Jimmie Jam in Atlanta

I recieved my free tickets to Jimmie Johnson's Jimmie Jam in Atlanta for next Friday night!

There is a question and answer session with Jimmie Johnson, and then a concert by Edwin McCain.

I can hardly wait!


Now to figure out who wants to go with me. :)

inspiration 8/30

A journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu

A Big Huge Thank you

To all of the parents out there who send their children to school sick.

As parents 9 times out of 10 you know when your child is not feeling well in the morning. Check their tempertures before you send them out the door. If they are not running a fever then, but the school calls you during the day and says little Billy is running a fever, or throwing up, or what ever PICK THEM UP!!! Don't leave them at school to finish infecting the rest of the class/school/teacher!

I can not tell you how many times this last week we had kids come to school already sick, then when we called parents to come pick them up either they didn't come, or it took them 3 hours to come get them.

I went through a thing of lysol wipes, and a bottle of germx in my room in 2 days.

And I still managed to get sick!

inspiration 8/29

No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted.
Aesop

Inspiration 8/28

If you desire faith enough, you have faith enough.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

inspiration 8/27

Go confidently in the directions of your dreams

Henry David Thoreau

High School....

I think I can safely say that I have now officially lived through every stage of high school a normal (well not so much normal) person can live though.

I did the geeky, good little catholic girl stage, when I was in high school. You know the type, still very active in Girl Scouts, church youth groups, band, and handbells. The girl that never went to the "cool" parties, always was home by curfew, didn't date really until senior year.

I have done the "cool" teacher stage, where I started off as they youngest teacher in the school, girls soccer coach, junior class sponsor, senior class sponsor, the one that heard everything, including things that I never wanted to know (Got to LOVE the 18 hour trips to Germany on a bus). The teacher who the kids seemed to know if they were in trouble they could tell it to, who never felt like she had the answers, but I listened.

Now.... OMG I am the MOM of a high schooler. With all the drama it entails. The worries over her friends, grades, activities, and BOYS. I am not sure if my years of teaching at the high school level did me more harm or good. By that I mean, I KNOW what the boys are thinking, because they held nothing back during seminar class (did you guys?) I KNOW what the girls are thinking and in some cases doing. I know how they interact. Oh my oh my.

My friend Kate over at One More Thing hosts a "Madhouse" weekly where several of us post on a general theme. Not always, but some times, like today I decide to participate.

Inspiration 8/26

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.

Antaole France

Inspiration 8/25

Patch Adams (1998)
Harold Gould (Arthur Mendelson): See what no one else sees. See what everyone chooses not to see... out of fear, conformity or laziness. See the whole world anew each day!

All the missing pieces trailer....

Check out my former student Frank Ponce in the trailer for his movie!

All The Missing Pieces-Teaser Trailer from William Aughtry on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/5916439

Congratulations Frank! Way to make us proud.

Inspiration 8/24

He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.
-- Proverb

Seeing old friends

When I got home from work on Wednesday I was lucky enough to get a message from my friend Adam, who I went to school with back in Arizona.

He was going to be driving through Macon that evening, on his way to deliver a load in Florida and wanted to know if I wanted to meet up for coffee/tea/dinner whatever.

Heck yeah!

So we met just outside of Macon and talked for hours. The poor waitress probably thought we would never leave. LOL

Stupid me forgot to get a picture. (Me forget? WOW! Does that tell how much we talked?)

It was so good to see and talk to Adam. It was even worth being tired the next day at work! :)

Thanks Adam for stopping by, and come back soon.

The face of Goodyear/Avondale/Litchfield Rd is changing

 

They tore down Unidynamics this week and my mom sent me a picture. Anyone know what is going to be on the property now?

My random thoughts on Nascar and the Sharpie 500

Its no big secret, but I have been a Nascar fan for quite a while now. Started in 1990, when I met Dale Sr. not having a clue as to who he was, and he talked about his kids. I followed it a bit over the years, then started really getting into it when Dale Jr started racing Busch Series. Since then I have been a pretty faithful fan. Not a lunatic, like some people out there, who follow his (Dale Jr.) every move, but I watch most of the races, and would love to finally get to watch one in person.

But you know what?

Nascar has gotten extremely BORING lately.

I know, I know that there are people out there that are thinking: "Duh Patty, its always been boring. I don't know what you are thinking to even watch it!"

