Holiday Review

Dave and I had a wonderful Christmas this year. We stayed in Chapel Hill, NC with Dave's mother, Elaine. It was a quick trip. We left the island Christmas Eve, and had to return December 26 to clean one of our vacation rental houses. We had a lovely time visiting with family and friends. Christmas Day was split up between Chapel Hill, with Elaine, and then Durham, NC at my brother Tim's with my siblings, mother, and all the rest of the family.

I can't believe how quickly the nieces (Ashley and Erica) and the nephews (Justin and Brandon) are growing up...
I remember holding the newborn Ashley (now 16) in my arms in what seems like 4 or 5 years ago. I love them all very much, but Ashley was the first niece I held. Sometimes it saddens me to realize that all the important things (i.e. after school sports, concerts and parties, etc.)in their lives are passing me by. I am so proud of each and every one of them for the wonderful and unique individuals that they have become. I would like to be there to share their achievements and memories with them. There aren't enough hours in the day, or days in the week to make that possible. I really enjoy spending time with all of our family on the holidays.

Well, it's past time for sleep....

Goodnight All...

Text Ad through BlogShares

While checking my account at blogshares, I ran across this blog ad. I really like the dove magnet and will probably order it. 100% of the proceeds goes to disabled veterans, and/or their loved ones.

Heading Home For Christmas

Dave and I will be traveling for the better part of the afternoon heading up to Chapel Hill, NC to spend Christmas with our family! Here's hoping that anyone reading this has a Merry Christmas, that is full of love and fellowship with family and/or good friends!

I hope to upload some pictures when we return probably on Monday....

I Have No Use For Internet Explorer...

I am in the process of setting up a new blog using wordpress. While setting up the new blog, I followed this link and realized it will be very useful to my friends and family. If you want to speed up your web surfing, browsing, and memory issues, make the switch to anything other than internet explorer. I know it's frustrating learning how to use more advanced software. In fact, when I started using Opera, I wanted to throw the darn computer out the window! (for about five minutes before Dave showed me how to set all the nifty little options!) 30 minutes later I was loving life. I could not believe how much faster my page loads were. Best of all, while dedicating about 3-4 tabbed windows to Blogshares, I too could snatch up those rare ideas! It was great for my self esteem, it wasn't that I was such a slow poke, it was that sluggish browser, IE! Another great feature to Opera is the mouse gestures. No more moving my cursor up to the tool bar clicking on icons, and waisting valuable time. it's as simple as . I really don't care which browser you choose, as long as it's not IE! Try them all, and choose the browser that is right for you and your lifestyle.

Clear Vision and Cold Nights

Well, my vision seems to have straightened itself out. It turned out to be inflamed sinus pressure, which apparently compressed or irritated an optical nerve. One lesson I did learn though; pay attention to the meds you purchase in the pharmacy. I go through a lot of deongestant. I tend to have alergies and sinus pressure several times a year. The think to watch out for is the new nasal decongestant- Phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) which apparently does NOT work for me. The packaging, from color to style is almost identical to the old fashioned pseudoephedrine (Sudafed). In NC you have to look for the card hanging above the other meds to get the pseudoephedrine product from your pharmacist. Thats right, thanks to the meth manufactures, the state has put limits on how much Sudafed you can purchase at a time. Note: if you decide to try the new Sudafed PE type decongestant, please be advised that the dose is ONE little red pill, not two as with the original Sudafed.

In other news, I took another day off from work today. It is really cold tonight, with the low at 30 degrees. I can't wait for spring! I don't mind if the temperatures dip into the 50's overnight, but anything lower than that is just too low for me.....

Dave and I went to Morehead City today to do a little Christmas shopping, Dave also had to renew his Driver License today.

Note to all motor vehicle drivers: Please check the date on your drivers license for the renewal date!!!!
If you don't notice that your license expired on your last birthday, you may have to take the written and the driving test over completely! Enough said :)

Food for thought: Google is your friend! Before forwarding that email that has been forwarded eight times before reaching you, you know, the one that says, "boycott that department store, or gas station, because they are un American", please just use google as a source to prove/disprove the facts stated before you get all riled up start emailing the piece of propoganda to all of your family and friends. Not only will you exercise your brain with useful information, but you may break the chain of mis information and ignorance. Thats all I have to say about that :)
I may start posting these emails and straightening out the fact from fiction here. I'll have to think about it.

