Suzy's Blog

Where has September gone?

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:55:00 +0000

I was just looking at the Calendar the other day and realized just how close we are to some major holidays. I have been working on getting some stock for my store and also for the Madison Street Festival next weekend. I will most likely be working from now until friday. I will also have some Christmas themed jewelry out as well. If I don't update much between now and the street festival that is why.

It is a crafty weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:34:00 +0000

Today the hubby and I went to the Monte Sano Art Show. I had never been before. It was nice to see something different. It was a nice weekend to do that. I also walked around to the Jewelry booths so I could see what kind of pieces the artists were showing. All of the jewelry I saw was different and Unique. Tomorrow is also the last day for the NEACA craft show. This is one the larger craft shows that we have in the area. I plan to go tomorrow to see some more jewelry. Last summer I picked up beading and making my own jewelry. I am also in preparation for my first craft show in two weeks. I will have a booth at the Madison Street Festival. I am looking forward to it with anticipation.

Chris Pirillo's tips on good blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:09:00 +0000

So I have been following Chris Pirillo for a few years now since we attended his Gnomedex Conference in Des Moines Iowa in 2002. In fact we went to 3 of his Gnomedex Conferences 2 were in Iowa which was really nice because we only lived 3 hours away. The thrid one we attended was in Lake Tahoe which was a lot of fun. Anyway, back to my point. Chris has been blogging for years and has always had some good tips for his readers and this one is no exception. I think he is does a good job of finding new content to post on a daily basis. I really wonder how he does it. I have been blogging on and off since 2002 and find myself having a hard time finding something worthy to blog about. I love blogging just have trouble finding content.

Webgrits is Back

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:50:00 +0000

Well I know it has been awhile since I have posted something. This summer has been a quick one. A few weeks ago we spent a long weekend out at the beach in Fort Walton with some friends. They had to go for work and had some extra room and invited us down. I should say that the friends we went with are like family to us. My best friend from High School and her husband introduced me to my husband 18 years ago. Anyway, we had a great time at the beach. After breakfast this morning we came home and I was checking out my blog feeds on my yahoo and noticed that an old blogger is back. I really enjoyed reading her up until Dec of 2005 when she took a break from blogging. I was excited to see in my blog feed she had a new post up. Welcome back Webgrits we missed you. I look forward to reading more of your entries.

Social Spark The Social network Paid to Blog Service

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Are you looking to make some extra money and make friends? SocialSpark is a social network and paid to blog service. What I like about it is that you can network and get paid to blog at the same time. Most paid to blog services do not have the social aspect built into it. SocialSpark code of ethics include 100 % disclosure that means putting a piece of code at the end of your post to show that you are being paid for the opportunity. The other aspect of their code of ethics is 100% transparency that means that every participant in Social Spark is viewable to the public. If that is not something that you want then I would rethink joining.
You get real opinions from people who own the product being talked about. Depending on the agreement with the advertiser you can write anything you want about the product. SocialSpark does not have any restrictions on what you post. It is your responsibility to pick opportunities that best suit you and your blog.
And last but not least it is 100% search engine friendly.
It is a great place to blog and meet new people.

An institution that will never be the same

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Growing up in Huntsville I always thought it was weird that only one Mcdonalds had the single arch. Now as an adult I am kind of sad to see it go. It was only one of two signs left and now it will be in a museum. I guess all good things must come to an end. It will be kind of odd driving by and not seeing the single arch anymore.

Panoply Arts Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:59:00 +0000

Well it is almost that time of year again. Panoply festival of the Arts is April 25th to 27th. If you have never been I highly recommend it. They always have local talent which is always nice to see the local people perform. When I was in High School our Choir performed at Panoply. It was fun to be a part of it mostly because you could get out of school early to practice for shows like that. I remember the first year that they had the Arts Festival I was 5th grade. I had broken my toe and had it in a cast and boy was it warm that spring. I spent the better part of the summer that year with the cast on. We went to the Knoxville Worlds Fair and I still had that thing on. Anyway, enough down memory lane here. If you have not been to Panoply or are new to the area you should check it out.

Starbucks Standing By Tip Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:58:00 +0000

I am a fan of Starbucks coffee and like to drink their White Chocolate Mocha on occasion. However, recently they have been ordered to pay 100 million in tips back to their employees in California. Other states have also filed suit regarding this. I do not agree with their policy that they should be sharing tips with the shift supervisors. I think that this policy is wrong and it makes me want to avoid the chain for treating employees in this manner. The Baristas are the ones that earn the tips by making your cappuccino's and lattes not the shift supervisors. Starbucks defends this policy saying that shift supervisors are not management. I think that after they wind up paying all these back tips that they are going to be in a worse position than they are currently in. They are already closing non profitable stores and also scaling back how many new stores they open. I hope that Starbucks changes their minds on their tip policy because it currently is not fair to their employees.

