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.