Thankful Thursday: Sometimes I wonder

I am writing this on Wednesday evening. Tomorrow is Thursday, September 1, 2011. Tomorrow is also Thankful Thursday, the day I attempt to find ten things I am thankful for and put in my weekly gratitude journal entry. Sometimes it is hard to find ten gratitude items.

Indeed, sometimes I wonder if I have anything for which to be thankful. I usually find ten things, but it there are times when it takes me three or four days to find those ten gratitude entries. If I cannot find all of them on Thursday then I continue looking. For some reason I cannot give up until I have completed my gratitude list.

Cut your cell phone bill in half

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

A cell phone is a necessity and cell phone bill can cause stress. I love the idea of cutting my cell phone bill in half. I like the idea of feeling richer  with Straight Talk. I could save  enough money by switching to buy a new recliner. Straight Talk has no credit checks, no contract, and no surprise bills. In addition, there is excellent reception and nationwide coverage. Straight Talk uses Motorola, Samsung, LG, Kyrocera, and  Nokia.

everything you need

Straight Talk has an "All You Need"  monthly plan that includes 1,000 minutes, 30 MB of web data, and 1,000 text. There is no extra charge for 411 calls. You are free from termination, activation, and reactivation fees. Straight Talk unlimited monthly plan is $45.00 and includes picture messaging, call, text, and web. Just imagine  an unlimited plan for only $488.00 a year.

call a friend

Straight Talk has a flexible prepaid International Long Distance service that you can use from your cell, office, or home phone.

mom knows best

Straight Talk has recondition phones for $10.00, which have cameras, mp3 players, blue-tooth capabilities, and mobile-web access. Straight Talk also has smart phones with navigation, video recorder, touch screens, cameras, music players, instant messaging , and Bluetooth.

Hook, line and sinker

Summer in Las Vegas

Las Vegas summer
Wind the blow dryer effect
Birds stay in their nests

Wind blowing through the trees and not a cloud in the sky. Perhaps I should wash my hair and stand outside in the wind; at least my hair would dry quickly. That is one advantage of washing your hair in the summer time; you do not need to use any electricity to dry it. All you have to do is go outside and your hair will dry in a few minutes.

Tracfone plans

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you looking for help to control your summer cell phone bill? Are you looking for inexpensive plans to keep in touch with all your kids? Do you have trouble finding plans that fit your family's needs? Consider a TracFone plan to keep in touch with your children.

real TracFone customers

TracFone is the least expensive option to use and own a cell phone in America. Because TracFone has no activation charges, no cancelation fees, no credit checks, and no contracts, In addition, it has great nationwide coverage, with excellent connectivity and reception. TracFone has good reliability.

real TracFone customers

TracFone gives you choices between "Candy Bar" phones and "Smart" phones.  TracFone cell phones are manufactured by Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, LG, and Kyocera.

 

so many features

TracFone has pay as  you go plans, which you can purchase online or with card available in retail stores throughout America. You can buy one year TracFone service cards. For $119.00 you receive double minutes for the life of your phone and 800 minutes from TracFone. You can also purchase "double minutes for the live of your phone" separately for $19.99. Please note that some phone may include this feature.  There are also plans that give you 200 minutes for less then $30.00 for 50 minutes for $9.99.

real TracFone customers

TracFone also has International Long Distance plans. There are also simple phone for around $10.00 or advanced features for $29.99.

Tuesday Morning Coffee and a neighbor cat

The first light of day
A neighbor’s gray and white cat
Sits in my backyard

I went into the kitchen to pour Mom and me some coffee. I looked out the kitchen window and saw one of the neighborhood cats sitting in my backyard. The cat was staring at the oleander bush growing in the corner of the northeast corner.

This cat enjoys sitting or lying in my backyard. When it is hot, he curls up under one of the oleander bushes. When it is cool or cold, he lays on the stones that make up part of the patio.