But I do, and I like it. Or I did.

But Nascar has become a joke, something that the average fan doesn't care to watch.

The race last night in Bristol, appeared on TV at least to be the best attended race of the entire season. I know, I know, Bristol doesn't hold as many fans as other tracks due to its size, but that's my point. Other race tracks in the past have managed to sell out, a LOT. But those tracks are having a hard time getting fans to come to the races. Heck there was talk last night that Atlanta, was going to loose one of thier races next year, because they can't fill the seats.

For a couple of reasons that I can see, as a fan that would love to go to a race, but may not this season.

Reason #1: The cost. For a family of 5 to attend the race in Atlanta we would be looking at a cost of over $200. $236 to be exact. That is just basic seats, no frills, except a hot dog and a soda. (Family 4 pack) I think we could get a better price from the ticket place on base, but I am not sure that it would be that big of a savings.

That does not include the gas to get there, parking, additional food, souvenirs, etc. So we would be looking at probably $500 when it was all said and done. And we live within 75 miles of the track.


Reason #2: The COT is the worse mistake Nascar could have ever made. It has turned 500 laps into follow the leader for 480, then race for 20, if you are lucky. If they want to know why Atlanta's attendance has gone downhill, that is it. They have turned racing into a game of follow the leader, and its no wonder that people do not take Nascar as a serious sport. There is no "racing". Heck Nascar has even eliminated the bumping and pushing that used to define the sport, by fining the drivers and crews if they so much as think about it. One would think that Nascar has mind reader machines in the helmets! ;)

Take last night for instance. Mark Martin and Kyle Busch going for the win. Mark was a gentleman and raced Kyle clean. However, if the roles were reversed, Kyle would have punted Mark for the win, no doubt about it. But if Mark had punted Kyle, Kyle and his crew would have been in the Nascar trailer pouting and crying.

Which takes me back to reason number one, I don't want to spend $236 for my family just to get into the race to watch 43 cars go around in circles, playing follow the leader for 3 hours. When I can watch it at home for free on the TV. Do I want the experience? Yes, but at that cost? No.


Reason number 3: Nascar has turned the whole sport into a sham, the Crybaby Kyle show. I was pretty sure that they were going to keep yellow flagging the race last night until the rain moved in so they could just hand Kyle the trophy that he keeps crying over.

I know, I know, there are times when we all think its turned into the Jimmy Johnson Show, or the Jeff Gordon Show, or place a name here show. I even know that we all need the evil villain (Crybaby fits the bill).

But would it really be that way, if it was back to just good old clean racing? Yes we would still want a villain, and I believe in my heart of hearts one of the Busch brothers would give it to us.

But racing would be back to racing. Keep the safety features, like the driver being toward the middle of the car, and what not, but loose some of the other crud that the COT brought to the table. Make racing get back to racing.

Now if someone out there in the Nascar world wants to prove me wrong, and show me that there is truely nothing like being at a race in person, let me know. I would love to have the opportunity to go to a race with my family. Heck if you sent us to a race I would give you props and blog the brand to the next level. ;)

And the winner is....

According to Random.org's number generator, the winner of the Pur Flavor Options is comment #1

Hula Hooping Mom said...
I learned that there are 5 different flavors and each cartridge has 75 servings of flavor!! wow that is alot and with no sugar is a real blessing - we have been in need and looking for a product like this!!!

2:06 PM

:)

Check your email for an email from me! :)

Inspiration 8/23

A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Jennifer Connelly (Alicia): I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible.

Reminder! Todays the last day to enter!

Today is the last day to enter to win my Pur Flavor Options giveaway! Very low entries!
http://scienceesl.blogspot.com/2009/08/pur-flavor-options-pitcher.html

Please tell your friends. :)

Inspiration 8/22

Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Will Smith (Bagger): Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered.

Inspiration 8/21

A Smile by anon

Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized,
I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile,
Then realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
And get the world infected.

Inspiration 8/20

Mind is the master power that molds and makes,
And we are Mind, and evermore we take
The tool of thought, and shaping what we will,
Bring forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills,
We think in secret, and it comes to pass -
Our world is but our looking glass.
-- James Allen

8/19 inspiration

Vince Lombardi
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. --

Railroad Tracks.... Interesting facts... and funny too boot

Railroad tracks. This is fascinating.

