop all year, but hey, you never know. Four nine two (two diamonds). SWEET!!!! I'm doing the happy dance in my head. SB checks, I bet out 30, they both call. As the dealer is flipping the turn, all I'm saying is BLACK or pair the board! Five diamonds. Really dealer? I finally hit a flop and I bet you just gave one of these guys a flush. Thanks. SB checks, I bet another $30. Seat 3 raises it to $90 and the SB insta calls. REALLY???? REALLY???? I'm thinking to myself INSTA FOLD. My head is doing the math real quick. 10 outs. Call another 60 bucks for 10 outs? FOLD. But something in my gut said 'call' I then think 'I can't call with at best 10 outs, that's if nobody folded pre flop any of my outs, or that these guys don't have them either' But I count out 60 in chips and call. Five of spades hits the river.....BINGO. About time!!!!!! SB checks, I take a stack of 100 and put it in the middle. That leaves with me another 100 behind. Seat 3 thinks and folds. Now it's on SB. He's thinking. Okay so he doesn't have pocket nines.....okay so that's good. Then I"m like 'did I bet too much for him to call?' did I bet too little and could I have gotten paid off more? Then I'm like 'SHHHH, you didn't win yet!" He calls 'gulp' He had a flush...I had a boat....that was a HUGE pot...I was now sitting with over $700 in front of me!!!!!! Happy Dance happy dance. I FINALLY got lucky...I haven't gotten lucky in a long time. Granted, it was a bad call, but my gut said to call while my head said fold.

I won a few smaller hands throughout the rest of the session. Won a hand with aces, got one caller when I raised pre flop, then took it down with a continuation bet. Right before we were leaving, I got dealt pocket kings. I wanted to leave, and I get that. So I raise to 30, hoping just to take down the two limpers. I got one caller. Loose player too. Flop is ace queen rag. He immediately checks. I didn't like the ace. I bet out 30 and he insta folded. PHEW! Then I cashed out. I'm still learning and I'm feeling more confident that maybe my luck is changing, or if I will need BFF in AC when I play.

I'll probably be playing during the week and only 2/5. Jersey Jay says no more 1/2. Hubby Mike might even join me at 2/5 next time. He had some horrible bad beats at 2/5 awhile ago, and won't go back, but he just may now.

Borgata Aug 6th and 7th

Hubby Mike and I planned on going to AC Saturday to Sunday b/c I got tickets to Jeff Dunham Saturday night at Taj (awesome show by the way!). The show ended around 10, and we headed to B for some 1/2 action. They had just opened a new table, so we ran over and got our seats next to each other. I have no qualms of taking him out. Yes, he's my husband, but when we're in a hand together, all I see are his chips :) And besides, it gives us time to 'spend together' while playing poker. A family that plays together stays together right?

So I'm pretty much card dead. I've been pretty much card dead all of 2011. My right arm is now very muscular from all the MUCKING I've been doing. I know I should have written down my hands Saturday, but I never got around to doing so, so my mind will be a little blurry, but Jersey Jay has been coaching me believe it or not, so whatever details I missed or messed up on, he can correct me if I'm wrong.

I do remember winning one hand. I was in late position and limped in for 2 bucks with king 2 suited. At this point, I just wanted to see a flop pretty much. Hubby Mike was the button and he called as well. Small and big were in as well as one other limper. Flop is two spades. Everyone checks, Hubby Mike bets 7 bucks. he got two callers, so I called as well. Turn is a spade. Everyone checks to me, I bet out. Hubby Mike folds, as does everyone else. So I won a pot. woop dee doo.

A few hands later, I'm in the big blind with king jack off. A few limpers. Flop comes out ace jack king. No flush draw. I bet out ten, one guy calls (seat 1) and seat 3 raises to thirty. You know...this is the BEST hand I've seen in a long time, and I'm aggravated to folding winning hands to someone just making a play at the pot. So I call the thirty, and seat ten pops it 100 or so. Figures. Seat 3 Calls, I fold. Wouldn't you know, after the river, they show (I don't even remember the bets after that, I'm assuming seat 3 went all in) Seat 1 had queen 10 for the flopped straight, seat three had ace king. I was THIRD the entire way. Seriously????? Ugh, good fold, yes. Probably bad call to the raise, but whatever.

