What’s Going On:

1. I just bought 3 more domains. 2 for niches which are related to regular websites that my friends own, 1 is AffableBooks.com, which will be a site with recommendations for only good books. A bit of description, a bit of review, maybe some sort of rating system- but only good books. It’s not up yet, so I wouldn’t bother typing in the domain. The other two are more likely to be profitable, but if they’re not, at least I can boost up my friends’ sites.

2. One of those niches is related to a personal trainer friend of mine. If you’re interested in exercise video downloads, I recommend checking out TotallyFitWithCarol.com. Carol is made of awesome, and is the mother of two of my best friends- both professional writers (CJ is the author of Bound by Guilt, and her sister Tracy is a freelance magazine writer who also has a column in the new Suzy magazine). I’m trying to get her to set up an affiliate program for her videos. BTW- what I love about her videos is that she shows you multiple ways to do the same exercise, so that people at various levels of fitness and flexibility can participate.

3. I’ve been working my butt off on my Disney site. One of the new posts is about 13k words at this point, and it’s still growing as new search terms show up for it (anything that looks like a question I put up as a Q&A). And you wonder why I never post here anymore?

4. I’ve learned to crochet, and re-learned how to knit. Dad taught me the crochet (family tradition), and YouTube re-taught me how to knit. I’m currently crocheting a bed scarf and knitting a baby blanket.

5. Epic Mickey makes me cuss. The game is fun, but really, really aggravating.

6. I just finished 1 month gluten free. I’m about 1 1/2 weeks back into gluten, and I’ve decided that gluten and I don’t mix very well. Nothing too bad, but a lot of little things, and an overall attitude problem since re-introducing it. Luckily, I don’t seem to have any problems with having it one or two days- it’s the ongoing eating it that’s an issue, so I don’t think that I’ll have to be strict about it- just keep it out of my regular meals.

What’s Not Going On:

Hubs and I have decided to not go to Disney World this year. We’re trying to save up enough to jump over the final hurdle in our debt. Once it’s all paid off, we intend to celebrate by going back into debt. No, seriously. We’re probably going down to WDW and having an awesome trip to celebrate- and we are saving up some cash for the trip, but it’s not likely to be enough to pay for the whole thing. Still, it’s the thought that counts, right? And after that, we’re going to look at buying a house. We were kind of looking now because, well, face it, the market isn’t going to get much lower unless total disaster strikes, and decent homes are now approaching our budget level. But we’re just not thrilled enough with the homes in our current price range, so we’ll have to wait until we’re totally out of debt and hope that the market hasn’t spiked or that the interest rates haven’t gone up.

Still, my sites are doing well (tax season is always good for my main niche), and life is pretty much good. I could use more sleep, but I’m hardly alone in that.

1. I got back from Walt Disney World about a month ago. It was awesome, but it was HOT. As in we were in the park that has the least amount of shade on a 92 degree day with 92% humidity. Yeah. Luckily, my husband has finally agreed that we’re never going down for our anniversary again AND that he promised to never complain about the cold in Jan/Feb when we’re in Florida.

2. My husband has taken to a liberal use of powder (all kinds- baby powder, athlete’s foot powder, Gold Bond medicated… you name it, he uses it) in our master half bath. When I commented on the now white floor, his response was “Yes, I like to call it my…(yes, he really paused for dramatic effect) powder room.”

3. I can now be called a card carrying health nut. I’ve switched to coconut oil for almost all of my frying needs, with the only exception being when I really think butter or bacon fat is just too perfect. I am now drinking raw (unpasteurized) whole milk, and even enjoying it when it starts to go sour. I’m tossing all of my table salt and replacing it all with sea salt (if you get the right kind, it even tastes better), using my cast iron skillet as much as possible, and have just this week soaked grains and sprouted pinto beans to reduce the phytic acid in both. I’ve managed to find high fructose corn syrup and soy free tortillas, and despite the huge list of preservatives, consider that a major victory. I’ve found a local farmer’s market that sells grass fed/pastured meats, raw milk, high heat/short time pasteurized unhomogenized milk, and farm fresh eggs.  And I spend much time every day reading Kelly the Kitchen Kop because, well, it’s interesting and she’s nice and there’s a lot of good information that’s easy to understand on it. I’ve been wanting to give her a quality back link, but I can’t think of any terms that she might be trying for… And, as usual, when I went to her site to get an idea, I got sucked into more interesting posts. So, check out her politically incorrect nutrition blog, but don’t say that I didn’t warn you about getting sucked in for hours on end!