Strange Day and Blurred Vision

Today for some unknown reason, I woke up with blurred vision in my right eye. I feel absolutely fine other than the fact that my vision is still off. Imagine this: Leave your optometrist office after having your eyes dilated for the glaucoma test, then, head straight down to your local cinema showing a 3-D movie, but don't put on the dorky paper glasses.... That's about the closest I can come to explaining my current predicament. I did stop by my doctor's office, and the nurse was a puzzled as I was, and said to come back, or go to the hospital if I had any "other symptoms" (headache, dizziness, heart palpitations, etc...).
Needless to say, I wasn't able to work tonight. I couldn't read street signs, let alone addresses off of houses, and mailboxes!

So that I didn't sit around, I did a little research on vegetarian nutrition. Since I've chosen to give up meat, I might as well focus on staying healthy. I do kind of miss the convenience of the grocery store frozen section. I always liked the frozen chicken fingers. Well while I was perusing VegWeb and a few forums, I found a recipe for quick seitan. I have not completed my pantry to include all the meals and grains, I haven't even experimented with tofu, so I decided to use what I have on hand. Since I do own a bread machine, I have a few different varieties of flour, I didn't have the wheat gluten, but I decided to use my whole wheat flour, and it would at least give me an idea if I might like the seitan as a meat substitute. I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour, and 3/ cup of water, so I wouldn't have to worry about pressing and squeezing out excess water. After kneading it 10 times, I set the meatless loaf in the fridge for about 10 minutes, and then cut it into about 15 chicken nugget size pieces. I dipped some of them in catsup, and some in blue cheese dressing. Yum! They were delicious, and at a tiny fraction of the cost of the actual chicken nuggets. I think the whole meal cost around a dime, and that's due to the fact that I used a lot of catsup! Time for sleep, Dave and I have a busy day tomorrow.

Giving Up Meat

Well, I haven't given up meat completely, but I am finding it suprisingly easier than I would have imagined! Unless you have ever gone several days without meat, you probably won't understand this, but I feel lighter, more energized, and believe it or not happier! I'm not sure if it's because I'm paying more attention to protein, or perhaps because I'm eating more often. And as an added bonus, I'm lowering my caloric intake, getting more complex and less empty carbohydrates. I'm still eating fish, and eating/drinking dairy products, although in smaller amounts than before I decided to make the humane change, and cut out meat. One day I may go completely Vegan, but I'm so happy to feel and look more healthy.

Well, I must get ready to go to work, feel free to comment on your feelings pro/anti vegatarian. pro/anti anything else being discussed :)

Finally Put Up The Christmas Tree

It's been a really nice day. Dave and I slept in until around 11 a.m. We only had one house to clean, and the guests were very clean and considerate, so, the house that usually takes us 1.5 to 2 hours to clean, took only about 45 minutes. I even took a three hour nap!

I was so energized after a day or relaxing, I finally moved the Christmas boxes into the house, and put up the tree. It came out really nice. Since there aren't any little ones running around, Dave and I decided to put up a little three foot table top tree.
Nice tree top, don't you think!?! Santa rinding a white reindeer!

In other news TurkWatch is making progress, and adding information. Check out their About page here. Join TurkWatch on their IRC channel stop in and say hello, or ask a question if you like.

TurkWatch Is Up And Running

For those of you who are into Amazon's Mechanical Turking, be sure to bookmark TurkWatch. It will offer advice and suggestions complete with message boards. You'll be able to sort through fact and fiction, know what works and what doesn't. Increase your speed and productivity. Share MTurk knowledge, news, and experiences with experienced turkers. The site went on line in the wee hours of the morning (Dec. 16th, 2005), so check back often to see what's new and being discussed. Feel free to join, and share your own Turk experiences; communication, and participation are what it's all about!

Good luck, and Happy Turking to ya!

I'm back from work and troubled tonight

Yesterday as I was parusing BlogShares, I saw an interesting link under the BlogShares Sponsers intitled: Meet Your Meat Warning!!! This Link Is Graphic In Nature, and NOT recommended for the young, or faint hearted!!!...