Very next hand, I'm in the small and get 10 5. I call the buck, Hubby Mike checks. Flop is 10 high. I bet out 10 I believe, I get one caller. Turn is nothing, I bet out 20 or so. Guy calls. There is now a gut shot out there. A five hits the river and I can see a straight, but it would have been runner runner, and a gut shot on the river. And I hit my two pair so I'm feeling good now. I bet out 30, guy thinks, and calls. He had a straight. He stayed on the flop with nothing, and hit runner runner and a gut shot on river to win the pot.

At this point, it wasn't my night, so I took the rest of my chips and cashed out down 120 or so. I then had a coaching session with Jersey Jay. He gave me some fresh insights and I was determined to follow his advice.

Sunday, we got up showered, had breakfast and checked out. We went to play poker. Hubby Mike to 1/2 NL, me to 2/5NL and sat with $300. There wasn't many chips at the table except LRG (his shirt had LRG on it) and he had about 2k and above in front of him. He wasn't a bully either, so that was good. I was more or less using this as a testing of the waters. I didn't win many hands. I did make a good laydown though. Preflop UTG I got queens. 'Finally a hand' I think in my head. I raise to 20 or 25 I don't remember offhand. LRG calls and guy next to him calls. Flop is all low cards, so I continuation bet 30 I believe. LRG calls, guy next to him pops it. Really? I think for a minute, then fold. LRG calls. I don't remember the turn, but that's where the action ended. I had told the people around me what I had, and they were like 'You should have shoved!!!!' I'm already short stacked and I didn't feel comfy blowing on my chips like that. It was a good fold b/c two people saw the winner's hand. One saw it in the chair, the other saw it when the dealer put the cards at the bottom of the muck then lifted all the cards. He had pocket kings. So it was a great fold.

I got queens again a few hands later, raised to 30 and collected 5 limpers limped money. I got aces twice and won small pots which I was happy about. After a few hours, I was down $60 or so, and I cashed out to go home. yes, I lost, but it didn't feel like a loss b/c I was learning the ins and outs of 2/5NL. I've played it before, but not with the insight I got from Jersey Jay. I was happy with the result and couldn't wait to play again.

Shop Rite July 29th

I had originally set out to do the Gas Card Deal again, but the deals all had too high OOP for my liking. The one I DID want to do I didn't have the coupons to execute them b/c I didn't get the P & G Coupons in my couponing service, it was an additional fee and I didn't know that until the last minute...so I'm a little peeved I couldn't do a deal from Houding with Frugalsuz, but I did get some good deals out there today.

4 Hershey Syrups $1.49 - $1/2 Q = .99 each (I've been on a chocolate milk binge since January)
4 Twizzlers $1.77 - 1.50/Q (.75 doubled) = .27 each (works towards gas deal)
4 Welch's Grape Jelly $2 - 1.10 Q (.55 doubled) = .90 each (I've always always been on a PB & J binge)
2 Kleenex Hand Towels $2.79- 1.50 Q (.75 doubled) = 1.29 each
Shop Rite Instant Oatmeal 1.69 (I'll go for Shop Rite brand...the Quaker is $3.99!)
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser $2.59-1.50 Q= 1.09 (I think this is the single best invention EVER!)
12 Vitamin Water = $10. I've been drinking this (Zero) and DH drinks the regular. It's way better then soda, so I'm working on him!
Kellogg's Cracker Chips - 2.99 (splurge I totally LOVE these things!)
4 Speed Sticks - .99-1Q (.50 doubled) = FREE

Used $6.50 CATS from last week, paid $25.21 OOP.

Someone Peed in MY Wheaties!!!!!!

I went into Shop Rite today to score some $.38 Wheaties, since my normal Shop Rite was OOS. I also wanted to pick up some FREE Dove deodarant and some more V8 Fusion. Supposedly they have a lot of vitamins and other good things for your body (as told to me by Dr. Jerry, my bff). I have done the V8 deal two times at my Shop Rite with no problem. So here's what I got:

4 Boxes of Wheaties : 1.88-1.50Q (.75 doubled) = .38 each (1.52 total)
4 Dove Deodarant: .99-1.50Q (.75 doubled) = FREE (no overage) = FREE!



