It's 2008 and I've come to the realization that I need to streamline some things in my life - clear away some of the clutter.  I'm going to have to bid farewell to this blog which has served me well, but now that I have setup my own website, I don't have the time to maintain this blog.  I'm going to leave it up, I'm just not going to be generating new content for it anymore.  Please visit my new blogs and don't forget to bookmark them:

• the easy chair: Some outlook, input, insight, rants and ramblings ~ just whatever…
• Great Day for Fishing: The perfect day for fishing is one that ends in “y”
• Money Matters!: a journey down the path to financial success…

The Whole Enchilada was my first blog and LiVEJOURNAL is a great place to start for those who are considering starting a blog. It's a great, free way to test the waters to see if you enjoy blogging. I'm thankful to everyone that's ever visited, left a comment, bookmarked me, felt some emotion, or got a laugh from this blog.  Thanks for visiting and 

I was tagged for a MeMe by my friend Susan for a MeMe, so here goes...

You have to come up with seven “facts” about yourself and post these rules:

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes...

- I have a Real Estate Brokers License

- I sing karaoke.

- To my grandchildren, my name is "Ninnie"

- I have another blog called the easy chair and a new one called Money Matters!

- My maiden name and my husband's middle name are the same.

- There are two things I love to get up early for: to go fishing or to go yard sale-ing

- I found a diamond ring when I was 15, reported it, no one claimed it, my dad sold it and bought me my first car, "The Tomato," a 1978 Honda CVCC.

There you have it!

And, here are the bloggers I'm tagging...
Tammy
Sprezz
Evana
venus315
rootbeerfizz
Esperance
Revka

This weekend, my husband and I watched Blades of Glory. He had a little homophobia before watching the movie, but wanted to check it out. I knew neither of the skaters played by Will Ferrell and Jon Heder were portrayed as gay men in the movie and thought this would be funny. One of the guys at work was telling us about it and with his taste in movies being similar to mine, I thought I'd like this flick. It was hilarious - from the skating scenes to the one-liners; beginning to end, this movie made me laugh out loud.

In 2002, two rival Olympic ice skaters were stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from men's single competition. Presently, however, they've found a loophole that will allow them to qualify as a pairs team.

Will Ferrell was great as the leather clad sex addict, Chazz Michael Michaels and Jon Heder's performance as the protected and naive Jimmy, aka Little Orphan Awesome was just that, awesome. I really enjoyed this flick much more than I expected. If you like comedy, check this one out & I hope you like it!

Oh yeah, if you check out the extras, you can see American Idol runner up, Bo Bice singing the theme, "Blades of Glory", too. Just in case you've already seen the movie, here's the music video along with a sneak peek at the movie...

We don't snow ski much around here although I do love it, but we do fish. All year. I've fished when it was so cold there were snow flurries coming down and you had to shake the ice off the end of your rod just to make a cast. That's cold!

The North Face gear is some of the best cold weather gear out there; and while checking out the selection of gear at breckgear.com, I was impressed with their offerings . The North Face Jackets are available for men and women and offer warmth in the coldest of temps while providing style and comfort.

The North Face Breckenridge was selected by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce as Business of the Year proving that they'll provide you with the personalized friendly customer service you deserve. They are committed to answering your questions and making your shopping experience with them a success. The site is easy to navigate, with clear images and descriptions of the products including photos of available colors. The prices are reasonable and with the free shipping for orders over $50, that makes ordering from them even more attractive. Check out The North Face Breckenridge online for your North Face needs.

Today was an extremely busy day that started this morning about 9:30 and is still going strong. Jimmy and I were supposed to be fishing a bass tournament today, but his clutch went out on his truck, so we didn't get to fish it. It's okay, I've gotten a lot accomplished today and Jimmy's making some extra cash working with his friend at his machine shop.

I still had a lot of stuff in the garage that was left over from the garage sale back in August. I know it's been there for awhile, and it would've been gone sooner, but Brittany and Scott asked if they could take it to the flea market to sell, but that never panned out. So, I horsed all that stuff into the back of the 4Runner and hauled it downtown to a little place called The Helping Hand. It's kind of like the Goodwill store in that you can donate and shop, too.

