1. Last week I had what is now called a "Staycation," defined as vacation time where you "stay" at home. I'd highly recommend them. Even though I may not have whisked away for an out-of-town venture, I was able to spend some time with friends I'd not seen in a while and very good friends I don't get enough quality time with regularly. I caught up on my DVR watching, caught some movies and enjoyed a low key week. Although I have an actual vacation planned for August, this July staycation was simply glorious. Yep, I'd do it again.
2. During my Staycation, I saw Get Smart. I went in with low expectations but truly enjoyed the movie. I've concluded that any movie with Steve Carell, I'm going to love. Some movie snobs may find many things to gripe about with this movie, but it made me laugh out loud and if a movie can do that, it gets five popcorn boxes in my movie rating scale. To continue the Carell love fest, I just read this week that he's signed on for three more seasons of The Office. By far my favorite comedy, I know I'll go into mourning the day it ends. For those keeping score, the movies out I'd like to see....WALL-E and the upcoming epic, The Dark Knight.
3. This week brought news that made me happier than I can describe. I think I need medicine. Denny Burk was named Dean of Boyce College, the undergraduate school at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I'm not a seminary student, nor have I ever attended Boyce, but I know Denny and his wife, Susan. They were active members of our church while Denny pursued his PhD and then left as he accepted a teaching position at the prestigious Criswell College in Dallas. What a sad day. I remember my friend, Christie, and I having dinner and coffee with Denny and Susan shortly before they left. Bittersweet. Denny is a guy who can talk about theology and politics so far above my head that I can't reach it on my tippy toes, but can boil it down to something I can understand in the next breath. And, all this while being hip to the newest pop culture-ism out there. He taught the college class at our church while they were here and the students loved him. Even more than Denny, the love for Susan seemed larger. Every girl wanted a piece of her. I still apply wisdom I learned from Susan to my life today and share it with other women. So often we say good-bye to seminary students we love and never cross paths with them again, aside from our virtual connections, this side of Heaven. A rare treat of having such a great couple back in town is like Heaven on earth.
4. I love the Hallmark channel. I think this may add years to my biological age or decrease my cool factor, but in either case, I'm proclaiming it. Each night at 9pm, Hallmark Channel shows a movie. I can always count on this movie to be clean and maybe even have a sweet romantical story that doesn't scream R rating. Sure, I may shed a few tears, but I've been able to enjoy two hours of no profanity and family-friendly entertainment. I am my Mother's daughter. Man, I feel old.
5. Periodically at the corner outside our office buiding a guy plays his saxaphone. Sometimes it's at lunchtime, and other times it's all day. There is no rhyme or reason to his schedule. My cubical home is positioned by a window above this musical corner, so the minute he starts, we all can hear him. Here in the Infield (what we affectionately call our cube pod) we get serenaded by the smooth jazz tunes of Mr. Sax. At first it was a bit annoying, but now it's like Muzak to our ears.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Car Buying Tips
I am not fond of shopping for a vehicle. Although I worked in the car business for seven years and manage a sales team today, I'm still not overjoyed to go haggle for a car. Maybe it's because I know what goes on behind the scenes on the other side of the table since, well, I'm there daily manuevering deals with my sales team. But, knowledge is power, and it's equipped me with some skills when it comes time to purchase a car.
My car, which I previously reported was having issues, died again a month or so ago. After putting as much money into this car for repairs that would have made a nice down payment, and my Dad's wise words, "I think it may be time for a new car" I decided to bite the bullet. My plan was to begin looking about six months from now. I first had to buy a new laptop (why does it seem everything big konks out at once?) because I use my home laptop for work and needed to save to pay that first, then save for the car down payment. A marvelous blessing came out of nowhere - my Stepmom graciously and unexpectedly wanted to pay for my computer. I cannot put into words what a huge blessing that was for me. Beyond taking care of that cost, the money I'd saved could now be used towards a new vehicle. As much as I wanted to wait six more months anyway, I knew if I didn't take the plunge now, when the next $800 repair popped up in three months, I'd be mad at myself. So, off I went.
Thanks to a tip from a co-worker, I visited a Honda dealership he recommended, and was determined to get a dependable, reliable car that would last. I now am driving a new blue Honda CRV LX that I lovingly call the "Rapturemobile" or "I'm driving it until Jesus comes." Hopefully I'll come up with a clever name, but that one seems to fit right now.
As a single female, car shopping stinks...unless you are armed with intelligence. For those of you in the car market, or who may be in the market again someday, here are a few tips that helped me secure a deal my budget could live with.....
