I have a question for the writers of "Days of Our Lives." Did you mean to be ironic when you wrote the following dialogue (I'm going by memory but it went something like this):
Some guy on the show: "He's out there raping women. We can't let him get away with that."
Bo Brady: "Believe me I know. There's nothing more I'd love than to nail him and put him in a deep, dark hole."
Do They Do This On Purpose?
I'm the Mother of an Adult Daughter!!!
This can't be real. My oldest can NOT be turning 18 today. An adult daughter? Me? No freakin' way!
Happy birthday, Amanda! I love you, big or small.
And yes, you still have a curfew. :)
(There's a YouTube video below that might take a minute to show up. As soon as I heard this song for the first time years ago, I knew I would play it on her 18th birthday. Have lots of tissues ready. I can't even swallow after watching it!)
Poor Matthew
For some reason, Matthew has always preferred taking a shower in the master bathroom. Maybe he thinks the other one has girl cooties from Amanda and Natalie. Either way, karma caught up to him and his need to be girl-free.
He ran out of his body wash and used a product of mine to replace it.
"I need to buy you some new body wash," I said to him the other day.
"I know. I've been using that feminine wash instead," he said back.
Oh my gosh, if you could have seen his face when I told him what that was for!!! I didn't know a jaw could drop that far!!
Now he's covered in girl cooties and I bet he won't mess with any of my products ever again!
I Got to Test Drive the New Dodge Grand Caravan!
Thanks to a connection in the DC Metro Moms Blog, I was given an opportunity to test drive the all-new Dodge Grand Caravan (the one on all the commercials and television shows like The View). Only 50 moms in the DC area were given this opportunity so I was very lucky (wooo hoo!)
From the start, I felt like I was cheating on my mini-van. I had a fling with a definite upgrade, and only came back to my van because I couldn't keep the Dodge Grand Caravan. My Chevy Venture was pretty ticked because it decided to no longer provide me heat when I drove it again (hubby's working on making it feel better and I think it might be coming around).
All those commercials that say the Caravan is a home on wheels? So true! You can eat, play board and/or card games, video games, watch television, eat on a table, watch movies, tailgate, use GPS navigation, make phone calls from a built-in dashboard phone service, and more.
The middle sweats swivel to face the back row and you can put a table up in between for games and eating. This picture is bad because there was no flash, but this is after a trip to McDonald's and my kids are eating using the table:
There are TWO...count 'em.....two pull down screens with two separate, wireless headphones. I can listen to Sirius satellite radio in the front, Matthew can play Playstation or watch a DVD in the middle, while Natalie watches Sirius Satellite television in the back (it comes with three channels....Disney, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon).
Even the puppy enjoyed the ride. :) We took her along on a trip to my Grandma's too (an hour and a half away) and it was like packing for a newborn! But everything fit perfectly in the spacious trunk:
There was plenty of room for the dog's crate, supplies, groceries (for lunch) with room to spare.
And those back seats? With a push of a button they automatically fold down into the floor to make even more room, or you can have one side up and one down, and....my favorite setting...they fold back and down to provide tailgate seats! Again, all with just a push of a button.
There's also storage in the floorboards if I had needed more room, a feature I used when I had a few grocery bags to toss into the van (closer to me in the front and easier to get to than the trunk).
The side doors automatically open and close and the windows on the doors automatically roll down, as well. I can't tell you how many times my kids wanted the windows down in the back in my old van. I really loved this feature! There were also pull-up screens for when the sun was shining too brightly, something you usually have to purchase separately and install with an ugly suction cup on the window.
The only problem I had with the van was with the passenger-side back door. My driveway slopes uphill a bit and there was one day that I could not get the door to shut automatically. I sat outside in the cold for about twenty minutes trying to get it to close.
I finally got it to shut by hitting the button and waiting until it was almost closed, then hitting it with my butt so that it was forced close. That wasn't fun! I thought it was because of the hill but when it happened again, I pulled into the road (which was a level surface) and tried to close it there with no luck (and had to go back to the button/butt trick again).
I have heard that mine was not the only one with this problem so hopefully Dodge does something to fix it.
Despite the one flaw, I would still buy this beauty if I could. I'll take a little door trouble for all the entertainment it provided to my kids and for all the features I personally loved.
Look how perfect the van looked in my driveway:
It was totally my trophy van! We were meant to be! How could it leave me?
Devra and I were *this* close to running away in the van together but she didn't want to miss reruns of Punky Brewster. ;)
Natalie summed up my feelings pretty well with this expression the morning that it left us:
Ecommerce
Our family does most of our holiday shopping online, so we obviously prefer online stores to brick and mortar ones. And we're not alone. The trend towards online shopping grows more and more each year.
Businesses that are interested in taking their store online will have an easier time using Ecommerce Software by Network Solutions. You don't have to be tech-savvy to participate, since the packages offered do the work for you.