I dropped off my donation, then went in the store to take a quick look around. They had all their sweats on special, probably because it's still 80+ degrees here. You could get mix and match sweats, exercise clothes, sweaters and/or sweatshirts four for a dollar. I bought myself a pair of nice corduroy casual pants that looked new, a nice light blue Hanes sweatshirt and some under armor pants to wear when we go fishing. I bought Brittany a pair of track pants and a pair of stretchy dress pants, too. The total came up to a whopping $1.60. Cool!

I left there and ran by to pick up a few things from town, then back home to clean up some more. I took everything off the counters in the kitchen and scrubbed them down, dusted the den, living room and bedrooms, and cleaned out the fridge. The dryer went on the fritz on Tuesday, but Jimmy and I were too busy to do anything about it, plus we couldn't take it to the repair man because of his truck. So, Chris came by and helped me unhook the dryer and take it out to the garage. There was lint and about 3 bucks worth of change under it, so I cleaned that up and then took the dryer apart. It looked like the belt was bad to me, so I made the decision to get a new one as soon as Jimmy got home. Our laundry was so far behind - if I skip doing laundry for more than 2 days there's at least 3-4 loads to be washed.

I cut the grass and when Jimmy got home about 5, he broke out the weedeater and did the trimming. We washed up and went to Lowe's to pickup a dryer, then he and Bryant brought it home and hooked it up. I'm planning to wash and dry clothes til the wee hours of the morning, and by Sunday afternoon, I should be caught up and looking for stuff to wash. The new dryer doesn't seem to take as long to dry the clothes - especially towels and jeans, so I think even though we spent some money, we'll save on energy in the long run...

We did a lot more around the house, but I'm too pooped to post anymore...

Jimmy, Nate and I took a little road trip today up to my Tammy's for Alaina's birthday party. On the way there, Nate was fighting sleep and saying "I wanna go home." He does that when he's tired.

We got to Tammy's in time to get a hug from everybody, then we went to the party at Salem Pizza. It's not far from Tammy & Bryon's house and she wanted to have the party there instead of having everybody over to her house so she wouldn't have all that prep before and cleaning afterwards. Being a working mom myself, I know just what she means and thought that was a great idea.

The food was really good - We all thoroughly enjoyed it! We had cake and Alaina opened her gifts, then the kids played awhile and Nate had a ball playing with Seth and the gang. Once all of Alaina's friends were picked up, we went back to Tammy's to sit back, relax and catch up with each other for awhile. Nate had a ball playing with Seth's fancy, souped-up cars and trucks, and 'playing' Guitar Hero.

We reluctantly had to go home, and it was funny because all the way there, Nate was saying he wanted to go home, but when we were going to the car, he started saying, "I wanna stay here." He had a ball and it was so good to see everybody.

Happy Birthday, Alaina!

For as long as I can remember, my Dad has always had a building or a shop on his property to work on cars or lawnmowers or build furniture. When Jimmy and I got married, we bought my Mom and Dad's house and there's a large building in the backyard. Mom and Dad retired and moved to Greensboro where he built a nice shop to house all his hobbies and work on things. Since then, Mom and Dad have moved back closer to us, but the house they bought didn't have a shop. My Dad is a tinkerer and can build or fix just about anything, but at their new home he didn't have anywhere to house his tools. He didn't want to go through building another shop himself which he'd done many times before, so he looked into getting one of those Metal Buildings since they're cheaper and easier to put up than a frame type building. He checked with several manufacturers and distributors of Metal Buildings before deciding on the size and options and wound up buying one large enough to pull 2 cars in - and he's rebuilt 4 John Deere tractors and a 4-Runner since setting up shop. He's satisfied with the quality and every time we visit, we're excited to see what projects he's got going on - I think my Daddy can do anything...

It's early, I went to bed late last night, but am wide awake this morning and ready to go. I made a video last night - it was my first attempt at any sort of animation and I have to say that I'm pretty proud of it. If no one else likes it, my grandson, Nate does. He stayed with us last night and every time I'd play it, he'd just cackle. If you want to check out my little video creation, it's posted under 'What if?' over at the easy chair...

UPDATE: At the request of the advertiser I made the video for, all the videos for the opportunity had to be taken down. That's disappointing because this was my favorite video I've done to date. It's a good thing to know I can make this type of video and I learned quite a bit, so that's a good thing...

Unless one of the six NC born drivers, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #44-Dale Jarrett, #83-Brian Vickers, #45-Kyle Petty, #6-David Ragan or #10-Scott Riggs, wins one of the final races of 2007, it will be the first year since the NASCAR Cup Series started that a driver born in North Carolina would not win at least one race in a season.