Dept of Public Health Restaurant Ratings

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:51:00 +0000

I think it is great that the Alabama Dept of Health has established a website where you can access scores for restaurants. However while searching the website for places that we eat at frequently I discovered that some of the ratings are outdated. One restaurant that we go to very often with my mother in law shows their old rating of 83 when I know that the restaurant was recently inspected and raised their score from an 83 to an 86. The 83 is from their January Inspection. According the Alabama Dept of Public health scores that fall between 70 and 84 require a reinspection within 60 days. If a restaurant fails meaning that it does not make a grade of 85 then why not reinspect in 30 to 45 days versus 60 days. It seems to me that having an inspection more frequently will make sure that the restaurant is complying. I also feel that if an establishment is truly complying with the standards then the subsequent 30 day inspection will show more than a 3 point improvement on the score. 60 days give the establishment time to correct the score but only enough to pass the inspection. What about the next routine inspection? It may or may not be passing because the management of the establishment has gotten lazy and back into their old way of doing things. I feel that some places have an attitude of well I made an 85 so I am back on routine inspection versus every 60 days. Another thought would be why not if you do not pass two subsequent inspections then stay on reinspection every 30 days until you get a passing score. Even though most of this post has been critical of the process I think that the website is a great tool when you eat out and can help you choose if you really want to eat there. Having the website is better than walking into a place and finding out that they did not pass inspection. It sure beats calling all the places you want to eat to ask about the latest health inspection. I just think that non passing establishments should be inspected on a more frequent basis than they currently are.

Singulair Users at Greater Risk for Suicidal Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 02:29:00 +0000

I find this article very interesting. I have been given this drug before for allergies. I have not taken it long term so I cannot speak for the side effects. I did not feel that it did anything for my allergies and wound up taking something else. I wonder at some point if I may get it prescribed again since I have asthma also.

Tornado Hits Downtown Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Last night Art and I were out at a club to listen to local band play. This particular club has Televisions on different channels. I happened to look over at the TV that was tuned to Fox News and at the bottom of the screen says possible Tornado hits downtown Atlanta. My first thought was wait I had been home most of the day and had thought that I had missed news from earlier in the day. My second thought was I hope that my sister, Niece and brother in law were okay since they live just north of where the Tornado hit. It was not until we got home around 11:00 or 11:30 that I found out that the Tornado had hit about 9:30 pm. One of the other Televisions had the Alabama and Mississippi State game on which was in overtime and being played in the Georgia Dome which sustained some damage. We were hanging out with some old classmates of his. Some Butler grads decided that it would be kind of cool to go to this bar and listen to a local band. The band was pretty good they play 80's music. My favorite next to Country. While I am typing this I had tuned to CNN to see if I could get any information about the Tornado. They said that the storm had been rotating over Rome Georgia which is well North of where the Tornado actually hit. As of this typing I still have not heard from My sister or parents. I figured that if something were wrong I would have heard by now.

This Gives Customer Service a Bad Name

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 02:24:00 +0000

I am glad that I was not one of these travelers. I would be one ticked off person. It looks like the airlines finally tried to do right by the passengers but, for me it would be too little too late. I bet a lot of these passengers will be thinking twice about flying this particular airline anytime soon. I know I would think twice.

Mobile Student Commits Suicide at School

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:34:00 +0000

This is just awful. I cannot imagine having to witness it or much less children witnessing it. It seems like teens are in the news more for shootings at schools or committing suicide. I really feel for this kids friends and family having to go through this.

I am an Asthmatic with Vertigo Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:44:00 +0000

I know most people will wonder why I am posting this? Well recent developments prompted me to post this. The title actually came to me while I was driving home from the Dr on Monday. Having been coughing and wheezing for about a week I decided it was time to have it checked out. I got up Monday morning and headed to the Dr office. I got there at 8:30 and did not get home until noon. Anyway, back to the coughing and wheezing after a few days I said to my husband that I wondered if it was Asthma. Over the weekend I quizzed my parents and sure enough along with my allergy issues I had Asthma as a child. I have not had problems in over 30 years so being diagnosed with Asthma was a surprise to me. The Dr told me it is not uncommon to not have a problem for long periods and then come back as an adult. I was also told that you never really outgrow Asthma you just go long periods like I have without any attacks. I find it hard that I have not had any Issues as my triggers as a child were Animals and Cigarette Smoke both of which I currently live with. I have had a cat for 7 years and my husband has smoked longer than we have been married. The treatment so far has been helping me. I am not wheezing or coughing as much but, having to make sure that I am near the nebulizer when it is time for my treatment is a pain. I go back to the Dr tomorrow for a follow up. I think that I will ask her if I can switch to an inhaler or something that is easily portable. The nebulizer is small but, it is not easily transported as I cannot carry it in my purse or pocket. If I had something smaller I would not have to worry about missing my Asthma treatment or making sure that I am home for my Asthma treatment. Anyway, on to the Vertigo Issues I was diagnosed with that in November. Now that I have them under wraps and not having problems with that. One of the side effects of my Asthma treatment is dizziness. As if I had not had enough of the Merry Go Round that I was experiencing for 2 months before finding out that I had BPV.