I had nightmares last night after watching the video. I wish I didn't love eating meat so much. I'm going to try to cut it out of my diet. See.... It's not that I have a problem with eating meat, it's the way that the livestock are treated to reap the slab of meat on our dinner tables. I've heard about the videos that expose the dastardly treatment of the animals, but before yesterday, I've never actually seen one! I don't know about giving up dairy though. I can probably do without the meat, but the milk, eggs and cheese will be really tough to give up.I guess I could switch to the soy products. Until we stand up and thwart the demand, the abuse will continue.

I can already hear the abusers now "If we spend the extra money for anesthetics, the cost to the consumer will skyrocket"!
I'd be willing to pay the extra money for ethical and humane treatment, I'd just eat less meat. If you are prepared for a sad documentary, please click on the above link, if not, just know that it's not alright.

I'm going to attempt to get some Zzzzz's..........

Definitely feeling more fit

Today I went on anouther hour walk. I could do without all the airplane noise coming from Bogue Air Field. I respect the fact that there is a need to practice maneuvers, take offs, landings and touch and goes, but the noise from the Harriers can be a bit much. Here's a link to some historical facts on Bogue Airfield.

Well, time to go to work.

Great day to go for a walk

Today I went on a two and a half hour walk around my town scouting out things to blog about. Unfortunately, this being the "off season" in Emerald Isle, there's not much going on. Business owners tend to limit their hours of operation, to spend quality time with family, shop for the holiday, and to just recover from the caos of the spring to fall "high season". It was really nice viewing my beautiful town at a slower pace. I had the opportunity to actually have casual conversations with year round residents, watch the squirrels and other small animals scamper about, and forage for food, and just enjoy the peace and tranquility. I did manage to visit Cedar Street Park, one of the town parks that has sound access. Unfortunately, the town has not rebuilt the dock at this location, and you can no longer fish, or crab here. I also visited Island Harbor Marina located at the end of Old Ferry Rd. with direct access to Bogue Sound. Construction of this area is coming along nicely. I think they may have more boat slips available now, than they had pre Hurricane Ophelia mid September. I did take digital pictures, but I have not uploaded them as of yet.

After returning home from my walk, of coarse I had to to check email, and news off of my front page... There was a very interesting article about a news site:
Happy News I get a little disgusted with all the bad news, it was nice to find a news site with a more positive slant. while surfing the happy news site, I ran across this article. I really like the Alternative Gifts International idea. Please use this I Give link to shop. Up to 26% of your purchases are given to Alternative Gifts International.

Yay! Starting school January 9th

Well, I'm still busy tying up all the loose ends that I've put off for the last few months... I went up to Carteret Community college Tuesday Dec. 6th to officially enroll in the Certified Nurse Assistant course. I'll start class Jan. 9th. Okay, that was redundant, I already stated that in the title of this post. I don't think I will find it all that difficult, I was certified in the same field 15 years ago. I'm going to see how it goes, maybe in the future I'll go back to college full time in the RN associates degree program. I really do like people, and the nursing field is so diverse, that I could logically move from field to field, and continue learning.

I'm starting to feel too old, and unsafe driving to strangers houses to deliver pizza to supplement my income.
A few gripes that has been troubling me the last few weeks are....

1. After you place the order over the phone, and you know that the delivery driver is expected in roughly 15-45 minutes, please don't wait until the person gets to your door to make out your check.
-It's winter, 20 degrees (or colder), company policy does not permit us to come inside your house, so please be prepared and have the check ready.

2. Please leave your porch light on until the driver makes it back to their car. I hate it when I've taken 2 steps off the porch, and am suddenly left in the dark! It's inconsiderate.

3. With daylight savings time, it is now getting dark even earlier, so please make sure there is sufficient lighting to safely get to your door without tripping on that tree stump that we can't see in the dark, or stepping in the pile of doggie doo that no one has bothered to clean up.

Some people don't think about the above mentioned things, so if one delivery person is warmer, or has better light, it does make a difference, and I'm glad I said it.

You know, I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop... the economy is terrible, yet the average order that I deliver is $25. I don't understand how people struggle to pay their bills from month to month, and can still afford pizza night twice a week! That's the main reason I've decided to get back into the medical profession. Times may get to where people aren't able to afford pizza 1-2 times a week, but healthcare will always be needed. Especially in Emerald Isle, the town that Dave and I live in. A large number of our local population are 65+ (22.4% as of the 2000 census). And I'm sure that number is well below current average. Home health care companies are understaffed, and are hiring nurse assistants right out of school. In the past, you had to have a minimum of 1-2 years experience in a hospital or nursing home to get a position with them.