This sport is expanding and growing and this just proves that things change…

Some friends of mine are considering purchasing a painting for their home. Paintings can be extremely expensive and they’ve come to that realization while trying to find a work of art of their own that matches their decor. They’ve seen some paintings that they like, but the price tag is giving them sticker shock.

I visited a website today that may end their search for the perfect painting. Masterarts.com offers Hand Painted Portraits from photographs as well as hand painted reproductions of famous masterpieces. The price guide for both types of paintings is affordable and they offer a stretching service so that when your masterpiece arrives, you can hang it immediately. Imaging having a quality oil on canvas reproduction of a Van Gough, Rembrandt or Monet masterpiece. Be it a gift or for your own enjoyment, Master Arts hopes to provide a masterpiece that will be treasured for generations to come.

Reba McEntire put her two cents worth in, or should I say fiddy cents, when her latest album, Duets, soared to the number one spot atop Billboard 200 album chart this week. This came just one week after rapper Kanye West's Graduation topped 50 Cent's Curtis in one of the biggest battles in chart history.  Reba came in and delivered a knockout punch.

Go Reba!

Reba's been atop the country charts in the number one position before, but this is her first number one album to land in the number one spot on the Billboard 200.  Her new album features duets with Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Timberlake.

Although we haven't had a direct hit this hurricane season, it's probably just a matter of time before we see a storm brush the East coast. We've been lucky that we've not experienced a major storm here in quite some time; I hate to say it, but we could benefit from a tropical depression making it's way through here just to bring some rain. We're in a serious drought. I'm not talking about a storm with a "Category" attached to it (unless it's a 1); I don't want to lose power or experience flooding or wind damage.

I remember a few years ago, we could have used a generator when Fran came through. Our power was out for days - it was miserable. My Mom and Dad lived in a rural area at the time and they were without power for over 10 days. They lost everything in their freezer and refrigerator and my Mom who's extremely clean was at her wits end with no power and no hot water. It wasn't long after that, my Dad installed one of those transfer switches and a mac daddy generator in his home like the ones sold at Generator Depot USA. An automatic transfer switch makes sure the power stays on when utility power fails because it automatically senses loss of utility power then signals your generator to start and restore power to your home. He was determined that they would not be without power for that long again.

And the last comic standing season 5 winner

...drumroll...

JOHN REEP from Hickory, NC!

Here's his final farewell performance from the finale...

Being the mother of two teenagers and the stepmom of two former teenagers, I know what it's like to lie in bed at midnight past your child's curfew with eyes unable to shut while images of your kid lying in a ditch somewhere pop into your head. Anxiety overtakes you as you can't reach them on their cell phone, or they're just ignoring your calls.

It's one of the worst feelings...

The problem is you can't be with your child 24/7. And, once they start driving, you just don't know where they might end up. Sure, you can try to check the odometer reading, but you still don't know where that 20 mile journey took them. According to statistics, accountability is the key to keeping your teen driver safe; they're less likely to take part in irresponsible and sometimes dangerous behavior if they know Mom and Dad have the ability to check up on them...

How?

The RMT Rover GPS vehicle tracking system installed on a vehicle can alert you in real time as to location, seatbelt usage, and can even alert you if they're speeding. This system is affordable especially compared to the premium increase on auto insurance policies when adding an inexperienced driver, not to mention the substantial increase if the inexperienced driver gets a speeding ticket. Another option to monitor your inexperienced teen driver is the RMT Tracking Key which records data for download and review. This system costs about half as much as the RMT Rover, but the drawback is the data is not in real time. If you're worried about who your teen might be hanging around with or where they're going, you should check into one of these options. Not only would it hold them accountable, but could also cut back on the chances of them getting a costly speeding ticket. Most importantly, it could prevent them getting into trouble and promote their safety and well-being.

****Spoilers of the finale follow****



It was the down to the dueling Donatos last night on Big Brother 8's Season finale; I had Dick pegged to go far in this game from the beginning. Although I didn't always agree with his tactics, he had a strategy going in the house and he stuck to his game plan making it all the way to the final 2. And, to give credit where credit is due, Danielle tied one of my all-time favorite players, Janelle, winning 5 POV's and 2 HOH's helping their alliance make it to the final two.

