Got my $411..Now Trying To Win MORE!!

Yesterday, I told you about winning $411.00 by calling 1-800-free411 and asking for a phone number (just like your phone company's directory assistance, but it's completely free) Well, suprisingly, I got my check late yesterday!! Wooohoooooo!!

I would run right out and go shopping, but since the husband has been unemployed since September, I think we'll use it for bills. It's kind of difficult to keep warm and function without heat and electricity...and don't get me started on the "humans need water to survive" thing! *rolls eyes*

Anyways.....I learned more about the NEW 1-800-free411 contest...and now I'm addicted! Hold on.....I gotta call again..........

OK.....so I didn't win a $50 WalMart gift card on THIS call...but maybe on the next! You gotta try this one because it's fun! Call the number 1-800-free411, listen to the brief ad, say "CONTEST" at the main menu then you're off! You get to pick any 4 numbers and you;re told right away if you win or not.

Though I'd love to go through the phone and strangle the sympathetic (recorded) crowd saying "Awwwwwwwww" when I lose, it's so much fun and so easy, I gotta pick up the phone and do it again. I don't know......it's kinda like a slot machine and lottery draw rolled up into one......except I'm not shoving quarters into my handset.

OK....gotta go! If you play....and you really should.....I hope you win!

PS) Did I just sound like an advertisement? LOL! OMG! I did! But hey, least I'm not the Glade lady.

Winning Money For The Holidays!

Who couldn't use some extra cash during this economy? And with the holidays screaming up on our heels, any extra cash would certainly come in handy! Sure you can attempt to sell things online, have a garage sale or play the lottery, but how about a chance at winning some cold hard cash by using the phone?

I just won $411.00 doing just that!!

I had heard about the sweepstakes, and even though I'm a hard core sweepstakes junkie, I didn't enter at first. But when I did, I actually won!! And here is how you too can win $411.00 INSTANTLY,....as well as something new...$50 gift cards!

Just like using your telephone company's directory assistance (which COSTS you money), you can call 1-800-free-411 and not only get directory assistance (and much more) for FREE, you can be one of two daily winners of $411.00!! And even better, every 5,000th call wins a $50 gift card!

You can can as many times as you like...there's no limit. Those are better odds than any lottery I've ever heard of!

In addition to the gift cards (which just started today at 1 pm EST here's what else you can win:

•60 Cash Prizes of $411, 2 drawings daily throughout the month of November;
•One random drawing for a Blackberry Tour will be picked during the first week in December.
•One Grand Prize: 3 day/2 night trip for winner and 1 guest to Boston, MA PLUS THE CHANCE TO WIN $411,000!


While in Boston, the grand prize winner has the opportunity to select one (1) cell phone out of 411 cell phones displayed on a game board. Each cell phone will contain a number that is matched to a sealed envelope number.

◦One (1) envelope will contain a $411,000 cash prize;
◦Ten (10) envelopes will contain a $41,100 cash prize;
◦Four-hundred envelopes will contain a $4,110 cash prize

For more details go to: http://www.free411.com/promo/30days/

And when you're finished reading, start dialing!!! I won....so can you!

Earth Day Hypocrites

It's no secret that I've been a wee bit bitchy lately.....call it early PMS, cigarette withdrawal or whatever....but for some reason, my bitch filter has disappeared and everything is getting on my nerves.

Which leads me to Earth Day. Lovely concept. Except for one thing.........

Earth Day Hypocrites.

I understand that every little bit counts......even if you do the curbside recycling thing, yet drive an SUV the size of a small city. Yes, every little bit counts......but there is a certain breed of Earth Day Hypocrite that drives me absolutely insane.

These particular type of Earth Day Hypocrite buys the energy efficient light bulbs, they might recycle, never buy bottled water and may even unplug all of their appliances at night.....but they are destroying their very own environment....killing wildlife and disrupting the simple balance of life. You know them, they might be your neighbor, your friend or even you.

The person with the perfect front yard. The yard with no dandelions, not a hint of crabgrass and the most beautiful flowers your eyes have even beheld. Yes, they are the ones you see toiling away in early spring, spraying their lawns, pushing their spreaders or writing a check to the local ChemLawn guy. They spray and they treat and then they stand back proud of the perfect greenness they see spread out before them.

