You know what I’d like to see?

A “Ghost Hunter” type show, where they send ghost hunting teams into houses or places that they know nothing about… (No past history, no stories, no pre-supposed ghost suspicions, no “psychics”…) and *then* let them investigate. Some of the places would have had reported paranormal activity, and an equal number of places have never had any known paranormal activity.

I wonder what would happen.
I wonder if the teams would find paranormal activity in every house, or if they’d find more or less activity in the regular houses, vs. the labeled ‘haunted’ houses.
I wonder if they’d simply find stuff, because they were ‘looking’ for stuff.

My suspicion is that the usual hallmarks of paranormal activity can be found in any place, haunted or not. I don’t know if that’s right or not, but it’s interesting to think about.

Anyway, I’d watch a show like that. For a little while anyway. Then I’d probably flip over to the Cartoon Network.

I called Atlanta Cutlery/ Museum Replicas to discuss the shipping issue UPS/USPS and the guy HUNG UP ON ME!!!

Oh no. This will not do. Not at all.

Imagine that you order something online and are forced to pay and extra $15.00 to have your order shipped via UPS. (You're not given another choice when you order.) They send you a tracking number for UPS, only it's not a UPS number, it's a USPS number. You find this out when you try to actually track your package through UPS and their site says that your tracking number is not valid. So on a hunch, you take the number to the USPS site and plug it in there. That's where you find all your package tracking info.

I KNOW they didn't pay $15.00 to send this stupid thing through the regular US postal service!!! When I ordered the thing, I specified UPS. (There was no other choice!) On all the documentation I've gotten, the company has specified that it'd be sent UPS. The tracking number was sent saying "This is your UPS tracking number" 23352345pu345blahblahblah...
I ordered this through a reputable company, (Museumreplicas.com) so they should know better than to do the bait and switch right?


I think I'm entitled to a refund of my shipping charges. What do you think?? Or am I being too anal about this?

So, my laptop bit the big one. Well, maybe it didn’t, I just can’t get it to boot up. I’m hoping some of my computer friends might be able to help me out with that in the near future.
However, that laptop was getting a bit long in the tooth, and I needed something for my classes that start next week, so I took the advice of the universe to “Buy the system that your most computer literate friends are using” and I got an Mac Book Pro. However, I am going to have it partitioned so that I can run it as a Mac or a PC. But that’s not the cool thing.

So I bought this Mac Book Pro. Paid a pretty penny for it, I don’t mind tellin’ ya. I ordered it on the 13th, and it was due to be delivered today. I didn’t get it, because the Fed Ex guy came by... but nobody was home to accept it and he needed a signature. So I’ll get it tomorrow. I hate waiting. But I digress, that’s not the cool thing.

So I purchased this system on the 13th, and TODAY I got an advert in my email that says, “Buy a Mac Book Pro between the dates of “such and such” and get a rebate AND a free iPod touch!” I was like WHAAAAA???? MAN!!! I want a rebate and a free iPod touch!

So I called the Apple Store, gave them my order number, explained that I was an educator and asked if I was qualified to get the rebate and the iPod. I was told (by a very sweet lady named Kimberly… she was really very nice…) that I could get the rebate, but in order to get the iPod, I’d have to return the system, (and she’d send me some free return labels,) then I’d have to re-order it through the ‘educator portal’ and then I could get the iPod. I might have said… well I did say, MAN!! What a JIP!!! (But I said it in a nice way.) She said that she was sorry, but that was the process and there was nothing she could do. I thought to myself, “Surely there is something that can be done!!” and I asked to speak with a manager.

Kimberly put me on hold for about 5 minutes so she could contact a manager. When she got back on the line with me, she told me that the manager approved my discount, and that with proof that I was an educator, she could send me the iPod too. I wouldn't have to send my system back. All I had to do was fax a copy of my nametag to them and boom, my iPod would be on order for me.

Yay!

