Hurricane Season : Evacuating

With the height of Hurricane season coming soon, it is important to take heed. 

If you are near the coast or inland low lands it is important to plan your evacuation routes now.  When you are in the path of a projected hurricane, fill up your gas tank when you first hear about it.  This way you will have gas, and if it turns out you don't have to evacuate, you can still use the gas as needed.

The National Hurricane Center, The National Weather Service, and local authorities evacuate the residents closest to the coast first.  So if you are inland, wait  the few hours until you are told to evacuate.

If you decide not to evacuate, remember there will be no emergency personnel to come and rescue you, nor should they!  They won't say it, but I will - if you are stupid enough to stay where you're at when a hurricane is approaching you deserve what you get.  Darwin award for you!  I say that from having lived on the gulf coast. 

If you stay where you are at, you should start preparing now.  Buy a case of water or more if you have a large family.  Buy peanut butter, crackers, tuna and store them in the closet where you would take refuge.  Don't forget your pets.  Also, don't forget things like toothpaste and toothbrushes.   Have a couple of changes of clothes for each person in the closet.  Also, if you have a baby, don't forget the diapers, wipes and formula (or food).

If you have any doubts about evacuating look at this:

Hurricane Camille

Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike vs Geraldo

And let us not forget the worst Natural Disaster to ever hit the U.S. leaving 8,000 - 12,000 dead.  September 8, 1900.

Southern Cops Ways with Words

It's Wednesday and of course I can't sleep.  So I thought why not some humor.

1. "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."

2. "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."

3. "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."

4. "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

5. "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."

6. "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

7. "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

8. "Warning! You want a warning? O.K, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

9. "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

10. "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop."

11. "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

12. "In God we trust; all others we run through NCIC." (National Crime Information Center )

13. "Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"

14. "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

15. "I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

AND THE WINNER IS....

16. "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're
right, we don't. Sign here." 

Doing Laundry

It always amazes me when I see someone throw all of their clothes in the washer without separating them.  My 28 year old son is really good at doing this even though I taught him many years ago how to do laundry.

First, always have a stain stick with you.  This way, if you see something on your clothes you can dab it very easily before it goes in the washer.

Presoak items that need it, ladies, remember, Dawn dish soap removes protein (blood) very well. 

Next, separate your clothes.  Colored clothes, whites, towels, jeans - all need to be separated not only due to the color differences but also due to the weight of the wet material.  The sheer weight of the jeans and towels will wear down colored or lighter weight clothing.

If I have only a few items to wash I will combine the the towels and jeans.  Since I have very few whites I will combine them with my colored clothing.

DO NOT OVERLOAD THE WASHING MACHINE!

When moving clothing from the washer to the dryer, I always remove my underwire bras.  The reason being - underwires break in the dryer.  It is easier and cheaper to hang them over the towel rack in my bathroom and allow them to dry.  Usually it will take about 3-4 hours.

As clothing comes out of the dryer, I fold it immediately.  Nothing looks as sloppy as wrinkled clothing - even if it is just a t-shirt. 

Looking for Jobs - Resumes

If there is anyone one thing that I recommend - it's keep your resume up to date.  If it is not up to date, then pull it out, dust it off, and update it.

There are many sites that offer free resume writing tips.  Here are some of the best that I found:

1. http://www.free-resume-tips.com/10tips.html  - this site offers free tips on writing your resume, terms to use, and format.
2. http://www.dailywritingtips.com/resume-writing-tips/ - this site offers primarily tips on vocabulary and writing.
3. http://www.resume-help.org/resume_writing_tips.htm - this site offers up to date information resume tips.

The most important item to remember is proofread, proofread, and then have someone else proofread it for you.  The primary reason a resume will be thrown out is due to misspelled words.

Also, remember, it is important to tailor each resume you send for the specific job that you apply for.

Good luck on your job search!

Day Hiking - A Fun Way to Get Out of the House

One of the easiest and best ways to get in shape is to get outside.  To get started there are a few items that you will need:  a backpack, comfortable - sturdy shoes, and appropriate clothing.

Keep in mind - I am not some super hiker - I don't go out for days with a full pack, but I do like getting outdoors on day trips.  Here are some tips.

Know where you are going - Check with your local parks department or your state park website. Trails.com has trails located close to your zip code but there is a membership fee.

Caprock Canyons State Park

Let someone know where you are going - I say this because I was on a hike in a natural park just north of the city.  There was an older woman that was walking across a rocky area when she slipped severely spraining her ankle.  Fortunately for her, someone came on behind her on the trail and got help for her.  As I arrived at the park they were taking her away in an ambulance and calling her family to come get her car.  It is not just older people, I've actually slipped one time at the same park when it was wet.  Nothing could be worse than falling down a hill with no one on the trail behind you.  If you don't want to call someone at least leave a note taped on your computer or on the fridge.