I tried to get the V8 Fusions again with my coupons. The cashier rang up them up, then when she tried to ring up the FREE coupon, it needed an override (also needed at my Shop Rite, which they are really diligent with the coupons now, and both times they did overrode it b/c the cashier had to enter a price in). So, the free one she had already written in the price for the free one, that's fine...but she just needed a key to enter in the $1.99 for the free one. So here's the deal I was supposed to do:

2 V8 Fusions = 1.99 each, minus 1.50 = .49 each or .98 total.
V8 Fusion PLUS Tea = 1.99-1.99q = FREE

So I'd get all three for .98. Well, when the manager came over, the cashier goes 'These two went through, but I need the key for this free one' The manager looks at it and goes, well, she needs to have three of them.' To which I said 'I do, they are right in that bag that's in front of you' Then she looks again at the coupons and is like 'You're already getting one free with these coupons (1.50 off ones). And to do this, you will need to purchase two more of the V8.' I told her 'No, I have 3 items. The first two are 1.50 off the sale price, then the third is free. The FREE coupon says it's Free when I buy 2 of the other V8's which I did.' So she goes on again that I don't understand what she's telling me, yada yada. Then I told her no, she needs to read the coupons and look over the Shop Rite coupon policy. I did buy the two, granted I got them cheaper then most people, but I'm still BUYING them.

I'm just aggravated. I would have made a big stink, but I was on my lunch break, and there was a woman behind me that I had been chatting up in the store with a newborn and a 1 and half year old and she happened to be next in line. I didn't want to hold her up because the manager doesn't understand coupons. Even the cashier didn't get what the manager said. So the manager's thinking is this. Buy 4 V8s, use 2 1.50 off coupons and get the tea one free. Does that make ANY sense to anyone? Thoughts????? Am I completely thinking wrong on this one?????

Baby - Worrying

I know I worry way to much. I always have, I get it from my mom (Thanks MOM!). DH and I have been talking about having a baby, soon! A lot of people around me say that my timing is way off. I have two months left at my current job. I have put in for some jobs. I have heard back from a few (was not offered the job) and waiting to hear back from 3 more. The bad thing with the government is is that it takes forever it seems to hear back. 2 of the jobs I should hear back in early to mid August at the latest. So I sit here and bite my nails waiting. I've been putting in for jobs for 2 years already, no bites. A few I got referred for, then nothing. Even some I got referred for, got an interview and then we selected another candidate, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

So, here I am, 2 months to go, then will get a small severance, then unemployment. I have a priority placement here at work, but I only put in for one navy base close to my house, and it's very small, so doubtful I'd get in anyways. So I was thinking of opening the scope to the megabase in this state. It's a hike from my house (over an hour one way). I haven't bitten the bullet yet b/c I'd like that to be my last resort. I still want to see what happens with these other jobs I'm waiting to hear back from.

So, this place closes in Sept and I'm on the Priority thing until next Sept. I'm sure once I put in for the megabase, I'd get picked up pretty quick, especially with someone having my work experience and background. I just fear the LONG drive. Especially if I'm pregnant (hello morning sickness, not fun while driving or even when you have to pee a lot, I worry about the little things).

The good thing about the megabase is the child care. They do offer it, but a long waiting list. I've been worrying about childcare especially since my mom had a mini stroke right after my dad had a heart attack. She did say if I had one, she'd watch them, and of course I'd pay her but that's a lot to put on a 60 year old women, right? I'd feel totally comfortable with my child with her, but I'm still weary. My sister has her youngest with her all summer long while she works....but I'd take precedence b/c she's had 13 years with mom as a baby sitter, so when mine comes, mine comes first!

I don't know I'm just worrying about stupid things. DH wants me to be home for 2 years to raise our child(ren) which I don't mind. I did work the numbers and we can probably handle it (with no major unexpected things), but I like how our income is now, and that a lot goes into savings and IRAs and the like. And taking 2 years off isn't too bad right? But then I'm back at square one because I'd be out of the government and once you're out, it's VERY hard to get back in. I'd like to stay working and take the FMLA when I have a baby(ies) but DH wants me to be home with the kids. His mother took a few years off to raise the boys, but then back to work she went. I wouldn't mind a private sector job, but the job security in the government is there. I'm just torn. Any advice, smacks in the head, heart to hearts are welcome.

Staples Penny Deals are Back!

This is just what I needed to get out of my slump! PENNY DEALS at Staples!!! I don't know what it is about Staples, but that is my 'candy' store. I go in there and just walk around. People ask "Can I help you find anything today?" "Nope, I'm good, just walking around looking at all the great deals!"