(a little long, but worth it)




Be sure to read the final paragraph; your understanding of it will depend on the earlier part of the content.

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number.




Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England , and English expatriates designed the US railroads.




Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.




Why did 'they' use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they had used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.




Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England , because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.




So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (including England ) for their legions. Those roads have been used ever since.




And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome , they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Bureaucracies live forever.




So the next time you are handed a specification/procedure/process and wonder 'What horse's ass came up with this?', you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses. (Two horses' asses.) Now, the twist to the story:




When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah . The

engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains, and the SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.




So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's ass. And you thought being a horse's ass wasn't important? Ancient horse's asses control almost everything... and

CURRENT Horses Asses are controlling everything else.

Tips to parents of school age children

Tip to parents of children grades pre-k to graduate school (if you pay the bills) your child ALWAYS has homework! If nothing else then READ!

Ordering pizza under B.O.'s New Health Plan 73

The most interesting thing about the video at the link below is that it
is on the web site of the ACLU !

It looks like some people on the left are beginning to notice the policy decisions and the actual wording of proposed bills! Now, if only Representatives and Senators, and (gasp) the media, would do the same, actually *read* the bills in front of them! What a concept!

Ordering pizza under B.O.'s New Health Plan 73
http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

Inspiration 8/18

Pat Riley
There are only two options regarding commitment; you're either in or you're out. There's no such thing as life in-between.

I Heart Faces~Bubbles

This week at I Heart Faces is bubbles week. This is the best picture, I have of my friend Sherri's little girl.

From Drop Box

One Lightbulb at at time can make a difference to the USA

My mom sent this to me today, and it makes more sense than most people realize! We as the American Public can turn our economy around, we need to start buying products made here in the USA. Support our own, and show the big box stores that they need to support those who support them!



One Light Bulb at a Time

A physics teacher in high school, once told the students that while one grasshoper on the railroad tracks wouldn't slow a train very much, a billion of them would . With that thought in mind, read the following, obviously written by a good American .
Good idea . . . one light bulb at a time . . . .

Check this out . I can verify this because I was in Lowes the other day for some reason and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments . They were all made in China . The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there . They were made in USA . Start looking .

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - even their job . So, after reading this email, I think this lady is on the right track . Let's get behind her!

My grandson likes Hershey's candy . I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now . I do not buy it any more . My favorite toothpaste Colgate is made in Mexico now . I have switched to Crest .. You have to read the labels on everything .

This past weekend I was at Kroger . I needed 60 W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets . I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled, "Everyday Value . " I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same except for the price . The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand but the thing that surprised me the most was the fact that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - get ready for this - the USA in a company in Cleveland , Ohio
.
So throw out the myth that you cannot find products you use every day that are made right here .

So on to another aisle - Bounce Dryer Sheets . . . yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada . The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years and at almost half the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

If you accept the challenge, pass this on to others in your address book so we can all start buying American, one light bulb at a time! Stop buying from overseas companies!

(We should have awakened a decade ago . . . . . . )

Let's get with the program . . . . help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and
create more jobs here in the U . S . A .

Inspiration 8/17

Jim Abbott
It's not the disability that defines you, it's how you deal with the challenges the disability presents you with. We have an obligation to the abilities we DO have, not the disability.

PUR Flavor Options pitcher review/giveaway

A couple of weeks ago, I got a chance to sign up to recieve and do a review of the PUR Flavor Options pitcher. I thought that this would be a great product to try out, as we are on well water, which isn't the best tasting. I had been looking at the budget to see if we could swing either a pitcher or a filter system for a couple of months and had thought about buying one, so the opportunity to review one sounded purfect for us.

Turns out that I was right! My family and I love the Pur Flavor Options Pitcher.

We were sent two different flavor options to try, lemon and raspberry. To tell you the truth, I am not sure which one I like better. To use the flavor option you push the button on the lid a couple of times (we have found 3 times to be the right amount for most of our glasses) and then pour the water.

The nicest thing is that you don't have to choose between one or the other and wait to use all of one of the flavor dispensers to run out. You can change them out at any time!

Or even better, if a family member doesn't want the flavored water, they can have that option too! (This is Jerry's favorite option!)