Friedrich Wilderness Park

Check the weather - Here in South Texas we are in the worst drought in a hundred years.  The heat is almost unbearable.  However, there have been times when we have had flash floods and freezing weather.  It is important to know what to expect, especially if a front is moving in.  Be prepared.

Lost Maples State Natural Area

Endurance and distance - Know what you limit is.  I've had foot surgery this past year, so when I start hiking again I will start on the level 1 - easy trails.   One of the things that I do is walk through my neighborhood, this helps me build the distance I am able to walk.  If you are out of breath walking around the block, kick it up a notch.   If you are in good shape the moderate trails may be the answer for you, but then again they are usually longer.  Before my foot problems I would hike at Lost Maples on an 5 mile trail which wrapped around the park.  I wouldn't try it now, but I will work my way back up to it.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Preparation - This will be the most important part.  You should always have a backpack.  Water is essential for any hike.  It is always good to have trail bars not just in case you get stuck somewhere, but also for a great snack.

In summer, light comfortable clothing, with socks and good shoes or hiking boots.  Make sure you have plenty of water (a bottle per mile) and snacks.  A rain poncho in the backpack is always good since it can protect you against rain and the sun.

In spring or fall, a light jacket, pants and good heavy socks and good shoes or hiking boots.  Once again water is a must and food.  A rain poncho and a thermal blanket (looks like foil and helps reflect body heat) in your backpack.

Government Canyon State Park

Perfume - Leave it at home.  It attracts mosquitoes and  bees.

Predators - I carry two things a stick to watch for snakes and pepper spray just in case I come across an unruly animal that won't leave me alone.  When camping and hiking in Colorado, I carried Bear spray to use as an option.

If you sit down on rocks, keep in mind - snakes like rocks, scorpions like rocks, ants and other insects tend to migrate towards rocks.

 One of my favorite parks:

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Discount Programs

There are several type of discount plans that can help you save money!  We'll look at a few here:

Employer discount plans - you're company may offer them or a friend's or family member's company may offer them.

Check with you company, many offer them as part of their benefits package.  These type of plans are great for travel - especially theme park tickets.  I've checked out Disney park hopper passes and these do seem to save money.  So look for one if you can if you are planning a trip.  Not only Disney, but also Six Flags, Medieval Times, and many more.  Cell phone plans is another area which these work well.  Many offer 20+% discounts.  The downfall is that most of the time you have to show proof of employment with the company.  They are worth checking out if you have one available of a close friend or relative that does.

Online plans - several companies offer savings online.  Companies such as Kelloggs and Betty Crocker will send coupons along with recipes and other online offers.  Check your favorite company to see if they offer such a plan.

Coupons online - This is an additional way to receive coupons.  Join the site and you will be able to print them off.  The main downside is some of the coupons will print 1 per page.  Two sites are Coupons.com and Shopathome.com.

Coupon Books - Yet another way to save money locally.  Entertainment Passbooks  are general fund raisers for school.  Not only do they offer restaurant and fast food but also oil changes, dry cleaning, and local attractions.

Email alerts - Some stores such as Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret will sent out email alerts to make you aware of sales and specials.  Check with your favorite store to join their list.

Shopping Clubs  - Clubs such as Sam's, Costco, and Direct Buy offer savings if you're buying in bulk.  They do charge membership fee's but if you have the room to store food in bulk, it may be well worth the cost.  Direct Buy is for homeowner's that mainly offers furniture and home related materials.  It is well worth the cost if you are looking at remodeling your home.

Lay-a-way is not a discount plan, but it is an option for buying things that you can't necessarily pay for all at one time.  Sear's and K-Mart are the two largest retailers that offer this option.  Basically, you will put a down payment then make payments bi-weekly or monthly until it is paid off over a 2-3 month period.  You receive the merchandise once it is paid off.  The advantage is that you can pay cash rather than using a credit card.  Even with a $10 handling charge it is usually cheaper than interest on credit cards.  This is great if you are short on money for Christmas or if you find that your major appliance is going out (I can say that because my dryer is not going to last much longer).

Hope this helps and gives you some ideas!

Shopping for School Clothes for Multiple Children

So this is the way I did it when I had 3 children in school.  At one point I had one in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary.

I would buy my youngest child's school clothes in May - minimum of 5 pairs of pants, 5 shirts, underwear and socks.  I would put them in a plastic storage container with the child's name on it.  The storage container usually cost about $4.

I would usually buy my daughter's clothes in June - the same and any dresses that she may want.  Also, since she was in dance,pep squad and band, I would have to buy her uniforms the in July during the prep days.  Once again all stored until school began in August.

Finally, I would buy my oldest son's clothes in July, not only because he was easy to shop for, but in addition to his clothes, I had to buy his soccer uniforms.

I generally buy the shoes in August since I could never seem to keep them out of them.  Also, the major expense for August is school supplies.  The elementary schools are easy since most of them supply the list, but middle schools and high schools are more difficult since they don't tell the students what they need until school begins.