Starting at just $49.95 for a basic package, businesses receive these benefits and more:
- Professional storefront designs
- Powerful shopping cart checkout
- Real-time credit card processing
- Flexible inventory & shipping options
- 24/7 FREE customer support
- NO transaction fees
- Industry-leading reliability & security
- Easy Shopping Cart Interface
Optional services include:
- Merchant account services to process real-time credit card payments
- Search engine optimization tools to drive more traffic to your online store
- Security packages (SSL Certificates) to secure your online transactions
- Expert design services to save you time and ensure professional results
The company is also integrated with Google, Paypal, Verisign, Quickbooks, Adobe, and Scan Alert.
Network Solutions E-commerce was developed by the developers of the former MonsterCommerce e-commerce shopping cart software.
The launch of Network Solutions' E-commerce Web site is yet another quality solution for businesses from a leader in Ecommerce Software. They would be my first choice should I ever decide to open an online store.
We're Home
First of all, I want to offer a huge thank you to Chase for posting for me while Natalie was sick. Chase, you are so wonderful! Thank you so very much!
And thank you to all of my friends for your prayers, thoughts and comments. Natalie was released at about 6 p.m. EST this evening and is doing much better.
I'll write in more detail what happened once we've had a chance to rest (I'm beyond exhausted), but it appears she developed a virus that just happened to be after her upper endoscopy.
As usual, her body went downhill fast (it's almost immediate as soon as the fever comes on). We were able to stop any ketones from being released (most likely because she'd had IV fluids that morning with the endoscopy procedure), but we've learned a new thing.....it's not always the ketoacidosis that makes her so sick (even though it certainly makes it much worse).
She had ALL of the same symptoms that she does when she becomes acidotic. She gets so weak and out of it, there's just this scary look to her eyes and her skin color, she shakes uncontrollably, and then soon starts a cycle of vomiting that gets worse and worse. This time, she also had chest pain and trouble breathing...possibly because of the endoscopy.
I wanted to call an ambulance but we were afraid we would be taken to the awful hospital that's near us and I wanted to make sure we made it to the hospital we usually go to (about a 15 minute drive without traffic).
I reluctantly drove her and as soon as the check-in person saw her at the front desk in the ER, she got a concerned look and called for the nurse right away. I hadn't even been able to get our address on the form and they already had her back and in a room.
This is why I love this hospital. They don't mess around. When this first started happening to her years ago, I took her to the hospital close to us and they left her in the waiting room for over an hour, vomiting profusely and losing consciousness.
By the time they got her back, she was almost comatose from the acidosis, had a bi-carb rate of around 13 (anyone in the health field will understand how bad that is....it is life threatening in fact) and couldn't respond to anyone.
Anyway, they ran every test known to man on her (including a strep test even though she didn't have a sore throat which I didn't want them to do because it makes her gag and vomit all over again, but I'm glad they're more on the safe-side as far as testing). She had abdominal and chest x-rays (which started the vomiting because they had to move her around so much), an EKG (her heart rate was very high), tons of blood work, etc.
They consulted with her regular pediatrician, the GI doc who did the endoscopy and her metabolic specialist from Children's (and I love that they do that because the specialist always orders these rare blood tests that even the ER nurses don't recognize....because she knows exactly what to look for with her condition).
They ruled out any complications from the procedure and found that she had not yet started to release ketones (which shocked me because I always thought it was the ketones that made her have these symptoms...when it appears that it may be the other way around...but certainly once the ketones are released, she's in much more danger).
"The tests look okay," the ER pediatrician said to us, "but she's clearly a very sick little girl." They admitted her and we got into a room at about 4 a.m. on Thursday morning. We were back up at 7 a.m. with tests and activity.
Ugh...I'm so exhausted I just can't even finish the story (and geez...I've promised you all about three other stories centuries ago!). I'll finish as soon as I can, but just know this:
1. She's okay now, but has a slight fever. My worry is that it could spike again tonight so please pray that it won't.
2. We've learned that even if she outgrows the ketoacidosis that her little body simply can't fight off a virus on its own (at least for now). It's possible she will outgrow this too and be able to fight better as she gets bigger but this may be a lifelong problem for her.
3. For some reason, in re-reading what I've written, I've used tons of parentheses and don't know why. *grin*
Thanks again for being there for us. It's just such a scary thing (understatement....there aren't any words for it...there I go with another parenthesis), so trying, so exhausting. Being able to have your support means the world to me.
A Little Update
I am just now getting a chance to update. Sorry it took so long!
Dawn said Natalie doesn't have a perforation or injury from the procedure...so that's good news. She's still very sick and "zombie-like", though, and they're running tests to see what's going on with her.
I got the message from her this afternoon while I was at work and when she called, Dawn was heading home to shower and was then going right back up there. I haven't heard anything else as of yet, but will update anytime I do.