To find out more go to: PUR Water: www.purwater.com or:
PUR Flavor Options: http://www.purwater.com/pur-flavor-options/


Here is all of the details:

What is PUR Flavor Options?

o PUR Flavor Options is the first and only filter for tap water that lets you add a touch of sugar-free, calorie-free fruit flavoring to your water.

o PUR Flavor Options was named “Household Product of the Year” by Product of the Year USA in January 2009 and comes in raspberry, lemon, grape and strawberry.



About PUR Water Filtration

Environment & Money: Switching from bottled water to filtered and a reusable bottle can eliminate up to 3,200 plastic bottles and save one person up to $600 annually.
Health: The EPA estimates that approximately 20% of Americans’ lead exposure is attributable to tap water. PUR filters are certified to reduce many contaminants, including 98% of lead, 99.9% of microbial cysts and 99% of pharmaceuticals.
Philanthropy: With each purchase of a PUR filter, a donation is made to Children’s Safe Drinking Water which has, to date, provided over 1.5 billion liters of clean water to needy children and their families around the world.


Now for the best part! Do you want a chance to win your own Pur Flavor Options? Go to http://www.purwater.com/pur-flavor-options/ and come back here and tell me something that you learned about Flavor Options!

Extra entry if you tweet about the giveaway. Just make sure you come back here and give me the link! Sample Tweet: Here's a chance to win a Pur Flavor Options! http://bit.ly/4Giv3R


Contest winner will be drawn next Saturday August 22nd!

Inspiration 8/16

John Wooden
Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

And the winner is.....

According to Random.org...... #9 Nicole!

congratulations Nicole! I will get you an email out in just a few!

I HATE THE AIR FORCE

This is going to be an R rated post so if you don't care for that type of language you had better just skip today's installment because I am more than a bit ticked off right now and I don't care to censor my words today. Just as a fair warning.

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I fucking hate the damn Air Force, the 5th fucking MOB and Robins damn Air Force Base! Its actually to bad that I love the area and my job so much, or else I would be pushing really hard for Jerry to find a way for us to leave ASAP!

No one at this fucking base gives a damn about their people, their families or how their god damn actions affect those people.

No one here holds the real people that screw the fuck up to their actions, they just take it all out on the people who got screwed.

We still have not been reimbursed for our trip to Texas in April. Which means that the government card has not been paid.

Jerry filed his travel voucher in April, was told that the regulations had changed and that he was missing pieces.

Then was told that he had to file a seperate voucher for me, with seperate reciepts for what I ate, which because no one had warned us ahead of time we hadn't kept, so therefore we just had to suck it up and deal with it.

Then he thought it was all right and refiled it at the end of May. And proceeded to get put in the hospital for a week, prior to us going to Jacksonville. Then we spent a week in Jacksonville and then Jerry was out on convelansent leave and on drugs for the next month.

Which means when they rejected his travel voucher he didn't get the notification. I had an email from the travel lady at the clinic on base saying that everything had gone through, so we thought it was done, and that everyone was getting there money. BUT NO, they FUCKING rejected it AGAIN! And when Jerry, who was on FUCKING SICK LEAVE FROM MAJOR FUCKING SURGERY didn't answer their email in a timely manner, the STUPID FUCKING JERKS deleted the travel voucher out of the system. LOOSING ALL OF THE DAMN INFORMATION!

No one in finance or where ever could be bothered to follow up with a phone call to the shop, the shirt, or the commander for that god damn matter to find out why the hell sgt Cleveland wasn't doing what they needed. No they probably contacted the travel lady from the clinic, who BY THE WAY was also out of emergency (in her case) sick leave, who her squadron didn't have anyone checking her email for her, even though she is the ONLY one in the squadron that does her job.

Now of course the government card and the squadron expect us to just magically fucking come up with over $2,000 to cover the government card. All because number 1 we were given false information back in March and April, and number 2 because no one at this damn place can follow through and check on the well being of their people.

Oh wait the squadron could be bothered to sit with Jerry and call the government card, you know because HE WAS IN TROUBLE FOR IT NOT BEING PAID, BECAUSE WHEN THE AIR FORCE DENIED HIS CLAIM HE WAS OUT ON LEAVE FOR A MAJOR SURGERY and NO ONE COULD BE BOTHERED TO CALL US TO TELL US THERE WAS A PROBLEM BEFORE THEY DELETED EVERYTHING FROM THE FUCKING STUPID SHIT SYSTEM!