Tropical Storm Irene

Tropical storm winds
Batter New York New Jersey
Hurricane downgrade

It is not time to sing “Good Night, Irene” because the storm is still battering the east coast. It is a slight relief that the weather service downgraded Irene, but it is not time to relax. Tropical Storm Irene is still dangerous.

Hurricane Irene

Irene progresses
Moving along the east coast
High winds heavy rains

I am watch CNN and the progress of Hurricane Irene. I am listening to voices of reports in the affected areas. One reporter stood knee deep in water explaining storm surges. Another reporter is in a neighborhood where a child died when a tree fell on his apartment house. I watch and listen as Irene makes her way to New York.

Is there a difference between partly sunny and partly cloudy?

This morning the meteorologist said to expect partly sunny weather today and this got me to thinking. Is there a difference between partly sunny and partly cloudy? Does partly sunny mean that there will be more sunshine then clouds, I am not sure.

Looking at the sky, there seems to be more clouds then sun. I would say the weather is mostly cloudy, but earlier today it was mostly sunny. I would like to know what meteorologist mean when they use terms such as “partly sunny” and “partly cloudy”.

Are you looking for picture perfect 3D?

Do you want a wide viewing angle? Are you looking for picture perfect 3D? Check out the video and see what LG Cinema 3D can do for you.

Ochtfochlach poetry form

Ochtfochlach poems consist of eight lines with a consistent length and meter chosen by the poet. The rhyme scheme is AAAB CCCB. I want to write a poem using this form, but I cannot think of a subject or theme. Sometimes using a specific form is easy and sometime difficult. Right now, I am finding it difficult. I am going to the laundromat tomorrow; perhaps I can come up with something there.

Do you want less expensive 3D glasses?

Check out the “LG 3D Glasses are Less Expensive” commercial. Less expensive 3D Glasses lets everyone in the family enjoy the 3D experience. Watch the commercial and smile, I know I smiled.

English is a dynamic language

In 2011, the Oxford English Dictionary and to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary added several new words. Retweet & Sexting Are Now Words in Oxford English Dictionary. “Tweet”& “Social Media” Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary. This goes to prove that English is dynamic language.

Are you tired of sharing 3D Glasses?

Check out the video below, it is a commercial for inexpensive LG Cinema 3D Glasses. I enjoyed watching this video, please check it out and enjoy it.

My Grandmother washed new bath towels

I bought three new bath towels and five washcloths yesterday when I went shopping. The towels brought back memories of my Grandmother Newland and her new bath towel ritual. Grandma always washed new bath towels and washcloths before using them.

I know Grandma had a logical reason for doing this, I simply cannot remember what it was. At the time, the reason did not matter to me. I enjoyed helping Grandma with the laundry. I especially enjoyed hanging the cloths outside on the line.

New cotton towels
Washed and hung of the clothesline
Waiting for our use

Time to Tab Lighter

Lighter, thinner, and faster then other 10” tablets the Samsung GALAXY 10.1 is a packed with performance. Check out the video below and let the Samsung GALAXY capture your imagination.

Another Hot Day in Las Vegas

Morning a few clouds
Triple digit temperatures
Extreme heat warnings

Scattered clouds float across the morning sky. The limbs of the neighborhood trees are still, so there is no wind this early in the day. The sun illuminates the interior of my garage. It is the beginning of another hot day in Las Vegas, with record-breaking temperatures.

Time to Tab Thinner

Packed with power, the Samsung GALAXY 10.1 is thinner, lighter, and faster. Check out the video below and smile. The video made me smile.

Beware the excessive heat

Temperature records
Broken by excessive heat
Drink lots of water

This morning’s shopping expedition wore me out. I only made three stops, but without air conditioning in my car that was too many. I took water with me, still when I returned home I was thirsty and tired. I will make fewer stops when I go out the rest of the month.

Time to Tab Faster

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is faster, lighter, and thinner the other 10” Tablet devices. Check out the video below to see the Samsung GALAXY in action.