I'm also pleased with myself, I sold my first item on ebay Monday. I sold the printer that came with my new Dell. It wasn't much, but since the printer didn't cost me anything, It was all bonus.

Well, I must rest so I can get through the day tomorrow.


-Peace-

Happy Holidays!!!

Okay, so I'm lousy at keeping my blog current. For the last few months, my schedule has been hectic, with night and day (and week) all blending together. Let's see... Time change leaves me zapped for a while and then there are the three hour commutes to our parents homes for Thanksgiving...

We stayed at Dave's mothers' house for Thanksgiving, and I must say...
Wow!
That was a treat!...

My Mother-In-Law is having her whole house remodeled, and it is turning out lovely. The whole house now has a positive flow to it, from room to room. She's had new windows installed in just about every room, new doors, a new Florida Room added, and new flooring throughout. The floor covering is beautiful, and Eco friendly too! Mom chose to have cork floor tiles installed. Here' a link to cork floor facts . Doing research on earth friendy flooring I thought this link was helpful for bamboo flooring. Mom also had her yard landscaped, and added gardens and art. The house is "in the country" , surrounded by a beautiful Carolina wooded (loblolly pines, rhodondendrons, and lots of other shrubs and trees that would take hours to identify and describe!) community. I love the house Mom!!!....

Well, we had more food than any of us could hope to eat in a week!!! My dad drove down from Akron, Ohio, he does every year. Mom's neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Lafferty and her co-worker Alison joined us for the celebration. So all in all, there were seven of us. Mom had ham, turkey and all the trimmings, and Alison brought two of the best cakes I have ever put into my mouth! She brought pineapple cake with pineapple frosting, and yellow cake with chocolate frosting. The baker uses only natural ingredients, such as butter, NOT margarine! Yum! Now my mouth is watering. Oh well, if that baker were any where in a reasonable driving distance to me, I would probably HAVE to join a health club to keep all the extra weight off.... ...

Well.. I must stop here, it's time for sleep.

Emerald Isle made it through Hurricane Ophelia!

Well, Dave and I didn't get much sleep last night due to the hurricane... it sounded like our roof was being ripped off, the power was out, it was black as pitch outside, and there was no end to the storm in sight, it was impossible to sleep, unless you were one of our spoiled cats!...

Dave snapped some pics, and video clips during and after Ophelia known...
You will find Dave's blog posts: here...

I'm not exactly looking forward to all the yard cleanup, but I'm grateful to still have a yard and a home left that requires the extra effort. Some folks weren't so fortunate....

I'll miss the marina docks in Harbor Marina a few blocks away, the piling are still there, but the docks themselves are completely gone. One of the news sourced that we read today quoted the owner of the marina saying he has a family member in the dock building business, and he plans on rebuilding.

I guess that there will always be trade offs for living in such a beautiful place: Emerald Isle, NC. The community may know the true meaning of the word neighbor. The air may be clean, and the coastal views, and wildlife may be breathtaking.
But sometimes nature must remind us that our lives can change drastically and literally overnight. We face the possibility of hurricanes several times a year, we can't imagine calling anywhere else home.
We feel like this is where we belong.....

Finally reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Yesterday Dave and I went to Morehead City to get out of the house for a bit.
We ate at one of our favorite Chinese/Japanese buffet restaurants called King Buffet. Yum... ,as usual, they had several kinds of sushi to pick from. They also had a few dishes I haven't tried before, such as, Peking chicken. It was awesome!!! I've had Peking duck of course, but was surprised to find the chicken just as moist and succulent. They also had a wonderful dessert bar, with fresh fruit, pastries, cookies, and a serve yourself freezer with Hershey's Ice Cream. One of the more interesting ice cream flavors was blue, and tasted just like bakery birthday cake.

We left feeling rather full, and decided to go to the Wal-Mart across the street before driving the 20 minutes or so home. We were delighted to find a table set up with J.K. Rowlings newest book in the Harry Potter series. I won't spoil it, but I will say that I'm enjoying reading it as much as its predecessors. I've had quite a few great chuckles... and outright belly laughs. Half-Blood Prince is definitely a must read.

Took a break, but I'mmmm Backkkkkkk!