Office Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Looking for a durable office chair and office furniture? Intercounty offers 4 main ranges of commercial grade office chairs at discounted price. All of their chairs go through a comprehensive testing before being sold. The four main ranges are Stealth Mesh Chairs, The Tabitha office chair, Quasar II and finally the Triol Task Chair.

The Stealth mesh chairs start at 59 pounds. In this type of chair they carry the Mesh Back armchair featuring adjustable arms. They also offer a step up from the standard Mesh Back armchair that features fully adjustable arms plus tension control for individual body weight. The High Back mesh chair has improved ventilation and leather faced seats and they are 186 pounds. They also
feature adjustable headrest and lumbar control and a synchronized knee tilt mechanism. Finally under the stealth mesh chairs is the Stealth Shadow office chairs featuring
High density foam seat covered with a luxurious hard waring mesh fabric, Knee tilt synchro action for total comfort, Height adjustable arms, Adjustable headrest, and Stylish silver base with built in scuff protection zones. These chairs cost 169 pounds.

The next range of chairs that they offer are the Tabitha office chairs they come in three types. The Tabitha office chair with no arms. This chair is fully adjustable operator chair and comes with an 8 year warranty as do all of our chairs. This chair starts at 44 pounds. In this type of chair their is the Tabitha office chair with hoop arms again a fully adjustable chair and costs 51 pounds. Last but not least in this category is the Tabitha office chairs with adjustable arms and features optional pump up lumbar control. This chair costs 59 pounds.

Next type of Chair is the Quasar II Chair they start at 79 pounds and go up to 128 pounds. They can be purchased without arms, with hoop arms, adjustable arms, and foldable arms. These chairs also offer you the option of a black base or silver base.

Last but, not least is the Triol Task chair they start at 89 pounds and go up to 169 pounds. These chairs offer a wide array of options including no arms, synchro action, or split level synchro action and option of black or silver base. Intercounty also offers discounts on office storage too.

Airborne May Not Work

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:55:00 +0000

My sister swears by this stuff. She heard about it 2 years ago after she was sick when traveling. She does not leave home without it. Whether she is flying or traveling by car she has it with her. It was recommended to me at Thanksgiving when all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and sleep. I tried it. It helped a little but, I do not carry it everywhere I go either. She even keeps some at my mom's house for my niece when she is visiting.

LifeLock

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Are You worried about Identity theft? Do you want to know if you are a victim of identity theft or if you are at risk for identity theft? Then take the Life Lock quiz to find out. Life Lock Promo code will help you take the necessary steps to get your identity back. They will contact the credit bureaus on your behalf and initiate a fraud alert on your credit report. They will also update the fraud alert as necessary unless you tell them otherwise. Signing up for Life Lock they will also stop junk mail and unsolicited
credit card offers as well.

Do You want to avoid fishing scams then sign up for Life Lock Promotion code? Learn about ways to protect your identity from Phishing scams, hackers, and data breaches. Data breaches can happen a number of ways not just from doing business online but, from shopping in stores as well. One instance of a data breach is where Marshall and TJ Maxx parent companies computer was hacked and 94 million people were affected by that breach. Another instance of a data breach is card systems where 40 million Visa, MasterCard, and Discover Card members information was accessed through an unsecured network. No matter how vigilant you are about keeping your identity safe it is not always possible. Sign up for Life Lock today and get an annual discount of $21 and 30 days free or if you choose to pay monthly you can get a discount of 10% and 30 days free.

Rick and Bubba

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:52:00 +0000

I was listening to Rick and Bubba this morning on my local radio station while on my way to get a Java Monster. Anyway, they were talking about the troops in Iraq and is it a good idea to send the following entertainers to entertain the troops. First it was Jessica Simpson, followed by Disturbed and to close it out Comedian Carlos Mencia. They were asking who came up with this brainstorm and list of artists. Anyway, it was pretty funny as the only entertainer on that list that I like is Carlos Mencia he is crass but, makes me laugh. The others I could take or leave.