So yesterday I went in for the penny deals. I was going to go today, but I gotta start watching every penny (get it!) going out since in 2 months I will be unemployed. And it's WAY to hot to go out there today.

2 of each:
Glue (a penny each!)
Erasers (a penny each!)
Package of Penns (a penny each!)
Pencil boxes (a quarter each)
Folders (a quarter each)
Package of pencils (a quarter each)
Skinny post its (a quarter each)
3 kid scissors ($1 each) (needed to spend $5 to get the penny deals).

I spent about $6 (tax, etc) for all of that! Which most if not all will be donated to schoolchildren that will benefit from it. This is JUST the start of the penny deals on school supplies, so I'm hoping to gather a ton more before the school year starts.

Now to find needy schoolchildren to donate this to.....

My Poker Dream

With all the stress going on, it's no wonder why my mind wandered to poker for the few minutes I've gotten sleep in oh, the past week! My dad had a massive heart attack on July 1st, he had what is called a widow maker heart attack, which pretty much means you have 5 minutes to get emergency care, and if not, you pretty much make your spouse a widow. He was having weird chest pains that Friday night, and around 1130, my mom called to say she was taking him to the ER. My dad had some heart issues in the past, and my grandfather had every heart issue you can think of, so my dad doesn't mess around with that stuff. So off we go. He got better, then got worse, and by worse I mean it was BAD. He was almost in tears and groaning in pain. Good thing he was in the ER when the heart attack happened. His heart doctor came in and he got transferred to a better hospital and the dr performed an emergency cath. He was released Tuesday. Needless to say, my mom, my sister and I were a mess. They cried, and I held it together for them, cracking jokes, etc. I won't cry in public. I guess I'm like my dad, he don't like to show emotion either...maybe b/c it shows weakness or maybe b/c everyone knows how strong we are, and if WE cry, well everyone else will think it's REALLy bad, and you don't want people thinking that.

So he came home tuesday, and on Thursday, I decided to stop at my parents house before heading to the grocery store to stock up my dad on healthy heart foods. My uncle called as I walked in and they were on their way over. Okay so I'll stay a bit to see my cousin, aunt and uncle. Well about 10 minutes later my mom started acting strange. Licking her lips, holding her hand out and not responding to me or my father. I called 911 and in short, she had a TIA or mini stroke. She hasn't been sleeping, eating and just constantly worrying about my dad. My dad lost it when the EMT's came in. She was talking at that point, but still scary for all of us. Within 6 days, my dad had a heart attack and my mom had a stroke. What else can go wrong?

Oh, that's right...on the way to get my mom from the hospital Saturday, the tie rod on my mom's car broke. I was driving their car (dad can't drive for awhile) and it happened in the parking lot (thank goodness!). We got it towed to my friends shop and he's working on it right now.

With all the stress, I've hardly slept since July started. Well, I did have a poker dream and thinking it's a sign to start playing again. I haven't taken that long of a break, but with all this stress going on, I need a distraction. And with me only having 2 months left at my current job and no job offers, I may need to play professionally so I need to get in and start playing again.

So here's the dream. I'm at Borgata playing the main event (it was Borgata, but didn't look like Borgata). I was playing very tight as it was the main event and I didn't want to make any mistakes. After a few rounds, I realize I didn't play ANY hands. I look down at King 7 of clubs and I decide to limp in. Small blind calls, Big Blind raises, pretty minimum raise. I call, small blind calls. However, after the flop, I'm first to act. So the flop comes rag, king diamonds, king hearts, king spades (yes, there was 4 cards on this flop, all flops were four cards in my dream, don't ask). So I flopped quads....woo hoo! I check, SB checks, BB checks. Turn is another rag, I check, SB checks, BB makes a nice bet, I think and call, SB calls. River is whatever, and I check, SB checks, BB shoves all in, I insta call. SB folds. Now here's the weird part. She had pocket kings. Okay let's do the math. She had two kings, I had one, and there was 3 on the flop. that's 6 kings in the deck, and there's only supposed to be 4. I'm thinking "oh, this is great...I finally get an awesome hand, and it's not going to win". Well, the girl had the king of diamonds and spades. The floor guy is called, he comes over and says, "Well, she (me) has the king of clubs, so she wins. That girl (other girl) has the diamonds and spades and they are already out on the flop, so she loses" So I WIN! I took her out of the tournament and now I've pretty much doubled up.