Wednesday Morning shopping

The fourth Wednesday of the month is a good day for me to go shopping, while good days to do laundry are Tuesday and Thursday. This morning my shopping consisted of buying new bath towels and groceries. In Las Vegas, it is better to shop in the morning then in the afternoon, especially since the weather bureau has put out excessive heat warnings for the rest of the week.

Clouds and humidity
Excessive heat warnings in
Effect all week long

Birds Swarm in shape of McDonald’s Logo

Look closely at the flock of birds in this video. The formation is the shape of the McDonald’s logo. Check out the video below and watch the birds.

I Received my Medicare Card

I received my Medicare card last week, with an effective date of December 1, 2011. Now all I have to decide on a Medicare Advantage plan. I think I know the plan I want, but before I make the final decision, I want to check out all of them. This is a new phase in my life and I suspect it is a new phase in my writing.

A constellation you might want to visit

Check out this news clip that show a constellation shaped like the Mac logo. I enjoyed watching this clip. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I watched it several times. The shapes of constellations always amaze me.

A Beautiful Tuesday in Las Vegas

Shadows on my lawn
Morning sunshine without wind
The pine tree leans east

There are no clouds. There is no wind. The sun shines down and the pine tree cast it shadow across my front yard and garage roof. Looking out my living room window, the day is beautiful. This afternoon the outdoor temperature will rise to at least 105 degrees.

Baby’s First Words

Baby was watching television and saw a McDonalds commercial. His first words were “Macca!” Click on the video below and listen to the baby’s first words.

Excessive Heat in Las Vegas

Temperatures rising
Warning of excessive heat
The end of August

We are expecting July temperatures in August. Normal July temperatures exceed 105 degrees; however, this year July was unusually cool. The excessive heat has arrived and the excessive heat warnings have begun. I think I will make me a nice glass of iced tea.

Caught on the Security Camera

Cameras are everywhere these days. Click the video below and watch as a sales clerk tries to sell customers his own brand of computer rather then the Apple Macs they wanted to buy. The security camera caught salesperson in the act.

Sunshine and Clouds in Las Vegas

Beautiful sunshine
Reflects from afternoon clouds
Another nice day

It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon. White clouds decorate the blue desert sky and the afternoon sunshine reflects off the clouds. The clouds help cool the afternoon, but only slightly. A gentle breeze blows through the neighborhood trees. It is a nice summer afternoon in Las Vegas.

Took a day off writing yesterday

On Friday, I took a day off. I went to the grocery store and then I came home. I did not check my e-mail, I did not write, and I did not review on writing.com. I relaxed; I am not sure what good it did because today I am farther behind then yesterday.

Today, I found it easier to review, especially poems. I have not reviews more then one or two poems a day for the past month or so, but today I reviewed four. That is the only results I have noticed from my day off. I am planning another day off from writing and working online for next week. However, instead of taking it off on a weekday I think I will take off either Saturday or Sunday.

Waiting

Waiting for Momma
I watch the wind in the trees
It is a hot day

I am waiting for Mom to come home from the daycare center. The computer is close enough to the living room window, so that I can watch for the bus she rides. It is nice that they pick her up each morning and bring her home in the afternoon. I know Mom enjoys going to the center even though she cannot remember what she does.

When I stop there to see how she is doing she always looks like she is having fun. I guess you do not have to remember what you did to have fund when you are doing it.

White Clouds

White clouds a blue sky
Afternoon sunlight reflect
A beautiful day

There is cloud cover this afternoon. Beautiful white clouds reflecting the sun back to earth. These are not rain clouds, so I do not have to roll up my car window. There is a slight wind blowing through the neighborhood trees. It is a pleasant afternoon.