4. I had the misfortune of seeing one of my co-workers doing the Macarena. *shudder*

5. I really need to post more often!

6. Oh, and about that whole coconut oil/full fat milk thing? Yeah, I lost 13lbs in about 2 weeks.

Hubs and I are sick of renting. Sick of having to call in the maintenance guy to fix the crappy equipment that comes with the place, sick of the horribly drafty doors and windows, the literally hollow baseboards and trim (I kid you not, what wethought was solid wood was in fact rotted out leaving the form of the original wood in the paint so that it looked totally normal until we accidentally pushed too hard on it and it caved in), the mysterious leak from somewhere around the tub that leaks through the ceiling in the kitchen and INTO the ceiling light’s cover. The kitchen faucet that can only be turned off by pushing down on the center of the thing rather than the actual handle, and now we just had to have a part replaced in one of the toilets to stop the jackhammer noise that woke me from a dead sleep 2 hours after I went to bed after a long day. I’ve already talked (at length) about the neighbors, and now the CO2 alarm goes off every time I make chicken or turkey broth.  I’d mention more, but I don’t like to complain. (insert tongue into cheek here)

So hubs and I found a cute little end of unit townhome in an awesome location. New community, immaculate exterior and yard, ditto for all the neighbors. Only problem is that it was a 2 bedroom 1 bath, and for all of its shortcomings, our current home is 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath plus an additional toilet (weird set up). So, we sat on it for a few days, unsure whether we should apply for a mortgage, set up a viewing, etc. A few days later, we looked at the listing again and it was under agreement.

No big deal. We really liked the house from the outside, but really? were we ready?

We’re still not sure. But after this weekend’s incident with the jackhammering toilet, we’re a little more ready than we were. My friend wrote a post on waterproofing basement walls which is a good reminder that not all is rosy in the home owning world. I would hope that a home we buy would be in better condition than this place, but at least the fix is free when you rent!

In the meantime, my internet marketing income as well as the posts like the one just before this is starting to creep up. It’s not enough to make the difference between home ownership and renting yet, but it’s getting closer. I just need to keep hammering away at my sites, and eventually we should be able to start looking at homes that are in the slums and actually have all the amenities we require. I hope.

You know, I usually look forward to holiday weekends because it gives me a chance to really focus on my websites while hubs is at his family’s, but that’s not what I did this weekend.

Tuesday was our 3rd anniversary (that would be May 19th if you didn’t feel like doing the math) so we took Friday off as a vacation day. Now, since we’re in save money mode, we had trouble figuring out what to do to celebrate. So, we eventually settled on doing what we did last year and spent the day in York. Yeah, I know.

So, Friday we hit both malls in York (York Galleria first because I hate crowds and I wanted to hit it before people got out of work). Got my hair cut (Weird tradition, but I’ve gotten my hair cut ON my anniversary every year since my wedding day- this year I was a bit late), bought a couple Veggie Tales DVDs, 2 Celtic music cds, 2 Disney shorts DVDs, some stuff for hubs, and so on. Had breakfast (at 1pm) at Round The Clock Diner which is da bomb. Best club sandwiches and croissant sandwiches around (also the best clam strips but we skipped those this time). And hubs insisted on hitting Toys R Us and Ollies (discount store where ya never know what you’ll find) and I insisted on hitting Borders. Duh. Me + allowed to buy anything I want = books.

OK, so it was almost 90 degrees out and high high high humidity. I had about 20 oz of water during the course of the day and hubs had a glass at breakfast, so by the time we got home we were sick as dogs from dehydration but then ordered out for filet mignon and lobster tail anyway. Oh yeah. Cuz that’s how we roll. (and that lobster tail was so good that I didn’t even use the butter!).

So, we’re still pooped from Friday, but Saturday hubs went to his brother’s to play board games. I, however, spent the whole day running around. I had to get birthday cards for both mom and dad, an anniversary card for them, and a father’s day card for pop.  Spent about an hour wandering around the local Christian bookstore debating whether I really wanted to spend $25 for that cute pink camo LTV (or is it LTC? Living Translation something) Bible or not (decided against, hoping it’s still there for my birthday- seriously, too cute!). Did the grocery shopping for the drinkables since I knew I’d be lugging in all the groceries myself later on, got home with just about enough time to eat Bagel Bites before church. Ran off to church, went straight to the grocery store and finally got home and could rest at about 10pm. Not counting putting the groceries away.