This fucking stupid shit sucky ass squadron and group sucks! I am so tired of this place and these people. They do not know how to take care of their own. You would think with the problems that we have had with Jerry's health and all of the other shit that they would want to watch out for him a bit more. BUT NO these sucky ass people want to drive us over the fucking edge and push us the fuck out. Either by driving us crazy to the point where he either relapses in his drinking and they can get him in trouble and kick him out, or where they can bust his rank just a little bit more so they can kick him the fuck out for having too many years in at that rank so he can't retire. Or just so I go fucking balistic on someone and do something stupid. All Because NO ONE HERE GIVES A GOD DAMN ABOUT what they have done to us.

The squadron doesn't care that we have no money to buy gas and groceries with for the next two weeks because we just had to pay a big chunk of money on his government card, because some stupid idiot in finance gave us false information, not once now, but OVER AND OVER AND OVER again.

Oh thats right I just keep talking about the problems with our April trip. I haven't mentioned how they screwed up most recently.

I tried filing Jerry and my travel vouchers the day after we returned from Florida in June. The travel lady at the clinic was on leave that week, then it took a week for her to get back to me, then just when I was supposed to go in and file every thing (well my part, because by then Jerry was only a week out from returning to work and she said she couldn't help me with his part, even though before we went she had said she could,) she collapsed at work and had emergency surgery. Supposedly she told the people in the squadron to get ahold of me to come in and file everything and no one did. So a month later when she got off of sick leave she got back to nasty emails from me, and everything still sitting on her desk.

I went in and we did all of the paperwork, and I tried filing it within the next two days of talking to her. Then I took it all over to finance, where I was told by an obviously fucking stupid idiot tech sgt that we did it all wrong. That I had to fill it all out without itemizing my claim. I tried repeatedly to tell them that they were wrong, but no they wouldn't listen. Not only did I have to refill out the form I had to then get it SIGNED by the travel lady's boss, who by this time had gone home for the day. Jerry tried getting it signed the next day, which was a Friday and the boss person that had to sign it wasn't there. Jerry had his squadron hoorah fucking family day that Monday, so it took til Tuesday or Wednesday to get it signed, so another god damn week went by before we could even file the damn thing to get MY part done. Then last week it comes back denied. Because guess what?!? WE WERE RIGHT, the fucking idiot at finance was WRONG! JUST LIKE I TOLD THEM!!!!!! And get this! Jerry's email was down this past week (still is), so when they denied it they sent him emails telling him to get in there asap to redo it, or else they wouldnt pay it at all. The travel lady at the clinic finally sent a copy of the email to me, yesterday and I wrote her back to call Jerry. Thank god I had tried getting a contact off of my home email from work, and saw the email from her, so I checked it on my phone, or else we would have lost another 3 days.

I swear that if I have my way that stupid idiot at finance will not have a job any fucking longer! All she had to do was call someone at Ellsworth like I asked her to do, or call Mrs. M, or call Sgt B and ASK A FUCKING QUESTION! And gee wiz we would have at least the money that is owed for my trip!


Oh and having scars and having proof of appointments is not good enough for the air force to have Jerry's voucher filed from June, no we need letters from the Mayo Clinic to claim his.

So he has 2 MAJOR travel vouchers outstanding! The Air Force owes us/government card over $3,000 and they aren't paying all because they have given us false information, and their people, not us have screwed up over and over again, and we are the ones paying the price. Jerry's god damn squadron doesn't give a damn that its not us that fucked up, they are just going to needle and punish, and push and prod us to the breaking point where I don't give a damn and am posting it for the world to read, because I am sick and tired of being pushed to my breaking point. Its like they want one of us to go ballistic and take someone out, or to take one of ourselves out. They don't care how much stress this all is putting on us as a family and a couple, and not one single fucking person in that god damn group has done a thing to help us sort this out and fix it so the government card gets their money and we get ours.


All I can do right now is pray that we survive this shit. Because doing what I want to do (which is to go in and go off on someone) is not really going to help matters. But if Jerry doesn't get some balls and do it himself I swear I will be taking a day off of work to do just that! Because at this point it feels like I need to go in and do all of the bullshit paperwork myself so that they will give us what they owe us!

inspiration 8/15

Tommy Lasorda
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination.