Hump Day

The week half over
Weary from climbing the hill
The downside is steep

It is Wednesday, hump day. It is the third week in August and the temperatures in Las Vegas are hot. Triple digit temperatures make going outside tiring. Not that I keep the house extremely cool, I have the thermostat set to 82 degrees. It keeps the power bill down and that is the most important thing.

No Nap Today or Yesterday

Set cell phone alarm
Nap between twelve and one
Did not get sleepy

For about two or three week I have got sleepy about noon and when I sit on the couch, I dozed off. I sleep for more then an hour, so I decided to set my cell phone alarm to wake me up in an hour. After an hour or so of working with the alarm, I got it set. I have not gotten sleepy since I set the alarm. The alarm goes off and I remember I was supposed to take nap.

Perhaps I will set a second alarm for 2:00 PM. When the first goes off, I lie down on the couch for my nap. When the second sounds then I can get up and back to work.

A Busy Writing Week Ahead

I have five days to complete a project. I have a Medicare Seminar on Friday. I have to go to the laundromat on Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday. I scheduled two and one-half hours on each of the two laundry days to wash and dry cloths. I scheduled three hours for the seminar. I scheduled two and one-half hours on Monday to go to the bank and then pick up a couple of loaves of free bread if it is available.

That is ten hours away from home and the project. I have six and one-half hours five days a week to work undistracted at home or do business. That is thirty-two and one-half hours a week to work. This week I will have twenty-two and one-half hours left over to complete the project. I am looking forward to see what logs fate or life toss in my path to interfere with completing the project.

I am being completely realistic because I know from experience that stuff happens. It happens at the most inconvenient times, especially when a deadline is approaching. However, I will complete this project this week.

It looks like rain in Las Vegas

Dirty white Clouds completely cover the sky. It looks like rain, when I listened to the weather report last night there was a thirty percent chance of rain in Las Vegas. Normally, that means it will rain somewhere in the city.

Roll up car windows
Clouds hide blue-sky promise rain
Silently rain falls

I went out earlier and rolled up my car windows. It is a good thing I did, because it is raining now. It is not a hard or noisy rain. It is a gentle silent rain that soaks easily into the hard dry soil. It is nice to have rain and lower temperatures after the days of triple digits.

Net 10 Unlimited Plan

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Net 10 unlimited plan gives you nationwide coverage for $50.00 a month, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQc8A-1UWwA&feature=related with this plan you get unlimited, talk, text, and data. There are no surprise bills, no credit checks, and no contracts, while both the reception and coverage are excellent. Net 10 phones are made by Motorola, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Kyocera.

see the Light

Net 10 phones and air time cards are available at most major retailers. You do not have to buy an air time card because you can go to the Net 10 website to pick your plan. In addition, you can call the customer service number to add air time or you can dot it from the menu on your phone. If you want the unlimited  plan simply go to the website, pick the plan, and set up the monthly payment.

real NET10 customer

The Net 10 unlimited plan removes the worry of keeping  track of minutes whether you use the phone for business, everyday life or both. This plan is convenient and inexpensive, especially if you have friends and family scattered across the country. You can keep in touch through either text or phone calls and you  do not have to worry about surprise bills or running out of minutes.

Net 10 has plans and phones  that cover all your needs. Check them out on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/Net10_Wireless and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NET10Wireless. For more information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7k6qNpFvQc.

How do you know when you are about to turn 65?

I will turn 65 on December 24; I will be old enough to go on Medicare. Yesterday, the Medicare supplement offers began arriving in my mailbox. If I had any doubt I was turning 65 this has erased it. I have to admit my age, I am looking forward to investigating the offers and see which plan I want to get.

women of adidas in action

Check out the women of adidas in action. The women of adidas from Caroline Wozniacki to Katy Perry go into action in this new video.

The Stories I Tell My Mother

Mom has Alzheimer’s disease; as a result, there are certain things she does not remember. One of the things that have slipped her mind is the death of her parents. Mom does not remember my Grandparents death or funeral.