The rest of the dream is kinda weird and fuzzy. I remember winning a ton more chips with absolute nuts on a few hands. I become chip leader of the tournament and get moved to a new table. As I sit, the blogger is walking around and sees all my gray chips ($5k chips) and is like 'Oh, this is the chip leader right here'. I was in seat 5 (right across from the dealer) and the blogger sits in the dealers chair and asks me to pose for a picture. I make my typical 'Beth' face and I'm on the blog! I was so happy I was playing so well and hitting nuts left and right. Such a great feeling! Then I woke up :( Boooooo. So it didn't finish and I don't know if I won, or cashed or how much I would have won.

So, I always view my dreams as something that's trying to tell me something. I always have the recurring dream of watching planes crash, so everyone's like 'That's why you're afraid of flying'. I looked it up, and that means you feel you are losing control in a situation or situations in life, which happens a lot. So it's not why I'm afraid of flying. Hmmmm, just googled it, here's the interpreation:
To dream that you are playing poker, suggests that a situation in your waking life requires strategy and careful planning. You need to think things through before carrying out your actions. Well that's always true. For poker chips:
To see poker chips in your dream, symbolize the uncertainty of life. Sometimes you need to take a chance. Hmmmmm, take a chance huh? Maybe play more poker?

do any of you follow your dreams, or try to see what they mean? I do miss the game and I was suppposed to play cards by our house the night my dad had a heart attack, but my friend Tom (HI TOM! MISS YOU!) didn't get my text and didn't put us in, so we didn't go...well it's a good thing Tom didn't get the message because I would have had to have left to rush to the ER. See, things happen for a reason!

I'm Getting Old and Terrified of Being a Mom

Great title huh? Well, here's lemme explain:

So, Saturday night, DH and I decided to hit up our church's carnival. The weather had been bad Wed-Friday and Saturday it was supposed to rain, but it held out and off we went. My nephew's were there (12 and 6) when we arrived and saw my mom and sister selling 50/50's. It was after 930 and the carnival ended at 11. I saw my dad who works in the beer garden, and he was almost taken to the hospital because he had crushed his finger between two full kegs (OUCH). It was all black and blue and bleeding, but he didn't want to go to the hospital so the EMT's wrapped it up. He had to one up me. I was in the ambulance at the carnival last year when my brother in law shot me in the eye at point blank range with a toy gun...I thought I was going to be blind....so not fun.

So, after we did our rounds, my youngest nephew wanted to go on rides and his father was drinking in the beer garden and you can't take the beer outside that area, so DH and I decided to take them on some rides. My mom gave me 15 tix for the youngest one so off we went. Well, the two boys wanted to go on the ferris wheel together. My oldest nephew, I call him Satan Jr. I have ever since he was a baby...he was a bad baby, never slept, cried, the works..and he still does...he's the typical 'bad boy kid' So the two of them get on the ferris wheel and DH and I wait by the exit. It was 10 ticket's for the 2 of them (5 each). And the tickets were $1.25 each...so that's $12.50 for ONE ride...that's a lot of money! Anywho...before the ride starts, my oldest nephew starts shaking the ride. I told him before they even went on not to do that....because the younger nephew will be too scared, and because just a few weeks ago a child died on a ferris wheel by falling out, probably from doing something she wasn't supposed to do. And I'm the one that's going to be responsible for them if something happens. So of course, the guy saw it and told him not to do that. So they go around one time and towards the top, I see their cart moving around. I tell DH and he's like 'Calm down, everyone does that'. Hmph. Yes, he's right, I used to do that. My mom was TERRIFIED of ferris wheels because her father fell out of one years ago (he lived)...but when my sister and I were kids, we'd get her on the ferris wheel and move it all around to scare her. Now, if I go on and someone shakes it, I may kill them LOL. So the guy sees that, so when they come down by him, he stops the ride and tells him if he does it again, they are off the ride. So I walk up to him, and I'm like 'Yes, please, if he does please yank them off...don't feel bad.' Guy smiled. So they went around two more times, then off they came. My younger nephew was terrified. So my older one comes off and I gave him lip. He just wasted $12 of his grandmother's money (who hasn't worked in 2 years b/c she got laid off) and his brother didn't even get to enjoy the ride and they were HIS tickets. So off we went back to their parents and I told them. My brother in law laughed. My mother yelled at him. My sister was oblivious I think. So the younger one has 5 tickets left and didn't get to enjoy the ride. So DH and I go buy more tickets and he wants to go on the scrambler with DH. Then the older nephew talks to him and then he says he wants to go on with his older brother. Told the older one, fine, they go buy your own tickets. hahaha (I'm such a brat!). Told him the sign says if he's a certain height, he has to go with an adult and his brother isn't an adult, so the older one storms off. So DH and my younger nephew go on the scrambler and I stand and watch.