Inspiration 8/14 in honor of the first Friday Night Football game of the year....

Vince Lombardi
The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.




Even though tonight is just a scrimmage.....

GO COBRAS!!! ;)

please keep a couple of members of our school family

in your prayers. One of our teachers lost her husband yesterday. Please hold her and her young children in your prayers. also many of our staff members are related. They lost their grandfather last night. Please keep them in your thoughts.

Inspiration 8/13

The greatest mistake a man can make,
is to be afraid to make one.
Elbert Hubbard

Laptops for Flat Tops

I just recieved an email about this great contest for active duty military members!

WHO: Online retailer, AllAmericanDirect.com



WHAT: A re-launch of the popular ‘Laptops for Flat Tops’ contest that chooses two military families to win a laptop with and embedded webcam (for the family) and an additional webcam (for the soldier) to help improve communication with their loved one while they are deployed. Interested parties may simply go to the site and tell us why they deserve to win.



WHEN: The contest went live on Monday, August 3rd



SITE: To enter go to www.allamericandirect.com/military



WHY: After the success of their first two contests in April and June, AllAmericanDirect.com is even more excited and committed to saluting those in uniform by giving them the means to ‘see’ their family while they are thousands of miles away. Everyone knows how difficult separation from a loved one can be, especially when deployments are long and/or extended. This is a way for AllAmericanDirect.com to say thank you to the soldiers and military families that have sacrificed so much to serve the USA .


Here is the press release:
AllAmericanDirect.com announces re-launch of popular contest giving away thousands in technology prizes to military families



Leading e-tailer hosting Laptops for Flat Tops contest for military families to improve communication with loved ones serving overseas



INDIANAPOLIS – (August 3, 2009) – AllAmericanDirect.com, a leading e-commerce provider of consumer electronics and satellite services, today announces the company’s third Laptops for Flat Tops contest, which will award one laptop with an embedded Webcam (for the family) and an additional Webcam (for the soldier) to two families who have an immediate family member serving in any branch of the U.S. military overseas..



This contest arrives on the heels of April and June’s successful Laptops for Flattops contests, which provided multiple military families the opportunity to more intimately connect with their loved ones. The popular contest re-launches on August 3 to provide another opportunity for two more deserving military families.



To enter, all participants need to do is submit a short explanation, either in written or video format, of why their family deserves to win, and how a laptop can improve their lives and communication with their loved one serving overseas. Families must be able to verify their loved one’s military enlistment.



You may also submit an entry by going to http://www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops, joining our group, and submitting a one minute video. When you submit your video, please remember to begin it with your name, and then submit an entry to www.allamericandirect.com/military with the words "see video", so we can send you your laptop when you win!



“In our first two contests we set out to raise awareness and support for our troops, and the response was overwhelming,” said Mike Mountford, CEO of AllAmericanDirect.com. “The stories that we have heard have inspired us, and reassured us that something as simple as a laptop can lift a family’s spirits in a time of great need. We salute the families that have sacrificed so much to serve our country.”





Entries for the contest can be submitted as early as 12:00 AM EDT (24:00 GMT) on Monday, August 3 via allamericandirect.com/military for written submissions and via www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops for video submissions. The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT (15:59 GMT) on Friday, September 4.



Judging will be done by a panel of three judges including: Col. (Ret.) Dale A. Kissinger, partner at MilitaryAvenue.com and a colonel (retired) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Scott Davis, an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm and father of Army PFC Sean Davis, who is stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and is preparing for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Ms. Jenna Richards, the sister of Capt. Phillip Richards and his wife Capt. Michelle Richards who are active in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and will be deployed to Iraq for their second tour of duty in September 2009.



Winners of the contest will be announced on Monday, September 14. Families may re-submit a new essay for each bi-monthly contest if they were not previously selected. The contest will continue every other month through December 2009.



To learn more about Laptops for Flattops, visit http://www.allamericandirect.com/military. Further information on AllAmericanDirect.com’s products and services is available online at http://www.allamericandirect.com/?pr.

