Some of his friends’ parents had a problem with his baggy pants (although I never let him wear them below his butt– “Pull your pants up, boy!” I used to always tell him) because I guess they thought he was into drugs or running around getting into trouble. They really didn’t know my kid at all; other than the way he expressed his not-like-the-rest-of-the-pack individuality in his art, dress, hair, music and yes the occasional piercing, he was and still is a straight arrow. Sadly, those parents, and others, chose to judge the book by its cover. What a shame, and what a valuable lesson missed for them.

Well, here is truly the downside, and a note to other parents. Because we did let him go through some of his physical formative years wearing those baggy pants, he has developed a, um, a distinctive walk. A wide stance walk that comes from 10 years of trying to keep his pants up.

But, hey, he had a decent upbringing. We took him to OzzFest when he was 12, letting listen to whatever music he wanted, let him dye his hair whatever color he wanted, but we were strict on the values that really mattered and had plenty of rules in place. So as long as kids know right from wrong, let them express their individuality however they want.

Before you do that, take the time now to change out or clean your furnace filters. Do it now, before the weather turns and you are caught unprepared because there only thing that’s worse than feeling like you’re frying in a frying pan is turning on the furnace and getting bupkis.

Personally, I prefer the cold over the heat because of one simple reason: when it gets cold, you can always put on another layer of clothes. When it gets this hot, you can only get so naked. And baby, it’s miserable.

Stay cool. At least until autumn hits. I CAN’T WAIT.

Remind me I said that when I’m bitching about how cold it is, willya?

Not too soft, not too firm…and actually, the most comfortable mattress I ever had was a hotel mattress. I miss that thing, I truly do. My last purchase was a Serta, and with the addition of a memory foam topper, it is very comfortable and I love it.

A good night’s sleep starts with a good mattress. It’s worth the money.

Yes, I’m hating on Walmart, but if I’m to be truly honest, I just dislike shopping. Too many people, some of whom are dressed for another planet, and too much money — I’d rather shop at garage sales.

Actually, I’d rather have a magic genie that I could rub. Heh.

Which is all just bullshit, really. You know what I look for in furniture? Comfort, and size. It has to be comfortable and built to accommodate a fat-bottomed girl. Room for two is a plus. (Geez, this is starting to sound like a personal ad, isn’t it?) I’m really picky when it comes to buying furniture, especially if it’s brand-new. I figure it’s an investment — whatever I end up with will be with me for quite a few years. So, I want what I want.

I want furniture built just like me — built for comfort.

Flea infestation is a tough one to beat. It takes viligance and daily dedication.

I’ve now had three middle to large sized dogs. They needed a once a week bathing, a once monthly dose of Frontline or something similar, and a constant washing of bedding (pillows, sheets, comforters, shams and such. Several times a month.) On top of that Wal Mart (and I don’t have the name brand at hand) offers a spray that you can spray your couch and fabric chairs with. They also offer a great powder which is spread on the floor and vacuumed up. Once you do the carpets, several times the first week, then at least weekly, and spray the fabric furniture which should also be hand-vac’ed several times the first week and then once a week, you’ll see an improvement.

It’s like raising a child with allergens, the first month is the toughest, but once you stay the course, it just needs a once a month consistency to keep the fleas at bay.

For instance, a good friend of mine is a Twilight freak. (Yeah, I know. Heh.) A gift for her would probably include some kind of Twilight memorabilia, maybe something as simple as a bookmark or coffee mug. My daughter loves to crochet, so an inexpensive gift could include yarn and a new crochet hook. Think of the hobbies or interests your friends/family like to do, and choose gifts accordingly. Believe me, they’ll love that you really put some thought into choosing a gift for them, and the price tag just won’t matter.

Unless they like precious gems and gold. Heh.

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss. So far, I am moss-less, although I wouldn’t mind settling down long enough to grow some. *sigh*

I’m not thrilled, but I haven’t killed anyone yet, although I have caught a couple of germie things. All in all, it’s been a pleasant experience and I think I’m liking people more than I have in a long time. Hrmph. Who knew?

Anyway, some things are not going to change. Such as paying bills in person. Uh, no. I actually take care of the majority of stuff from the comfort of my laptop. I found my car insurance online, and I take care of my major bills the same way.

So far, I’ve had no problems of any kind, despite dire warnings. I’m hoping someday, the Internetz Fairy comes along with his Magic Wand and banishes my bills to the far reaches of the Web.

It’s one of my most favorite fantasies. Heh.

I research a lot of things on the Internet because of my job. It’s been an diet pill kind of day, and the funny thing about that is some of the names for diet pills that comes up. One of them is named nuphedragen.

To me, that conjures images of a bone-thin dragon flying through the air.

I probably have too much snot in my head. Heh.