Do your research. I spent a lot of time online figuring out my options. But even before that, I polled my blogging audience and asked a lot of people their thoughts on reliable, dependable car options. Even during my last episode with my dead car, my AAA Rescue Ranger gave me insights from his experience. There are lots of places to research online....edmunds.com...cars.com ....carmax.com are just three of the sites I used. Beyond just looking up various model choices, I also did research on bank rates and used various calculators to determine the scenarios I could face and what I could afford. It's good to get an idea of what various cars, new and used, are selling for to be educated in the market for your area.
Be firm in what you can pay before you go. Whether you have a certain dollar figure, a maximum monthly payment, or the most you can put as a down payment on a car, know those figures before you start your actual shopping. This keeps you from waffling when a salesman puts the heat on you. Also, start by revealing the low end of what you can pay. This gives you negotiating power so when they balk and you have to "give" something to "get" what you want, you are still within your budget. At the last stage of my recent negotiation, I was clear that if they couldn't reach a deal within my budget, I have a car, I can drive away.
Pick the right time to go. I went to the dealer on June 28. Go towards the end of the month. Salesmen have quotas and are more willing to bend when you go at the end of the month. When you start to look at cars, ask how long they've had the car in their inventory that you are interested in purchasing. For used cars, the longer they sit unsold, the more likely they may have to sell it at auction or to a wholesaler. For new cars, the older inventory has to move for the dealer to get more inventory from the factory - a "turn and earn" method most all dealers encounter with the manufacturer.
I'm no expert, nor do I have all the answers when dealing with car salesmen, but I know that at least these areas have helped alleviate the stresses of car shopping. And, now, more importantly, the stress of coming out to my car after work, or church, or at the gym and fearing it won't start is gone. Hallelujah for the Rapturemobile!
My car, which I previously reported was having issues, died again a month or so ago. After putting as much money into this car for repairs that would have made a nice down payment, and my Dad's wise words, "I think it may be time for a new car" I decided to bite the bullet. My plan was to begin looking about six months from now. I first had to buy a new laptop (why does it seem everything big konks out at once?) because I use my home laptop for work and needed to save to pay that first, then save for the car down payment. A marvelous blessing came out of nowhere - my Stepmom graciously and unexpectedly wanted to pay for my computer. I cannot put into words what a huge blessing that was for me. Beyond taking care of that cost, the money I'd saved could now be used towards a new vehicle. As much as I wanted to wait six more months anyway, I knew if I didn't take the plunge now, when the next $800 repair popped up in three months, I'd be mad at myself. So, off I went.
Thanks to a tip from a co-worker, I visited a Honda dealership he recommended, and was determined to get a dependable, reliable car that would last. I now am driving a new blue Honda CRV LX that I lovingly call the "Rapturemobile" or "I'm driving it until Jesus comes." Hopefully I'll come up with a clever name, but that one seems to fit right now.
As a single female, car shopping stinks...unless you are armed with intelligence. For those of you in the car market, or who may be in the market again someday, here are a few tips that helped me secure a deal my budget could live with.....
Do your research. I spent a lot of time online figuring out my options. But even before that, I polled my blogging audience and asked a lot of people their thoughts on reliable, dependable car options. Even during my last episode with my dead car, my AAA Rescue Ranger gave me insights from his experience. There are lots of places to research online....edmunds.com...cars.com ....carmax.com are just three of the sites I used. Beyond just looking up various model choices, I also did research on bank rates and used various calculators to determine the scenarios I could face and what I could afford. It's good to get an idea of what various cars, new and used, are selling for to be educated in the market for your area.
Be firm in what you can pay before you go. Whether you have a certain dollar figure, a maximum monthly payment, or the most you can put as a down payment on a car, know those figures before you start your actual shopping. This keeps you from waffling when a salesman puts the heat on you. Also, start by revealing the low end of what you can pay. This gives you negotiating power so when they balk and you have to "give" something to "get" what you want, you are still within your budget. At the last stage of my recent negotiation, I was clear that if they couldn't reach a deal within my budget, I have a car, I can drive away.
Pick the right time to go. I went to the dealer on June 28. Go towards the end of the month. Salesmen have quotas and are more willing to bend when you go at the end of the month. When you start to look at cars, ask how long they've had the car in their inventory that you are interested in purchasing. For used cars, the longer they sit unsold, the more likely they may have to sell it at auction or to a wholesaler. For new cars, the older inventory has to move for the dealer to get more inventory from the factory - a "turn and earn" method most all dealers encounter with the manufacturer.