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About AllAmericanDirect.com

AllAmericanDirect.com is an established provider of consumer electronics and satellite services, founded in 1983 and acquired in April 2003 by CEO, Michael R. Mountford, and president & CFO, Jon K.. Pardieck. AllAmericanDirect.com is a privately held national retailer of DISH Network, Verizon Wireless, HughesNet; and an e-commerce consumer electronics retailer, headquartered in Indianapolis , Indiana . All American Direct is the sole provider of U.S. distant network television channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX) to DISH Network customers, currently serving more than 120,000 active distant network customers. For media inquiries, please contact Christy Oberley at Dittoe PR at (317)202-2280 ext. 16. To learn more about All American Direct, please visit www.allamericandirect.com.


Go and nominate someone you love today!

Inspiration 8/12

I am a great believer of luck,
and I find that the harder I work,
the more of it I have.
Thomas Jefferson

Inspiration 8/11

Yesterday is History...
Tomorrow is a Mystery...
Today is a Gift...
That is why its called the present.

Author Unknown

inspiration 8/10

The Wisdom of the wise, and the experience
of the ages, may be preserved in quotations."
- Disraeli -

Hometown boy makes it big... Go Owls! ;)

Last night was a big night for Agua Fria Owls, from Avondale Arizona, and Arizona State Sun Devils. :)

Randall McDaniel was inducted into the NFL Hall Of Fame. Not only that, he asked our former principal from Agua Fria, OK Fulton to do his introduction speech.

Randall McDaniel graduated 5 years before I even started attending Agua Fria, but I was able to meet him at the basketball game when the school inducted him into their hall of fame. He was a really down to earth guy back then, and from his speech, and the interviews that they have shown, he must still be. He works with elementary school kids up in the Twin Cities, which to me shows what an influence Mr. Fulton had on his life. :)



Congratulations Mr. McDaniels! Thanks for the memories. You have made all former Owls and Sun Devils proud!

Inspiration 8/9

Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while
waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to
meet people who are in the field of your bliss, and they open the doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and
dont be afraid... and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. If you follow
your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

~ Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

Inspiration 8/8

A keen sense of humor helps us overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and outlast the unbearable.
- Billy Graham

Inspiration 8/7

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

First day of School Pictures.....

Today was the first day of school for us! Which meant it was a big day in our household as it was DJ's first day of Kindergarten! :) Plus Natalie's last year of middle school, and Kelsey's (OMG When did I get so old?) Junior YEAR! Not to mention my second year of teaching 3rd grade here in Georgia.

We all had a good day. Mrs. B, DJ's teacher said he had a good day. DJ says it was fun.

Enjoy the pictures!

Smelly Washer Review and my first giveaway!!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by the folks at Smelly Washer to use and review their product.

Let me tell you, it came in the mail just at the right time! With going back to school, and getting ready for going back to school, unfortuantely a couple of loads of laundry were left in the washer for too long before getting put in the dryer. Using this product was great, instead of having to rewash the laundry several times in hot water to get rid of that smell we were able to do it in just one wash!

Then that stinky washing machine smell? Wow I can not say enough about how well this product worked! It made my washing machine smell like it did when we first got it home, and made all of the clothes that we have washed since then, smell even better.

Watch this video and learn more about it.



Now for the really cool part! The folks over at Smelly Washer want you to get a chance to try this product for free so they are giving me the chance to give away a bottle!

All you need to do to enter is comment on this post, and leave me a good email address. I will choose a winner through Random.org next Friday! :)

Inspiration 8/6

Everything you need is already inside. Just do it.

First day back to school for the students and my kiddos today! It's going to be a great year! I can feel it. :) Can't wait to get started.

School starts tomorrow....

And that means my baby boy will be in KINDERGARTEN!!!

Plus I will have a junior in high school, (How did that happen?) and an eighth grader!

Man I feel old.


Pictures tomorrow night.

Inspiration 8/5

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

inspiration 8/4

If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author

Kelsey and Cassidi

Last week when I went to Macon to do a quick photoshoot, Kelsey and her friend Cassidi went along so I could take some pictures of them. Here's the ones that Kelsey edited.

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

From Drop Box

Inspiration 8/3

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.




First day back to official work for me! :) Can't wait! It's going to be a great year!

K9s for Kids

If you are anywhere near this, please go out and support this wonderful cause!

Inspiration 8/2

Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.

Inspiration 8/1

I smile easily, knowing that of all the things I wear, a smile and good humor are the most important. Life's most prized possession, is a pleasant disposition.