It's been 3 months since I last posted... I have taken a break from blogging for the most part. I started a new blog over at Zanga. Island Tiffiney's Zanga Blog It's not that I've posted much, I've had a busy summer so far, and my break from work has been curling up with a good book or three for the remainder of the day. I've submerged myself in the fictional life of Kay Scarpetta by reading the series by Patricia Cornwell. Cornwell is a great author. I have always been amazed by forensic science. My other current favorite authors are Tami Hoag, Iris Johansen, and Stuart Woods. Horror... Horror.... Horror!!!!

I'm still not sure what path I want to follow for a career. I would like to get my private pilot's license within the next few years. Maybe even take the time to write a book or two myself! I guess I'll have to get over my writing being private and personal. Willingly letting someone else read it will be ket to getting published though huh?!?

Oh well, never hurts to dream does it?

I'll try to post more frequently....

See Your Dentist, and Get Your Teeth Cleaned!

I know it's been a long time, but so much has happend!
So, here's my story...

A little over two months ago, I started experiencing acute tooth pain. I spent the weekend wishing that monday were already here, and that I could get into a dentist office to make the pain stop.....
It also happend to be during the week that the Chevrolet dealership kept our car for over a week while parts were on order. now, you're supposed to enjoy time off of work, you know... get some of those home improvement, and crafting projects completed that you have been meaning to do for the last few months. That didn't happen, the weekend seemed to go on, and on.
Eventually monday arrived, so I peddled my bike as fast as I could the six blocks to the dentist office in the cold, drizzling rain. I was greeted with a smile, and asked if I had ever been seen by Dr. Campen before. I said that I had not, and explained as well as possible, that I had a terribly painful, and sleepless weekend, and hoped that they could fit me in that day. Dr. Campen is a wonderful dentist, with a great chairside manner. I highly recommend his practice to anyone in need of a dentist, for whatever reason. He saw me right away, and sent his dental hygienist in to take an x-ray of the offending tooth, and surrounding area. After about five minutes, Dr. Campen returned to my room with the developed x-rays, and asked me if my dentist had ever talked to me about periodontal disease. That made me gasp, and I had to explain that the last time I sat in a dentist's chair was almost sixteen years ago. He went over the facts about periodontal disease. The fact of the matter was, I had been suffering bone loss for quite a long time, and the offending tooth would have to go after a week of strong antibiotics.
the following week, I went in for a simple extraction... Yikes!!! The whole reason it's been so long since my last visit to the dentist is, the thought of having the series of jabs with the novocaine needle! I'd rather wear a hair shirt!!! Well, despite my fear of the shots, my fear of the tooth pain was even worse, so out with the tooth it was the following week. As previously stated, Dr. Campen has a wonderful chairside manner, and worked quickly and efficiently removing my tooth. It just wasn't as bad as I remembered. We scheduled a follow up exam for the following week to do a full set of x-rays to find out the extent of damage done by periodontal disease. Unfortunately, the images were not good. I had quite a bit of bone loss. Several teeth were no longer surrounded or anchored with bone. Dr. Campen discussed my options at this point, removal of all my front teeth (upper and lower), and quarterly visits to the periodontist for scaling and root planing, along with home care to save my teeth for as long as possible, possibly for another ten years. Well I decided to take my health into my own hands. It's My health, and I wanted to talk to others that have gone through what I'm now faced with, and make an informed decision. What I learned was this:

If I keep the teeth, and go along with the quarterly periodontal treatments (:
1. Cost between $200 and $800 per treatment!
2. A lot of painful dental work.
3. Eventual tooth loss anyways!

(pricing for perio treatments taken from : Here)

If I opt to have my teeth extracted, the bacterial infection and the ever present pain goes away.

1. Cost for extractions.... $3k to $4k ! (oral surgeon, complete with anesthesia.)
2. Cost for dentures..... $2400!!!! OUCH!!!!

I talked to people that decided to save their teeth and opted to do the scaling and root planing and guess what?!? Nine out of ten ended up losing their teeth eventually, and said that if they had it to do all over again, they would have opted to lose the teeth, get dentures, and be done with it!!!

Several people also referred me to Affordable Dentures.