I'm no expert, nor do I have all the answers when dealing with car salesmen, but I know that at least these areas have helped alleviate the stresses of car shopping. And, now, more importantly, the stress of coming out to my car after work, or church, or at the gym and fearing it won't start is gone. Hallelujah for the Rapturemobile!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Why I Love Preschoolers
Last Sunday night I had the opportunity to work with the 3s and 4s in our preschool ministry during our evening service with my friend, Amy. Since I'm not a Mommy, hanging out with these little ones can be a joy because, well, after an hour or so, my responsibility is over. I get to enjoy the fun stuff. Sunday night was an exceptionally fun night and caused me to reflect on a few reasons why I love preschoolers...or at least 3s and 4s....
1. They can "go potty" all by themselves...or pretty much fly solo. Although I'm not a Mommy, I've changed a few diapers in my day and being able to let a little one visit the bathroom without much assistance is glorious.
2. They think I'm hilarious. I love a captive audience. Sunday night, Amy read the story of David and Goliath. As she read certain words, I'd make hand motions or sound effects to go along with the drama of the story. Every time I'd act out "army" the girls would roll in the floor giggling. No, it isn't that funny, but to them, I'm the best thing since the last Disney movie they watched.
3. Their short little lives seem long. Their lives move at a snails pace to them and they savor every moment. Karis said, "I've had SOOOO many birthdays!" I had to chuckle to myself and think, "Honey, you have no idea..." I said, "Wow, Karis, how many birthdays have you had?" She dramatically held up her fingers and said "Three Years!!" I'll ask her in 30 years if she feels like she's had so many birthdays.
4. They give unconditional love. Maddie is full of expression and loves to tell stories. Her bouncy blond curls make her one of the most engaging little ones in there. Usually at this age, they aren't much for cuddling and are starting to shy away from the lovable huggable ways of their younger years. Not Maddie. I can always count on her for a hug. I asked her if she wanted to come home with me and with her gigantic smile and hug around my neck, she said, "Yes!"
5. You get priceless conversations like these....Amy and I were having an adult conversation while sitting with the kids and molding Play-doh,...
Amy: "When kids get older, motherhood becomes more of a duty"
Gracie: (GASPS) "That is a bad word!!"
Amy: "No, no Gracie, we're talking about 'responsibility'"
Obviously, in Gracie's house, the word "dooty" describes a bodily function and she's been instructed not to say it. Try explaining to a 4-year old about homophones.
The next time you are caught with a preschooler for an hour or so, sit back and enjoy the moment. It passes oh so quickly.
1. They can "go potty" all by themselves...or pretty much fly solo. Although I'm not a Mommy, I've changed a few diapers in my day and being able to let a little one visit the bathroom without much assistance is glorious.
2. They think I'm hilarious. I love a captive audience. Sunday night, Amy read the story of David and Goliath. As she read certain words, I'd make hand motions or sound effects to go along with the drama of the story. Every time I'd act out "army" the girls would roll in the floor giggling. No, it isn't that funny, but to them, I'm the best thing since the last Disney movie they watched.
3. Their short little lives seem long. Their lives move at a snails pace to them and they savor every moment. Karis said, "I've had SOOOO many birthdays!" I had to chuckle to myself and think, "Honey, you have no idea..." I said, "Wow, Karis, how many birthdays have you had?" She dramatically held up her fingers and said "Three Years!!" I'll ask her in 30 years if she feels like she's had so many birthdays.
4. They give unconditional love. Maddie is full of expression and loves to tell stories. Her bouncy blond curls make her one of the most engaging little ones in there. Usually at this age, they aren't much for cuddling and are starting to shy away from the lovable huggable ways of their younger years. Not Maddie. I can always count on her for a hug. I asked her if she wanted to come home with me and with her gigantic smile and hug around my neck, she said, "Yes!"
5. You get priceless conversations like these....Amy and I were having an adult conversation while sitting with the kids and molding Play-doh,...
Amy: "When kids get older, motherhood becomes more of a duty"
Gracie: (GASPS) "That is a bad word!!"
Amy: "No, no Gracie, we're talking about 'responsibility'"
Obviously, in Gracie's house, the word "dooty" describes a bodily function and she's been instructed not to say it. Try explaining to a 4-year old about homophones.
The next time you are caught with a preschooler for an hour or so, sit back and enjoy the moment. It passes oh so quickly.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Ditched the Dinosaur
After six years and 60,000 technology improvements, I finally caved and got a new laptop. I don't make major purchases like this without lots of research (and prayer) because I'm, well, cheap. Even being a techno geek like me, I'm a late adopter when it comes to the latest and greatest computer or gadget debuts. My co-workers still gasp when they realize all the TVs in my house are more than 10 years old.
The time had come to say good-bye to good ole Compaq. She has served me well since 2002, but six years in laptop years is like 80 in adult years. Her gait became pretty slow and she just couldn't load all the newfangled updates found on the internet. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but for the sake of my ability to work from home and to be able to use my computer for more than table decoration, it was time to bite the bullet.
