It’s amazing to me how just about everything is available online.   If you do a search, chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for.  There’s everything from at home paternity tests to how to build your own house, etc.  I must admit that it’s convenient to be able to do a search when I’m needing some particular information or directions on how to do something.  It’s easy to see why this is called the “Information Age.”

Losing weight is going to be a life-long thing with me.  My weight varies five-ten pounds or so throughout the year sometimes.  The problem area for me is going on vacations and holidays, especially Thanksgiving through New Year’s.  That’s when I tend to gain five pounds.   When trying to lose, I try to do it naturally through healthier eating choices and exercise.

There are people trying to lose weight who might order diet pills through http://www.shoppharmacycounter.com/t-Adipex-Medicine.aspx, but that should only be done under the supervision of a trusted doctor.  I prefer to go the natural route and try to lose five or ten pounds over three or four weeks or longer.  Once I get healthy eating habits into my routine again (cutting out desserts for the most part, very little white bread or pasta, etc.), then they stick with me.

Texas is known for being hot in the summer with temperatures over 100 degrees, but I’m hearing about other places having temps over 100 degrees, too.  One of our relatives lives in an area where it’s just about always cooler than Texas and where it rarely reaches triple digits.  But this summer, it’s been hotter there on a few occasions than it has been here in the Metroplex area.  Crazy weather!

With all of these sunny days, I know a lot of people must be buying tanning supplies.  Not me, however, because I stay inside on really hot days as much as I can.  I remember when the kids were young and taking swimming lessons, though.  We’d be at the pool no matter how hot it was.  And we definitely did take the suntan lotion on those days!

Laptops are so convenient!  I don’t know what the very best laptop computers are, however, I do know that I’m thankful to have one where I teach.  I have a teacher’s podium with the regular desktop computer, and then I have an Acer Netbook which comes in very handy.  There are times when the desktop is what I need when I’m using the SMART Board or document camera, and then there are times when the Netbook is exactly what I need.  I’m glad to have both!

Recently, I’ve seen billboards reminding drivers to watch out for motorcyclists on the road.  Unfortunately, the motorcyclist death-rate has risen over the past few years.  I’ve seen tips for being a safer motorcyclist which include wearing a helmet and other safety gear such as gloves, joe rocket gloves for example.  Other tips include driving defensively, turning on headlights, and wearing brightly colored clothing.  One tip even suggested not driving in the very center of the lane, my guess is because they would be in the blind spot of another driver.  Another tip that is good for all drivers everywhere is to avoid distractions!

I was thinking about all the different types of insurance such as homeowners, health, auto, life, and liability insurance.  Being curious about how many types of actual insurance are available for different things, I did a search and found some info on wiki.  I could not get over how many different types there are.  Some are rather comical, I must admit, especially in the “A” and “Z” alphabetical listings.  But there are some types that I never even thought about having that make sense.  I guess there’s insurance available for just about everyone’s needs.

When I think of a steel building, I think of storage buildings or maybe a detached garage for an RV or something like that.  However, I was looking through a site and saw steel school buildings.  Each classroom is a separate building, and they look more like portable buildings all lined up in a row touching each other.  My first thought was what is so good about that, but then I read more information.   These buildings are designed by the best engineers in the U.S., are fire resistant, and are built to withstand the harshest weather conditions which includes tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes.   Sounds like they would be good for parts of the country which are in “tornado alley.”

I’m so glad taxes are done and over with…at least until next year.  We didn’t need a raleigh accountant because my husband did our taxes on the computer, but I’m sure many people were using accountants to get their taxes done on time.

There’s so much work involved in keeping tax records all year long and then filling out all the forms.  Being a teacher makes taxes easy because I receive a W-2 form from my school district. But then we have several schedule C’s to fill out, two of which are mine for blogging and private tutoring.   Keeping up-to-date records throughout the year really helps because then there’s none of that last minute scrambling to get info together.  I like that!

This is a beautiful song about how we’re not alone: Carry Me to The Cross by Kutless.  Sometimes, we can feel exhausted with the weight of the burdens we are carrying, whether they’re job related, health related, dealing with family, dealing with death of loved ones, and just plain old stress.  There’s great comfort to be had “at the cross!”

When I was a child, people didn’t have computers, cell phones, and most of the technology we have today.  I never heard about audio teleconferencing, online college courses, shopping online, or banking online.   Things have really changed, and this change has enabled people to do so much more than they could ever do before.   I think a lot of people would agree that technology is wonderful, except when computers crash or something doesn’t work!  Other than that, I think we would find it hard to do without technology.

One thing I hate is going out to start my car….and it won’t start.  That hasn’t happened very often, but when it has then it’s been a real inconvenience.  Definitely time for a new battery!   Once,  I was leaving a teacher’s workshop and my battery was dead.  After getting a jump start from a friend and calling my husband, I proceeded to the store to get a new battery as soon as possible.

When you need a battery, whether it’s an odyssey pc680 or whatever type of battery your vehicle needs, it’s a huge relief to get a new one that will start every time.