Then Sunday we went over to his parents’ house. Played frisbee in the backyard for about 45 minutes while we waited for his brother to get there. Sit down to eat only to realize that the AC wasn’t working and it was 85 degrees outside. So after dinner, hubs and I took a walk (a long walk- probably a mile or so) while we waited for the repair man to show, and then sat outside enjoying the pre-storm breeze while waiting for the house to cool off after the AC got fixed. (Note: one major problem with central air is that when it blows- you don’t have 3 other units sitting in other rooms). Up till about 3 am playing board games and then….

Today was Dad’s 68th birthday, so I rolled out of bed and went straight over to parents’ house. We went out for a nice (not fancy, just good) dinner about 45 minutes away and then spent another hour or so tooling around all the back country roads. Afterwards, mother and I went to visit my great aunt in a nursing home (she recently had a stroke, and she’s living there while they’re doing therapy with her), and then went to see either another great aunt or possibly a great great aunt, or possibly the cousin of a great aunt, or… Some other relative who was in the same nursing home whom I’ve never met before.  I’ll tell ya what, though, her room was CUTE! Loads of storage, kitchenette, huge bathroom (has to be big enough to accomodate a wheelchair), and she was pretty sweet too. I totally loved her! I wouldn’t mind being like her when I grow up. Sweet attitude, gets around pretty well, goes to all the activities, and was concerned about the other residents who went to the wine and cheese party (because of their medications, you know).  What a shame that I wasn’t introduced to her sooner.

So. Now I’ve got about an hour before bed and I’m finally online, even though I’m also cooking at the same time. And now, I’ve got to go and do some link building. Yeesh. A woman’s work is never done- even on a holiday weekend.

But coolest thing so far this weekend? Just a little bit ago my husband told me I was looking “particularly scrumptious today”. Good boy!

Consider cars that backfire, and yet when you look outside, there’s no vehicle on the street? I believe that I have solved this mystery.

It’s the Knight Bus from Harry Potter’s wizarding world. Remember how it goes crack and jumps to another area of Britain altogether? Well, I’ve decided that the Knight Bus doesn’t just deliver silly wizards to various places in Britain, but all over the world. And those non-existant cars that backfire? Well, that’s just the Knight Bus apparating and disapparating.

Ta-da! Mystery solved.

1. I wasn’t going to do this, because I couldn’t even think of 1 thing that most people don’t know about me after all the memes I’ve participated in.

2. Until Jersey Girl mentioned having a crush on Kevin Smith (Silent Bob of Jay and Silent Bob). I’ve had a crush on him for years as well, so there ya go.

3. And then I remembered that I haven’t seen Airplane yet. Husband bought it for me for Christmas, but I promised a friend of mine that I wouldn’t watch it until we see it together.

4. It took me something like a month to figure out how to use Twitter. Now it’s taking me longer to figure out how NOT to use it.

5. I’ve only read two books by Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park), but own 3 movies (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion).

6. I was humiliated in the 6th grade when despite having the highest reading comprehension in the class (well, in the top 3), and regularly enjoying books written around, oh, 1900, I failed miserably to comprehend Sense and Sensibility and gave up after 20 pages. And then was further humiliated by 3 other girls in my class “loving” the book.

7. Gurinder Chadha wrote, directed, and produced the original movie Bend It Like Beckham, one of my all time favorite movies. It’s my dream to work with this woman. However, she also wrote, directed, and produced Bride and Prejudice- a modern Indian version of Pride and Prejudice, and I hated it! This, despite the fact that I’m a devoted Bridget Jones fan. Then again, Bridget Jones had Colin Firth, so, yanno…

8. I consider Space Balls to be high art.

9. I got my mother hooked on listening to sermons online- and introduced her to one she’d never heard of before. She now calls me almost every day to tell me what she heard, and how awesome it was, and to be ecstatic over having something to do while daddy watches the news ALL DAY LONG.

10. I actually WANT to go to church, like, all the time now. That’s sooo different from how it used to be.

Now, I’m supposed to pick out several more people to tag, but I won’t.  Partially because the one that I’d like to tag the most, a brilliant writer,  has just lost his house in a fire. Somehow, I don’t think fulfilling memes will be at the top of his list right now.