Mom misses her parents. She wants to see them, but she does not know where they are and she cries because they do not live with us. To calm Mom down, I tell her stories about where they are. I do not mention that we buried them in Blackwell, Oklahoma, in the last century.

One of the stories I tell Mom, is that Grandpa sold the house and they moved into a retirement community that lets them travel all over the world. Yesterday, Mom came home crying and missing her parents. I told her they called from Israel. My Grandmother always wanted to visit the Holy Land and never got to; so I told Mom Grandpa took her on a trip to Israel and that they called to give her their love.

Blue Monday in Las Vegas

A dry wind blowing
No clouds cool the afternoon
The sky a blue field

The temperature rose to 105 degrees, which does not seem bad when I am inside a cool house. The sky was a perfect blue unmarked by clouds and without clouds, there is no humidity.

A Beautiful Sunday in Las Vegas

The sunlight reflects
Off a neighbor’s white pickup
Cast shadows through trees

It is a beautiful Sunday morning here in Las Vegas. We expect triple digits temperatures this afternoon, but right now, the outside temperatures are in the double digits. The wind is not blowing, but we may have wind this afternoon.

It is a quiet Sunday morning in my neighborhood, with cars parked neatly in front of houses or in the driveways. Most people remain in doors because it gets hot in Las Vegas. Whenever a person leaves the house, it is a good idea to put on sunscreen. It is a beautiful Sunday in Las Vegas.

Happy Birthday Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911. Today, she would be 100 years old. I remember watching “I Love Lucy” on a black and white television. My entire family watched this show. I also remember watching Lucille Ball’s movies.

One of my fondest memories is sitting in the living room, with my mother and watching “I Love Lucy”. My mother, who is now 90, watched the show with us. Sometimes we ate popcorn and drink soda. Other times we just had soda, but the most important thing was that my mother watched the show with us.

It’s a dry heat

Yesterday, I posted about the triple digit temperatures in Las Vegas. It is a dry heat, most of the time. Last week we had high humidity, but this week the dew point is low, so the humidity is down. I prefer dry heat over high humidity.

The humidity is one thing I do not miss about Oklahoma. I like Las Vegas, Nevada because we usually have little or no humidity. This is a desert, so with certain exceptions we usually do not have excessive humidity. Las Vegas is a good place to live if one has problems with the humidity.

Low humidity
A beautiful desert day
Drink lots of water

A hot week in Las Vegas

Right now, the temperature in Las Vegas is 102 degrees. The seven day forecast calls for temperatures in the triple digits. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we are expecting an afternoon breeze with sunny skies. The other four days are sunny without a breeze.

An afternoon breeze
Gives us a pleasant weekend
Las Vegas summer

Leftover macaroni and cheese

Yesterday’s dinner
A crock-pot of mac and cheese
Fixed for two people

I cannot cook for two people. When I cook, I fix enough to feed the crew of an aircraft carrier. At least it seems that way. Mom eats breakfast, lunch, and snacks at the daycare center five days a week and supper here. Two days she eats all three meals and several snacks here. I eat three meals at home seven days a week; I rarely go out for breakfast or lunch. I still cook for four or five people.

I can make smaller portions with several different foods, however, macaroni and cheese it not one of those foods. Apparently, the only way I know how to fix homemade mac and cheese is in a crock-pot, which means I have two or three days of leftover macaroni and cheese.

This week I am writing a ballad

This week the Poetic Exploration challenge, on writing.com, is to write a ballad. The ballad has specific rhyme and stanza structure that is normally 4 lines long. The rhyme scheme is one of the following abab, aabb, or abac, with the last line being the chorus line. There are a specific number of syllables, decide the syllable length and stick to it. The ballad is a story and repeats the chorus throughout the poem. Decide on the story, the repeated line, and then add versus to the poem.

I am doing well this week because I have chosen a title and finished the refrain. The title is the Ballad of the Weredragon, which is all I am going to say about it until I have the poem finished.