Keep them prayers coming! :)
Please Send Thoughts & Prayers For Natalie!
Hey, everyone. This is Chase from Taste the World. I just got a message from Dawn asking me to post for her.
Natalie is in the hospital, as you all know. She did fine during the procedure (her endoscopy), but is now having a really hard time and is in the emergency room. She has a pretty bad fever and, according to Dawn, is "going downhill really fast." They're afraid she has a perforation.
When I heard from Dawn (about 9:30pm CST Wednesday), she was just pulling into the emergency room , so I'll update if/when I find out more if Dawn can't get online.
Please send some big time prayers her way!!
Meaningful Gifts
If you're looking to make a difference while buying a holiday gift, you should visit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America's eStore. All proceeds benefit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.
As many of you know, I lost my grandfather to Alzheimer's disease when I was a teenager, and it was so hard to watch him slowly slip away from us. It was hardest, however, on my grandmother, who cared for him for years before she was finally forced to put him in a nursing home.
She tried as hard as she could to keep him at home for years and worked 24/7 to care for him. When he began wandering from home and became violent, she knew she could no longer care for him by herself.
When she placed him in a home, she was there by his side all day, every day and only went home to sleep.
While seeking a cure for Alzheimer's disease is extremely important, it's just as important to provide quality care for Alzheimer's patients and help to their caregivers. When my grandma had to let go of caring for my grandfather, it was heart wrenching. She needed to know that she was putting him in good, competent and loving hands. And those like her need to have resources and support to get through not only caring for their loved ones, but transitioning their care to someone else when the time comes.
The mission of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America is "to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families—through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life."
You can help in that mission by visiting the foundation's eStore for holiday shopping, as well as throughout the year.
Do you know someone who is caring for an Alzheimer's patient? The foundation's "Hearts of Care" jewelry line would be the perfect way to honor their sacrifice and hard work:
The gorgeous collection includes a matching necklace, bracelet and pin with custom-designed pendants in non-tarnishing, rhodium sterling silver. And you can know that as you reward a caregiver with this touching jewelry, you are also contributing to a cause that will help both them and their loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer's.
No-Slip Hair Clips Winners!
Congratulations to Paige from Superpaige's Pad who won a set of 7, no-slip hair clips! I'll be getting your clips out to you as soon as I make them.
For those who entered but didn't win, I'm offering a special deal. Normal price is $5 per clip (which includes shipping), but you can purchase 5 for $20 and 10 for $40. I'm including close ups of the patters I had posted, plus pictures of a couple of new patterns.
Orders will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and if I run out of materials for a particular pattern you are interested in, I will do my best to get more of that material to make that pattern for you. I will also be adding patterns on a constant basis, so be sure to check back.
For now, here is what I have to offer:
In honor of the Fall Y'all Giveaway, I'll call this one...."Fall Y'All!"
This is from my new collection (ha!...don't I sound so designerish?). These we'll call "Christmas Clips." You can select a floral topper, or the jingle bells (and they really do jingle!)
Okay, I'll give these names after the girls in my life. From top to bottom: "Amanda," "Natalie," and "Sophie."
From top to bottom: "Chocolate Rose," "Candy Stripe," and "Diva Dots."
These are also new and are from my "Pastel Princess" collection. You can choose a floral topper, or the sequins.
All clips feature a small piece of velcro inside of the clip that prevents slippage. Ends are heat-sealed to prevent fraying. Clips measure 3/8" wide and a 1 3/4" long. They are two-pronged alligator clips.
If you would like to order, simply email me at ablondeandherblog AT yahoo DOT com And if you would like to be put on a mailing list to be notified when new patterns are available, send me an email at that address with "mailing list" in the subject line.
Thanks!
A Woman Scorned
You know the saying, beware of a woman scorned? Well, this story proves that this is a very good warning!
Did you see the description of the car? ROFL! This site features new cars, used cars, and car loans.
It appears that a cheating husband bought this Jaguar in his wife's name, and she not only splashed paint on the car in an act of revenge, she is also listing it for 50% less than what it's worth.
The phone message is supposed to be even funnier than the advert, so give it a call to see if you agree. And from the tone of the ad, it appears the guy got lucky that this is all she did (or maybe she did more?)
The paint is supposed to be easy to remove and is the only thing wrong with it according to the seller, other than "The Cheating, Lying Piece Of Crap Who Used To Drive It And Used It To Pick Up His Tart In. But Don't Let That Put You Off." Too funny.
We're in the market for a new car for Amanda (because her second one broke down after the first one blew up...fun!). I wish we lived in the UK so we could take advantage of this.
So cheating husbands take heed. If you are idiotic enough to cheat on your wife while putting the car in her name, this could happen to you too. And, IMO, it is the least you deserve. :)
This post sponsored by BuyYourCar.
iFloor Warranty
iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.
The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.
iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."
And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."
Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."
About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.
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