Oh sure, the odds of you winning because you put your name in are slim to none. But think of the fun you could have! For instance, my coworker and I figured out that Mickey Mouse was, indeed, born in America. That there is no way to deny it. And… that he is certainly over 35 years of age. Mickey Mouse is eligible to become President of the United States. And you know what a Disney freak I am…

And think about it- Mickey is no longer the bashful, nearly incompetent mouse that he once was. Now, he’s calm, cool, and collected. All the world loves him. He has experience running a Night Club, which makes him a business man and manager, which is really all the leadership skills that are needed. Plus, he performs the part of judge in Mickey’s Toon Town, and already presides over every celebration in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Disneyland Tokyo, Disneyland Hong Kong, etc. What other world leader has lead so much?

So, we turned our attention to the posts that he would be appointing as President.

We agreed that Scrooge McDuck would make an excellent running mate. After all, he certainly understands fiscal duties, and his strong conservatism would serve as an excellent balance to Mickey’s generosity. Not to mention that after his near-death experience, he’s just not evil anymore, and would be on guard against the havoc that power could wreak.

As First Lady, Minnie Mouse is nearly as universally loved as Mickey. This would serve her well being put in charge of foreign relations. Her fashion sense already sets most of Florida and California on fire, and she would soon overtake Jackie O as the queen of First Lady fashion.

Donald, just won’t take any crap. So we’re making him Secretary of Defense. Of course, putting a bright red button in front of Donald is just begging for trouble, so we’re replacing it with a marshmallow. We figure that if other countries don’t KNOW that it’s a marshmallow, Donald’s insanity should be enough to keep other countries from messing with us, and if that’s not enough? We’ll have Pete as Donald’s top general.

Daisy Duck can be in charge of health care. I’m pretty sure that she has a nurse’s uniform, even if I can’t remember where I saw it. From her earlier life, I know that she won’t take any crap, and from her later incarnations, she’s developed something of a bedside manner. And besides, anyone who can handle Donald can easily handle insurance companies.

Ludvig Von Drake is now to take over the education post. I learned more from him as a child than I ever learned from school, and I can see a return to educational basics, such as English, Math, and Science to our curriculum.

Goofy, well, we expect that Mickey will put him in charge of finances. There’s no way that he could screw up more than the guys we have in charge now, and with Scrooge’s guidance, we should soon have the stock market back on track. And Donald will blow up the fed if they try to “fix” us any more with inflation and ridiculous loans.

There is no one better suited to any communications post than Clarabelle Cow, though I’m not certain that Horace the Horse would do well in any post. Though, he is rather a steady creature. His even temper might serve him well as a House Speaker, or Supreme Court Judge. And can you imagine a better First Pet than Pluto?

In conclusion, I think that Mickey is the best man, er, mouse, for the nation’s highest post. While his administration may be marked by what’s known as cronyism, that is not an issue when said cronies are also the most qualified for their jobs. And you certainly can’t say that he doesn’t have the experience to lead, because, lets be honest- half of his friends are royalty, and you can’t tell me that all those princesses and their husbands wouldn’t give him every bit of assistance that is in their power to give.

Apparently, I have subscribers to this blog! I mean, I knew Wolf subscribed because he said so, but when another friend asked me to change my feed to full, I saw my feed stats. I’ve got subscribers!

There will be no living with me, now.
moar funny pictures

So, I’ve lost interest in another blog of mine. Rather than let it just sit collecting dust, I think of moving its past posts to my chatting blog, which was meant to be a catch-all anyway.

In addition to this, I’ve noticed my sidebar becoming, lets just say, cluttered. I’m hodge-podging again, and every time I think something seems like a good idea, I’m sticking it up there.

Now, I’ve been deleting other banners/ads/widgets as I’ve been adding new ones, but I still don’t like the look. And yet, I know that I’ve searched friends blogs for affiliate programs before making purchases as I figured I’d rather give them a cut on something I was buying anyway.

So my solution? Well, I could build a series of mini-sites for affiliate programs that I think would be of interest, but that would take a long time. What I’m thinking is to write a few posts with the appropriate banners- you know, one for hosting and buying domains, one for regular products that I recommend (like Adagio Tea, awesome), and maybe a catch-all post. Then I could simply link to the posts in the side bar, and just keep up timely ads (like the $10 sign on bonus as it’s only good through August, and the BooksFree which is appropriate to the blog and has a discount, as well as a miniaturized version of my shop). Maybe even have a “free stuff” post that I can update periodically.

I think I’ll be posting these pages to my catch-all blog. I’d hate to have this blog labeled as spam, and that one really is for just… stuff. In fact, now I’m getting excited about the idea, so I think I’ll start now!