Needless to say Affordable Dentures is the way I decided to go. It cost a whole $2100. That included the extractions, xrays. 22 vials of Novocaine, immediate denturues, the "New Denture Wearers' Custom Package. So far, I have been very happy with the quality of service, and care provided by Dr. Wulf's office in Wilmington, NC. THey are a national chain providing services in over 20 states, locations may be found here.

The Moral of the Story:

All of this could have been avoided if I had gone to see my dentist yearly for routine cleanings!
I did not have one cavity in my mouth!
My teeth should have lasted me a lifetime!
Since I chose to disregard this simple task, I now have to re learn how to talk and eat! it's extreamly difficult as an adult, and I really wish I still had my natural teeth.

Don't get me wrong, my new teeth are absolutely beautiful.
I'm just put off by the thought of whistling, clicking and clacking.
My biggest pet peeves are poor grammer and/or enunciation!
I did not spend a year in speech therapy as a child, and years of practicing my exercises to overcome a lisp for nothing!
Now I feel like smacking myself every time I speak!
I know I will eventually relearn to speak properly, but for now it's so frustrating!....

To Be Continued........

Great Wall Restaurant, Emerald Isle, NC

These are my friends: (L) Rui Zeng Liu, and wife (R) Simmy Wang. They operate a wonderful Chinese Dine In/ Take Out restaurant, "Great Wall",wich is located in Emerald Isle, NC, near the Bogue Inlet Pier. The address is 8201 Emerald Drive, Phone 252-354-3383. Their hours of operation are: Monday-Thursday 11:00 AM- 10:00 PM Friday and Saturday until 11:00 PM. They are closed for lunch on Sundays, but open from 4:30 PM until 10:00 PM. They are a dedicated husband and wife team working together seven days a week serving up delicious dishes! The menu includes wonderful appetizers such as: fried wontons, egg rolls, spring rolls, and exceptionally tasty shrimp egg rolls. Traditional soups are also available. Their specialties include: Cantonese, Szechuan and Hunan Style Cooking. Prices range from $4.35 to $4.85 for Lunch Specials. $4.95 TO $11.75 For dinner (Chef's Recommendations). I have never tried a dish that I did not enjoy. My favorite dishes from Great Wall include: curried shrimp, general tso chicken, pork and snow peas, and the wonderful szechuan lo mein (beef and shrimp). There are also American dishes to choose from for children that haven't learned to appreciate the Asian Cuisine yet. :) So please, if you are in Emerald Isle, NC, treat yourself and family to a wonderful Chinese lunch or dinner from Great Wall!!!!  

High Blood Pressure and PCOS

I haven't been feeling too well, for the past month now. I'm sick and tired of being sick... and tired. I stopped by my doctor's office yesterday, to schedule an appointment, and YIKES!!!!, my blood pressure was through the roof! I have been treating high blood pressure with medication for the past year and a half now, and the doc wants to adjust my dosage of Atacand. Today, she asked me how I was doing with my PCOS treatment (polycystic ovarian syndrome), which I see an endocrinologist for, and I made a startling discovery. I don't think I'll ever go back to see the endocrinologist. I think the medical treatment for PCOS is way over rated. First of all, I've seen her for about a year now.... If there are any women out there that see a doc for PCOS beware of the treatments....

1. your goal is to get your weight within goal range, and keep it there!!
( I STILL need to lose around 40 pounds)

2. You are treated for insulin resistance.
( In my case, that includes taking the diabetic drug Metformin HCL)

3. You begin the diabetic low carb/ no sugar diet.

4. Your lipid panel SHOULD be drawn bare minimum twice a year.

Well, after following the endocrinologists recommendations for a year, I'm worse off than I was last year before treatment. I have gained 10 pounds! My trygicerides are WAY high, and so is my cholesterol (it was around 205 before treatment, but is over 230 now!)

Excuse me, shouldn't I be getting/feeling better, not worse!

Today my family doctor prescribed a drug to assist with weight loss, increased my dose of Atacand, and wants to see me back in 2 weeks.

I hate complaining about my health, but I'm at my wits end, 34 is too young to feel like an old lady.

Hopefully naturopathy has a few better choices of treatment. I'm not looking for a wonder drug, I just want to feel good for a change.

I'll post updates as they become available, when I find which natural minerals/vitamins help....

(notice I said When.... that's the optimist in me ;) )

That's it for now, so keep on bloggin'

Island Dave's first post on the Agonist

Today was the first day that my husband, Island Dave posted an article on The Agonist news site. I'm so proud of him. Article may be found here.