I had heard all the bad things about Microsoft Vista and dreaded having to go that route. Just asking my tech guys at work caused them to throw up in their mouth. But, the laptops available for consumer purchase are all loaded with Vista, so I sucked it up and drank the Redmond Kool-Aid. And, actually, I like it...so far.
To sum it up, Vista is merely Microsoft's attempt at being a Mac without the ability to slap an Apple logo on their wares. It isn't as horrible as I imagined, but I also made sure I got a ginormous hard drive to carry the weight of the graphical burdens of the operating system. Compared to ole Compaq, though, anything was an improvement.
I would recommend Best Buy for those of you in the market for a laptop. My HP was on sale and the "Geek Squad" will load all your software and unload all the promo junk HP pre-loads that you don't need, for a fee, of course. But, it's well worth it. I just had to install my mouse and my wireless modem/router (which was bad...thanks, AT&T!) I'm now working with my wired modem until I get my replacement router gateway so I can move about the house untethered. Now that AT&T provides the WiFi at Starbucks, I'll be able to get free WiFi there as an AT&T subscriber...holla!
When I went to Best Buy this past weekend to purchase my goods, I told Nathan, my sales dude, "I'll be the easiest customer you have all day. Here's what I want." Sales tip: Always go into a purchase like that with your mind made up and your research done. You won't end up spending more money on things you really don't need. And, as a bonus, Nathan earns an easy commission.
I love my sleek, black HP laptop, although I did reminisce about my Compaq purchase in 2002. Best Buy got my business then and I remember getting a $200 discount for signing up for an MSN dial-up account. My how times have changed.
The time had come to say good-bye to good ole Compaq. She has served me well since 2002, but six years in laptop years is like 80 in adult years. Her gait became pretty slow and she just couldn't load all the newfangled updates found on the internet. Parting is such sweet sorrow, but for the sake of my ability to work from home and to be able to use my computer for more than table decoration, it was time to bite the bullet.
I had heard all the bad things about Microsoft Vista and dreaded having to go that route. Just asking my tech guys at work caused them to throw up in their mouth. But, the laptops available for consumer purchase are all loaded with Vista, so I sucked it up and drank the Redmond Kool-Aid. And, actually, I like it...so far.
To sum it up, Vista is merely Microsoft's attempt at being a Mac without the ability to slap an Apple logo on their wares. It isn't as horrible as I imagined, but I also made sure I got a ginormous hard drive to carry the weight of the graphical burdens of the operating system. Compared to ole Compaq, though, anything was an improvement.
I would recommend Best Buy for those of you in the market for a laptop. My HP was on sale and the "Geek Squad" will load all your software and unload all the promo junk HP pre-loads that you don't need, for a fee, of course. But, it's well worth it. I just had to install my mouse and my wireless modem/router (which was bad...thanks, AT&T!) I'm now working with my wired modem until I get my replacement router gateway so I can move about the house untethered. Now that AT&T provides the WiFi at Starbucks, I'll be able to get free WiFi there as an AT&T subscriber...holla!
When I went to Best Buy this past weekend to purchase my goods, I told Nathan, my sales dude, "I'll be the easiest customer you have all day. Here's what I want." Sales tip: Always go into a purchase like that with your mind made up and your research done. You won't end up spending more money on things you really don't need. And, as a bonus, Nathan earns an easy commission.
I love my sleek, black HP laptop, although I did reminisce about my Compaq purchase in 2002. Best Buy got my business then and I remember getting a $200 discount for signing up for an MSN dial-up account. My how times have changed.
Friday, June 13, 2008
For All The Office Fans Out There
One of my favorite charitable organizations is the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I try and donate each year because I love what their goal is - to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions by granting them wishes. I was never in that position as a child, but did spend a lot of time in the hospital with other medical issues of my own around other kids my age suffering with much more serious conditions. Trust me, you grow up really quick when you are placed in a position most often reserved for the older population. But, I digress...I love The Office. The witty writing and hilarious daily situations the cast encounters resonates with me, an office worker. I'm completely in love with Jim Halpert and wonder where my Jim is. Now, I have even more reason to love the show, and more importantly, the cast.
A sixteen-year old named Anna from North Carolina suffers from hypoplasia, a condition that affects the development of her arms and legs. She has a passion for all things related to film, theater, and television and had one wish - to visit the set of The Office.
The story on the Make-a-Wish site details her experience and the interaction she had with the cast and the fun things she got to experience during her visit. I knew I loved the show for some reason, now I have documentation. From getting time with all the cast members to a signed copy of that episode's script, Anna got the royal treatment. If you don't watch The Office, maybe this might make you catch an episode or two.
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