During the live show, the jury members questions taped via satellite earlier this week were played and Dick held true to his personality by speaking his mind and leaving nothing on the table. He doesn't know the meaning of PC and the world would probably be a better place if people would just say what they mean instead of beating around the bush trying not to offend anyone. Sure, he said some things that hurt other players feelings, but that was his way of taking the heat for and protecting his daughter from eviction. There were eye-rolls and head-shaking from the jury on nearly every answer given, then the jury members made their way onto the stage high-fiving their way through the aisles as they entered.

Julie switches to the Donatos in the house and there's some small talk. Time for the jury to cast their votes for a winner. Each juror comes up and inserts the key of the person they want to win BB8 and make a statement as to why they chose that person. Eric says it was a clear cut choice for him, Jameka says her vote goes to someone she respects, Dustin says someone in the house told him actions speak louder than words and he is voting on actions, Jen says honestly she would prefer to vote for anyone else but them, but she has to vote for one of them. Zach says he was in the house longest and got to know them personally and competitively, and votes. Amber says her vote is on game strategic purpose. Jessica says she is voting for the person she enjoyed most in the house, may the best Donato win!.

Next, the other 5 houseguests evicted pre-jury made their way onto the stage and I was glad to see that Nick let his mohawk grow out. Julie talked to each of the 5 non-jury players and it was cute when Danielle said, "Awkward!" speaking of she and Nick reuniting after the votes were revealed. Julie also introduces ED's son, Vincent, and mother, Charlotte. Was it me, or did ED's Mom's voice remind you of Tony Sopranos Mom's?

Time to reveal the Big Twist of BB8...

Eric comes on screen to reveal to all the other players that he was the Big Twist of BB8 by being America's player. While watching his tasks replay in front of everyone, Eric looked mortified. I think he was terrified Jessica wouldn't understand. Anyway, those scenes made me laugh and Eric played a good game and almost played everyone in the house.

Time to reveal the votes...
Eric: ED.
Jameka: Danielle.
Dustin: ED.
Jen: Danielle.
Zach: ED.
Amber: ED.
Jessica: ED

ED wins by a 5-2 vote and is crowned the winner of BB8's $500,000 grand prize. Runner-up Danielle will take home $50,000 and NICK!

Where were you September 11, 2001? What were you doing when you first heard about the twin towers?

I was at my desk at work when I first learned of the attacks. I received an instant message from Amy, then we all ran back to the fitness room where the TV is to see the news. At that point, we thought it was an accident. While we were watching, the 2nd plane slammed into the other tower shocking us all...

I set alarms on my phone this morning, 1 for each time a plane went down and to remember when the towers fell, so that I could take a moment to remember those who lost their lives that day and say a prayer for the families those brave men and women left behind. The tragedy of 9/11 will not be forgotten and hopefully never repeated.

God bless you all and God bless the USA!

Recently, my mother-in-law gave us a wall mountable car vacuum which I hung up in the garage. When I mounted it, I really didn't pay that much attention to the location - I was basically just trying to hang it where there was a space and a stud. After mounting it, I realized that the long hose on it allowed me to vacuum my car, the boat and the doorsteps without even taking the vac off the wall. Cool! With the vacuum being in the garage and not having to lug the house vac outside, we vacuum everything more often than we used to. Now if I can just get my son to use it on his car...

This is the final 3 performance by John Reep of Hickory, NC! He deserved to make it to the final 3 and this bit proves it. The uncle changing the brakes was classic! Loved this and vote for him!

Not if, but when I move into our new home, I want to have nice appliances and fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms. Those two rooms, the kitchen and bath (especially the master bath), are the best places to spend additional money in order to add value to the home. I'd love to have stainless steel appliances in the kitchen including a nice gas stove and brushed nickel fixtures in the kitchen to match. I've picked out this beautiful Delta faucet called the "Leland" for the kitchen because it has a pull-out sprayer and it's tall so washing large pots and pans from Jennings' (a.k.a. Emeril, Jr's) cooking experiments much easier to handle.

The folks over at faucet.com have a huge selection of faucets for kitchen, bath, and bar and they also carry sinks, ceiling fans, lighting, cabinet hardware, mirrors and much more. If you're planning to purchase items from them for an entire project, you can speak to a Project Expert who may offer you a Project Discount depending on the size of your order.

Faucet.com offers same day shipping on most items and your order over $99 may be eligible for free ground shipping to the continental US as well.

Thursday Challenge: Outside

Our grandson, Nate, swingin' at the park...