As I'm watching, I glance over at other rides. There's the Buccaneer. It's the one that just goes high in the air, like a pendulum. I love that ride. Always did...even the last time I went on it, I went w/ a friend. And the bar never latched...I was terrified...I thought I was going to fall out. I'm tiny and when that thing goes in the air, I was airborne. But now when I see the rides, I get scared. Maybe I watch too many movies (final destination anyone?). I'm always afraid that ride won't stop and go upside down and people will fall out. Then the scrambler. I'm standing and leaning against the rail. And the carts are coming awful close. So I start to look at all the mechanics behind it, thinking "I hope everything's screwed in tight" And then I back away from standing so close to the rail, just in case a cart comes off and hurdles itself at me.

When did I become so, scared? I used to love rides, now I'm second guessing even my nephew going on them. So off they come and he wants to go on the ferris wheel with me. It's not a big ferris wheel. Shoot, I've been on the one in wildwood, in a thunderstorm, stuck at the tippy top. I should be fine. So we got on and I'm terrified! We get to the top and I'm like 'I hope this cart is fastened' LOL. What am I going to do when I have kids? and if I have a boy with no fear that wants to go on the biggest and highest coaster? Dear old mom ain't going on!

And when the kids act up, like my nephew, then what? I will be looked upon as a bad parent b/c the boy don't listen. And you can't give the kids a good whack anymore. I used to get hit when I did something wrong. I'm not condoning it, but that's why I'm such a goody goody. I knew right from wrong early on. And I knew if I did something wrong, I was getting hit with a hand or a belt (or both!) so I learned pretty quick. Nowadays, you can't hit your kids...but boy did I want to give a good slap in the rear to my nephew that night!

I LOVE CVS!

1st transacation (DH's card)
3 Motrin PM caplets - 4 each ($12) Used 3 $1/1 Q = 9 OOP (Get 3 ECB for each one you get, limit 3)
1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch for DH - 1.00
Total was 10.00 OOP, used $9.99 ECBs from yesterday, paid .01! That's right, 1 PENNY! And I got $9 back! That's an $8.99 profit!

2nd transaction (my card)
2 John Frieda products - $5 each ($10), used a $5/1 q and a $2/1 q. Paid $3 OOP and got back $3 ECBs for buying $10 in JF products
Hydro Razor - 8.00-4q = 4. Buy one and get 4 ECBs back. Pay 4, get 4 = FREE!
Wet Ones Wipes - 1.99
Used 5.99 ECB from the Zyrtec yesterday so I paid $4.26 OOP and got back $7!

3rd transaction (bonus card DH got me last Sept!)
Zyrtec - 5.99-4q = 1.99 OOP and got back $5.99 in ECBs!

Now I got THREE cards I'm rolling on!!! YIPPEE!

So today I paid OOP $6.26 and I got $21.99 to spend! Total profit of $15.73!

Can't wait to see the deals for CVS next week!

Outside Looking In

So, yesterday, I had to babysit my youngest nephew (he's 6 and the cutest kid you'll ever meet, seriously, and I'm not saying that b/c I'm his aunt lol) and I took my best friend with me to keep me company and he obliged. So we pick up the little guy and off we go to his last t-ball game. Ah, memories. I played t-ball when I was a little youngun and my mom helped coach. Wow, my mom? Coaching a sport? I know it's true though, there's pics to prove that she was on the field with us, not just watching from behind the fence. Wow, I need to go off on a tangent here. I don't think my mom knows much about sports...but when her daughter (me) played field hockey, all I remember was her yelling out my name at the top of her lungs...'Go Beth Go!!!!' I could hear her above ALL the other mothers and I was sooooo embarrassed! I don't think she understood the specifics of the game, but knew that I had to get down to the offensive side and score a goal, and also play on defense and make sure the other team didn't score (I was a midfielder, so I did both offense and defense). But I digress. I was a tiny little kid playing...the helmet was bigger then my body and I'm sure that by looking at the pics that I couldn't see a damn thing with that huge helmet on my head. lol