Things to Do In Huntsville

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:02:00 +0000

I was thinking of different things to do if you are new to Huntsville or if you are just visiting. The Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau has a list of attractions to see. Some of the places on here I had even forgot about. Alabama Constitution Village is always a good place to take your kids. I remember going on school field trips there as a student in elementary school. They have some interesting things about Alabama's History there. If that is not your speed then there is always Sci-Quest which is a hands on Science center for kids. I myself have never been as this was something that opened after I left the area and was out of School. Another favorite place is the US Space and Rocket Center. It is the home of Space Camp which just celebrated it's 25 anniversary last year.

Java Monster

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:46:00 +0000

First of all let me start by saying I am not a coffee drinker. I only recently started drinking coffee. My husband got me hooked on Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha which is just sweet enough to mask the taste of coffee. One day my husband was telling me about Java Monster and that they had a new flavor out that taste like Baileys Irish Creme. So about 2 weeks ago we found where they sell the Irish Flavored Java monster and it was quite tasty. So tasty in fact I had to try the Russian Blend which tastes like a White Russian again sweet and yummy. I recently tried the lo ball which is the lo carb version of Mean Bean. I have tasted both the Lo Ball and the Mean Bean while they both are tasty I prefer the Mean Bean as it does not leave the aftertaste that artificial sweetener does. The Lo Ball is a good substitute if you can't find Mean Bean. After having tried 3 of the 5 new Java Monster my favorites in order are Mean Bean, Irish, Russian and Lo Ball.

Virus Hoaxes

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:57:00 +0000

So my husband posted some tips about how to determine if an email you get is a hoax or if it is a true virus. This was prompted by an email that i received from my parents earlier in the week. The email that was forwarded to me was a hoax although it did have a link to a real virus that was confirmed on Snopes. The first time I got the email I deleted it. Second time a few days later my mom forwarded it with a note asking us to check it out so we did and sent her the response. Well yesterday the same email was forwarded yet again so we resent our response and more information regarding the hoax and how to tell. Now today I get yet another email that is a hoax that has been circulating the Internet for 8 years now. In the case of this email I responded to my parents and the person that sent them the email stating it is a hoax and that they should take the time to research these things before they hit the forward button. If you are going to send an email with a link saying that something is confirmed by Snopes then actually read the link to see if the link belongs with the email if it sounds fishy do some more research to find out if it is true or if it is a hoax. It takes just a few minutes to research these things before you get forward button happy with your email. Like my husband posted the people that should be reading this probably will not. Of course my family is the type that if they got an email that said Bill Gates was tracking the email and that they would win money for sending this email to all their friends then they would believe it and not hesitate to forward it.

Vista SP1 may block some 3rd party apps

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:46:00 +0000

I was just telling my husband last night that SP1 will be available soon. He runs Vista on his new laptop and I still run XP Home on mine. I really see no reason to change from XP and I am happy with it. I know when I eventually get a new system it will most likely have Vista on it. I have a friend who recently got a new desktop and it has Vista and she has had issues with it using up lots of memory. Maybe if I wait long enough I can get a system that has an operating system that is not such a memory hog.

Rhinoplasty In Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Looking to have a nose job rhinoplasty in Orlando in Orlando? The Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery can handle it. They do procedures ranging from Face Lift to Platelet healing gel procedures and nose job rhinoplasty in Orlando is one of their top procedures. A nose job or nasal contouring surgery will help with Nasal Breathing and Sinus Function. It helps with nasal appearance, nasal contour and nasal profile. Dr Clevens offers Virtual Consults for out of town patients. Dr Clevens has two conveniently located offices. One in Melbourne Florida and the other in Merritt Island, Florida.

Dr Clevens also offers non surgical procedures ranging from Artefill to Medispa. Financing is available for your procedures using Capital One or Care Credit.

Dr Clevens chooses to perform surgery in Ambulatory Surgical Centers that are fully accredited and they have to exceed the most stringent state and national accreditation standards. They are equipped with the most advanced computers, lasers and equipment available.

Art has a new single

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:00:00 +0000

I don't know if I have posted this before but, my husband has made a new piece of music. If you like his music drop him a note letting him know you like it.

The Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

noreply@blogger.com (Suzanne) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:57:00 +0000

Looking for a plastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon in the Alexandria Virginia area? If so check out The Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. You can search for Physicians by name, country if looking outside the United States, or by zip code within a 20 mile or 200 mile radius.
They perform a variety of cosmetic surgery from Blepharoplasty or Surgery of the Eyelids to Facial reconstructive Procedures. They offer a virtual exam room. You can also compare the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons to general plastic surgeons so you can decide which kind of plastic surgeon to use. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons receive unique training in their field.
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons participate in humanitarian programs such as the Face to Face Program. This program provides complimentary care to individuals in the us and abroad who have facial deformities caused by birth or trauma.