So, the cool thing is, I was going to pay $1800 (or so) for the Mac Book Pro originally. Now I’ve got an educator discount of about $200 off of that. On top of that I get a rebate of $229 for an iPod touch, (have to pay for it up front, then send off for the rebate) so it ends up I’m getting about $400 in freebies.

Woot! Go Mac!!

Glasses for Student update...

It's been two weeks since we put in the paperwork, and the Lion's club has officially voted on paying for glasses for my student. It's been APPROVED!! WOOT!! WOOT!!!!!! WOOT!!!!!

I'm SO HAPPY!! And my student can't believe it! He's *way* happy too.
(They kept us waiting for awhile... it's an unusual situation, they don't usually do free glasses for adults. It's mostly a program for children.)

So, he's got all the info, he knows where to go and he's got an appointment. All he has to do is actually get in the car and go!


I can't WAIT to see how much the glasses improve his coursework. (and his life!)
Can't wait, can't wait, can't WAIT!!!

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on
by Regina Brett
Sunday May 28, 2006, 10:13 AM

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
( Read the rest, they're SO true! )

Every have “one of those” days where all sorts of things go wrong for no reason?
Today was ‘one of those’ days for me.

Wanna hear about it? Here it go....

( Yes, I’m going to whine, cuz karmacally, I feel it’s necessary. )

I spoke with my student, and he said that he knows he needs glasses. He said he's known it for a looooong time and he'd be very grateful if I could somehow help him get a pair. He said he'd definitely wear them. WOOT!!

So, we've filled out the papers for the Lions Club, and in addition, I wrote a letter explaining the situation and basically begging for their mercy. We submitted it all on Tuesday. Now all we have to do is wait for the committee to vote on it.
I hope we hear back soon!!

*Fingers Crossed!*

Kissed any one of your LJ friends? --- Yes
Been arrested? --- Nope
Kissed someone you didn't like? --- No, but I’ve been made to hug people I don’t like.
Slept in until 5 PM? --- Yes
Fallen asleep at work/school? --- No
Held a snake? --- Yes
Ran a red light? --- Yes
Experienced love at first sight? --- Yep!
Totaled your car in an accident? --- No

( More Meme Here )

Today I had a ‘light bulb’ moment concerning one of my students and solved a mini mystery. Woot!

I’ve been teaching GED classes this week while the regular teacher is gone. It’s been an interesting and surprisingly fun week! A little over a week ago, a new student named *Dave entered our program. He’s in his early 20’s, and seems really nice. He has a daughter whom he loves to bits, and he works hard in class. He’s a white guy, but he’s a little bit ‘gangster’ too. He’s a former dropout, been arrested for a few things, and is covered in tattoos, but he wants to get his life back on track so he can support his family.

( This week, I noticed an odd thing about him. )

Whew! My semester finals are officially done! Woot!!

Looking forward, I’m a little worried about June. I’ve got 3 compressed classes and one of them is a writing class that’s only 10 days long. This should be interesting!

Stolen from sarahtoalaska

Another semester almost done! All the major projects are finished (just one small one left) and finals are in the next two weeks.
So I'm free and clear this weekend. What am I gonna do with all this free time?
GARF! That's what!

Wootie-woo!

I can't wait to get on the road!

A friend of mine who works at an elementary school, (and in my circle of friends, that doesn’t narrow things down a whole lot...) sent this to me last month. I’ve been lazy and I didn’t get around to posting it till now, but it’s hilarious!
Here’s the story:
----------------------------------------------------------------------


I’m sending you a picture that a second grader drew (this is from a teacher friend of mine).

Below is the letter from the mother of the child after the teacher contacted the mother about her daughter's picture; the names were changed to protect the innocent. I laughed at this for a while.

-Jack

**************************************************************************************

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week
before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had,
and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were
fighting over who would get it.

Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to
depict me selling the very last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly
before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith
*************************************************************************************

( Ready to see the picture? )

This series of church signs came to me in an email earlier in the week. I thought it was a real "War of the Churches" type of thing, but MLR went to the Presbyterian church website found out it was a prank.

BUT, I still think it's incredibly funny. =o)(Cuz it's prolly something that I'd do if I worked in a church office somewhere and was in charge of the sign...)


BTW, You can have your own chuch sign war at Church Sign Generator. Go check it out!

This cartoon is *SO* me.
All my friends will immediately understand why.



*giggle*
Yep!

Just a quick note on a borrowed computer for all my peeps.
I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or moved to Uganda or anything. My computers just busted. =o( I've got all the new parts to fix it, just need to get them installed. (Hopefully that'll be tomorrow!)

Anyway, when I get it fixed, I've got a LOT of catching up to do!

=o)

Ohhh....
My niece is SO busted!!
She downloaded porn, <-(mistake #1) on my parents computer, <-(mistake #2) while we were all having dinner in the other room,<-(brazen mistake #3) and got some malware along with it. <-(mistake #4) The malware totally screwed up the computer and crashed it into oblivion. <-(mistake #5) As soon as she realized it was hosed, she fled our house and went back to her parents house, <-(mistake #6) and left it so that my DAD ended up finding it. <-(mistake #7)
Tomorrow, when my mom confronts her about it, she will lie. <-(mistake #8) She will not stop lying and the mistake list will get longer. <-(mistake #9, #10, #11... to infinity and beyond!)

She is SO busted!!
This is gonna be good. *Muwahahahaha!!*

(Luckily I was able to save the computer, delete the malware, and make backups of everything. So she her life is spared, but only just.)

Stolen from Facebook.

37 ODD Things about you! If you opened this, FILL IT OUT!
Learn 37 things about your friends, and let them learn 37 things about you!
Send back to me and to several more friends!!

1. Do you like blue cheese? Only on hot wings. *edit* On hot wings AND on the Maguire’s Chips appetizer. YUM!

2. Have you ever smoked? Nope. But I have been slightly on fire.

3. Do you own a gun? No, but my friends do. And they like me. So you'd better treat me right!

4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite? Red. But now I’m allergic to it. =o(

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Honestly, I don't really ever think about hotdogs. (Who wrote this quiz anyway??? Sheesh!)

7. Favorite Christmas movie? "A Charlie Brown Christmas" AND "Christmas Story"

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coke Zero

9. Can you do push ups? Only in bra form.

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? My watch. (It was blessed by the Pope John Paul II shortly before he died. If I ever lost it, I would be heartbroken.)

11. Favorite hobby? Blacksmithing (It's a new hobby.)

12. Do you have A. D. D.? SHOES!

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts? Yes, for close up reading.

14. Middle name? Anne

15.. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? What am I thinking right now? Was that it? Wait, I’m thinking about what I’m thinking right?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Coke Zero, Tea, Water (with a flavor packet)

17. Current worry? Money and people and class.

18. Current hate right now? Homework

19. Favorite place to be? My imagination.

20. How did you bring in the new year? In the dark.

21. Where would you like to go? Overseas somewhere!

22. Name three people who will complete this: Stupid question. I refuse to answer.

23. Do you own slippers? Yep!

24 What color shirt are you wearing? A black striped button up work shirt.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, cuz I fall off.

26. Can you whistle? Through my lips or my nose?

27. Where are you now? At home.

28. Would you be a pirate? YARRRRR!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I’m usually singing the last song I heard on the radio.

30. Favorite Girl's Name? I can’t narrow it down.

31. Favorite boy's name? Turd Ferguson.

32. What is in your pocket right now? No pockets in these pants.

33. Last thing that made you laugh? A funny pic that MLR sent me.

34. What vehicle do you drive? Gold Aztec.

35. Worst injury you've ever had? Divorce.

36. Do you love where you live? It’s more like I love the people where I live.

37.. How many TVs do you have in your house? At least 4.