Anywho, so off we go to his t-ball game. He's in the backseat of my mustang. I didn't think he needed a car or booster seat, but as soon as we went outside, my sister gives me his booster seat. "He still needs that? He's six!' She said 'Yes', then explained but I was too busy trying to get the damn thing in the backseat of my car. I remember my oldest nephew. I was with him a LOT when he was a baby. I did a lot of baby sitting and driving my sister around (13 years ago!). I had gotten my Mustang 11 years ago, and had a small car before that (1990 Celica) so getting the HUGE car seat in was a problem. Even with my little nephew, I still had to get that car seat in the back of the Stang...such a pain! So I get it in, get the directions to the ball field and off we go. My nephew was so cute! and my best friend is SO awesome with kids...he's a big kid himself! So off we go and my bff says 'I'm going to play on your team today, my uniform is in the trunk, I'm going to change when we get there' and they proceed to have a conversation...I don't remember what they said b/c I was trying to turn left onto a major road, but I remember smiling inside listening. Then I put on the radio and a new song comes on. don't know the name of it, but Pitbull's in it singing about drinking too much tonight cuz we might not get tomorrow and he's singing it!!!! It was ADORABLE! We pass my dentist and we talk about that. I tell him my bff needs to go to the dentist so he tells him to go. I ask if we can stop in now and have him see the dentist and he goes 'okay' he's so cute.

So at the ballfields (I'm getting to the point of my blog now) we watch him play (hit and play the field). Since the kids are so young, some are sitting not paying attention, some are playing in the sand and some are just standing looking into thin air. They run around the bases, catch and throw the balls, it was fun. Just not all the gnats...ugh! So, we are standing by 3 mom's and one has a little boy, maybe 3. And they are talking about mom things, like their hectic schedules, the schedule for t-ball, something about wearing extra protection because a boy got hurt somewhere else, etc. Total mom brain. What do I talk about? How much work gets on my nerves, trying to find a new job, my latest trip to AC, when I'm planning my next trip to AC, what new movie to see, etc. Total non-mom brain. but watching them watch their kids and talk about mom stuff totally made my heart hurt. I want that. I want a kid. I want to watch my kids grow up. I want to have a hectic schedule taking them from here to there, dance, ballet, sports, etc. I want to be a MOM. I ask my bff if I should have one, if he'd be happy to have a 'buddy' and he's like 'No, b/c you will complain the entire 9 months you're pregnant' Hmph...thanks. My parents say the same thing..."When you get pregnant, we're going to Aruba for 9 months' Hmph. Thanks for the support guys! LOL.

We've been talking more and more about it, and I think it might be about time. I don't know. I'm still iffy about the money and day care thing, but I don't want to wait too much longer because I don't want to be too old of a mom....so who knows.

CVS Rolling 6-15-11

not pictured: 12 pack of Pepsi

Since I was out on vacation last week, I missed all of last week's deals, but I'm back! I had to clip 2 weeks of coupons last night AND for my upcoming coupon class, I decided to show both the binder method and box method of organizing coupons, and I started it last night while clipping! YIPPEE!

Today at CVS:
1 12 pack of Pepsi: .99 with coupon from the big red machine! Scan your card and out pops the coupon!
1 5 pack of Zyrtec: 5.99-4Q=1.99 OOP but got BACK 5.99 in ECBs! ($4 Moneymaker!)
1 Hyrdro Razor: 8.00-4Q= 4 and got back 4 ECBs = FREE!

Used a $3 ECB and paid $4.67 OOP and got back $9.99!

The above deals were limit one per househould, but I have DH's card and an extra one he got me last year so I'm going to do the rest on separate cards and start the rolling on ALL three cards! The one I went to had no more regular Pepsi and I gave up Diet soda for lent and haven't had any since, so I don't want the diet to tempt me at home, so I need to figure out where a CVS is by where I'm going to be tonight :)

Parenting In These Times

I'm terrified to be a parent, a reason why I'm not expecting yet. I see such bad parenting day in and day out....it's like parents don't parent anymore. They are too busy on their IPAD, IPOD, IPHONE, Droid, etc to watch their kids. Or they are after their own agenda (filling their calendar's, etc). Here are two things in the news and from what I hear that caught my attention.