Today I spent the day shopping at my favorite thrift store, Hem Of His Garment in Swansboro, NC. I enjoyed scouring the isles, and even found a great deal on a ceramic soap dish for twenty five cents. I was very pleased with my purchase!
I was also able to take a few picures around Swansboro. I'll post them later.

To top the night off, Dave made some of the best tacos I have ever put in my mouth.

Kitty Time Out

Who says that "Kitty Time Out" doesn't work? I think Duke has learned his lesson! Just kidding.... He loves to burrow into pantlegs, or coat sleaves, snuggle up and then go to sleep! 

Pictures taken in: Swansboro, NC. 1.10.2005 by: Tiffiney Paar
 

Pictures taken in: Swansboro, NC. 1.10.2005 by: Tiffiney Paar  

Pictures taken in: Swansboro, NC. 1.10.2005 by: Tiffiney Paar 

Misty Pier

Beneath the Pier Photo taken by George Mitchell.

Video Blogging

I've been Googling and have found quite a few great video blogs. Now I'm contemplating adding video to my blog as well. Why not? I believe that Emerald Isle, NC, my hometown, is the most beautiful place in the continetal US. That's why Dave and I chose here to make our home.... I want to share the beauty of the SOBX (Southern Outer Banks) with all of you. I really hope that each and every one of you are as proud and feel as strongly about the place you call home. Check out the link to Dylan Verdi-The World's Youngest Video Blogger.> Also, check out her dad's blog Michael's Video Blog.

Well, I'm still feeling a little run down, so I'll let ya'll know soon how the video blog idea is panning out for me.

Peace and Love,

Island TIffiney

New Year's celebration on our stretch of the beach

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days, but am starting to feel better now....

I love Dave so much. He actually sat through my favorite New Year's Eve movie: When Harry Met Sally. Yes I realize it's a "chick flick", but I love all the older couples finishing each others sentences, after 50+ years of marriage. That is my dream. To grow old with Dave, and to grow closer to each other, and never drift apart. Next New Years Eve, Dave gets to pick the movie! I can't wait to see what he picks!

Dave and I opperate our own vacation rental, house cleaning service. We forgot that we had a house to clean this evening, so around midnight, we took a 10 minute drive to the northern part of the island, and cleaned for around 45 minutes. I love being at that end of the beach. There's not as much light pollution,and we had the beach to ourselves. There is nothing like holding and kissing your one true love on the beach. Especially when it's 58° F in the 1st week of January no less!!!

Well, I have to be up for work in 7 1/2 hours, so I'll have to finish up later.

I hope you all are enjoying 2005 as much as I am.

Cheers!

Island Tiffiney

This was a beautiful Christmas Season for Dave and me!

Christmas time is the best time of the year! I have had the last 11 days off from work, and Dave is finished with classes until Jan. 17th!

Well, we went to Chapel Hill, NC over Christmas to spend the holiday with family. Dave's mother, Elaine (whom I love dearly), invited us to stay with her. We had a wonderful dinner of beef roast with potatoes and carrots, followed by exchanging of gifts. I will say that the serenity misting fountain was my favorite gift!
Blue Misting Fountain

Then we headed over to my sister Sheryl's place to spread Christmas cheer! We were fortunate enough to catch my whole maternal extended family at one place this year!

1. My mom, Debbie
2. My sister Sheryl, her husband David, and our nephew Brandon.
3. My brother Tim, his wife Brenda, our two nieces Ashley and Erica, and our nephew Justin.

Dinner at Sheryl's consisted of spiral sliced ham, lasagna, potato salad crackers and cheese, followed by homemade cherry pie and apple pie, homemade chocolate truffles, and pumpkin roll. We had a wonderful time exchanging gifts, eating, laughing, joking and talking.
Then Ashley and Erica introduced Dave and me to a game called Pit.
We both woke up with a sore throat from all the yelling!

Pit! card game.

What can I say except that we really enjoyed every minute we were able to spend with family, and the fact that this was our first Christmas as a "married" couple. I hope we have many more years ahead of us together.

It didn't end with Christmas though. My birthday is Dec. 28th, so we celebrated that doing one of the things that I like doing the most. Thrift store shopping and eating Teriyaki Chicken from Japan Express.

To be continued tomorrow......