First and foremost is this article http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/123895319.html?jCount=2#comments. A tragic accident had occured in Wildwood, NJ where an 11 year old girl was riding the ferris wheel by herself during a trip to the shore for having good grades. It was a school sponsored trip. She was alone in the ferris wheel which climbes to 150 feet. She fell out of her gondola at about 100 feet and tragically passed away. It is such a shame that this happened. There was no witnesses or anything so they have been investigating the cause since the beginning of June when it occured. Everything is pointing to the girl causing it, by either kneeling in the gondola or leaning out to talk to friends, etc. At this point, the parents are hiring lawyers to investigate further. In the years that Morey's Pier has been in operation, no such accident has occured before this one. Yes, it's sad, but your little girl was just buried and you're worried about money? Nobody hires a lawyer to investigate and expects not to receive any money. It seems the amusement park is not at fault and there was no negligence on their part, but yet the parents are already thinking lawsuit. They want it to be mandated that you cannot ride alone and that there be seatbelts. Okay, what about the poor single guy that goes to Wildwood alone to see the sights and would like to ride the ferris wheel....he can't if they pass this because you can't ride alone. Or even the third wheel in a group outing...guess that person will just have to ride in the gondola with the happy couple and watch them make out, or wait for them on the ground. Sounds like fun.

And seatbelts. I can see that, maybe. The gondola from what I remember is pretty much enclosed, but there are bars that you can peek your head/body out of and you can get out if you wanted to....WANTED to. When I rode that thing (it goes high) I didn't move an inch from where I was, in fear that if I did, I'd tip it over. I know now that can't happen, but whatever, that's nor hear nor there. But do parents teach their kids that when they are on a ride to sit still or follow the rules? I'm sure in this day in age, there's signs everywhere by rides saying to keep your hands and feet inside at all times. In Great Adventure, there's signs AND they are on the PA system by the ride explaining such things. But I bet you even with all those as precautions, if someone were to jump off a ride, the parents or family would sue.

Accidents happen..that's why they are called accidents. This shouldn't be a way for the parents to hit a jackpot. They should be mourning their loss of their child, and if they were serious about seatbelts, not riding alone, they should be talking to their congress people, not a lawyer.

I also heard on the radio that a friend had emailed the host about having a fight with the teachers at her child's school. Her son had taken a test and the teacher graded the test with a red pen...so if you got a question wrong, it was marked with an X or whatever with a red pen. She says that color is too harsh, like the teacher is yelling at the child and wanted the papers/tests to be graded in purple ink.

REALLY? What are we teaching kids at this age? In BOTH scenarios. And what are parents doing? Making it easy on them AND their children. These kids are growing up thinking they are entitled to this and that and the parents ENABLE them. Even on the Suze Orman Money Class show...she had interviewed kids regarding allowances. The kids that she talked to received allowance and when she asked what they did to get their money (thinking, dishes, laundry, chores, etc) she got answers like 'Well, I was born wasn't I?" and when asked if they got more then their younger siblings "Well, yea, I'm older, so I should get more money". Wow. These kids are in for a rude awakening when they grow up. Parents now make it so easy on little Johnny and Mary that when they don't get a job what are they going to do???? Even a guest on the Suze Orman show last week got to me. They were 28 years old, newly married. She has a master's degree and he had a JD. They had a lot of student loan debt and felt they deserved x, y, and z because they have worked so hard....at 28???? really? You went to school and just started working....yet you've 'worked' hard? What are they going to be thinking in 30 YEARS when they've worked for 30 years, not 1 or 2? It's really sad to see what people think and how skewed everything is.

I may take my parents for granted at times, but you know what? They raised me and look how I turned out? I think I turned out pretty damn well if I do say so myself. I may think they didn't parent me well growing up because I didn't always get what I want, but I have a friend that always got what he wanted and he's sooooo messed up it's not even funny. But me, who got grounded, told I couldn't have brand new clothes every year, couldn't have any new gadgets, etc grew up to have a great head on my shoulders. I just don't know if I can or could be half as wonderful as a parent that my parents were to me.