Pretty yes......but incredibly destructive to our environment.

What some see as "weeds" are actually beneficial food to many creatures who share our space. Those cute little wild bunnies who like to nibble from your vegetable garden actually eat dandelions as a diet staple. Some grasses that people deem as "not soft enough" or "not green and pretty enough" seed at certain times during the season. These seeds are are beneficial food for many species of birds. Ground insects are there for a reason.....not just to destroy Mr Smith's perfect lawn...they are there to feed the very circle of life that sustains us all.

And those beautiful flowers in perfect vibrant colors.....the ones that need chemicals and "plant foods" to look their best. Ahhh, pretty on the outside, lovely to look upon.....but destroying our very native environment. You see, many, many plants you find in nurseries aren't native to our area. They have been introduced to this country and become a main stay. They need all of the extra help to grow because THEY ARE NOT NATIVE TO THIS AREA. And when they do grown and begin to thrive, the become invasive and destroy the native plants which are needed to sustain our own eco system.

Would you like to really, honestly and truly go green? It doesn't cost anything extra. It will actually cut down on your gardening and yard work and you'll be recycling at the same time!

First off.....relax! You aren't going to hell for having dandelions in your front yard and you won't lose your county club membership for having crab grass. Relax....mow your lawn when it needs it, water when it needs it and be proud that you aren't polluting our groundwater, poisoning our pets and destroying the circle of life that exists in your own neighborhood.

Hop online and research native plants in your area. Here in Indiana, there are many stunningly beautiful plants, flowers, trees and shrubs that have been here from the beginning....some of the very plants you may see growing along side the freeway and call "wildflowers". Plant native plants in your gardens and relax. You see, native plants thrive with very little care, no pesticides and zero chemicals. And an added bonus.....these plants will draw wildlife into your yard.....birds will flock to your yard and feast on seeds and insects, bunnies with find a safe haven and butterflies will dance through your gardens all spring, summer and fall long.

Use natural things to make your lawn and gardens more fertile. Home composting works as well as coffee grounds, egg shells and so much more! It may be garbage to you, but the wildlife and pets in your neighborhood will thank you.

And finally, enjoy your natural setting with your family, friends and children. You will find the most amazing species of insects, birds and wildlife flocking to your little piece of Heaven. And trust me, with all of those beautiful things going on, no one will notice crabgrass or dandelions. No one will talk about grubs in your lawn or that three inch diameter brown spot. Everyone will just notice the pure and simple beauty of nature...............and when you take everything else away (plastic bottles, junk mail, automobile emissions and regular light bulbs) what is left besides our beautiful Earth?

If you want any tips on native gardening, please, don't hesitate to contact me! I'd be more than happy to steer you in the right direction! Thanks for reading my Earth Day rant.....and I hope you enjoyed the photos taken in my own "little piece of Heaven".

Stop Smoking Update and the Roller Coaster Ride!

Wow........I have been on so many ups and downs the past two days, I feel like I should hang a sign on me that reads, "You must be this tall to ride".

Day 7 of my stop smoking quest, started well. I coped with my cravings, enjoyed my Electronic Cigarette a few times and then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I get hit with this enormous, absolutely crushing depression.

I wanted to cry.
I felt like screaming.
I wanted to smoke a cigarette so badly.
I felt so sad.
So frustrated.
So aggravated.

Was this worth it? All I had to do was smoke one cigarette and my symptoms would ease. My mood would lighten, I'd feel better....my stomach would stop hurting, my lung pain would ease. Why was I doing this to myself? Why?

But then, almost as fast as the depression fell over me, it lifted. I didn't smoke......I didn't need to.

So today, I wake up to a wonderful gesture from my loving husband.....a McDonald's sausage biscuit with egg and cheese. I ate breakfast, had some coffee and then.....crashed. I had no energy. I just couldn't get up.....I didn't want to. But this time, I was determined to tell the withdrawals to shove it, and get moving.

So I washed my face, got dressed and made my way outside to garden and clean up the yard. I felt so awkward and out-of-sorts.......like those "Become an ex" commercials where the guy can't put on his pants. Once I thought of it that way, this little light bulb came on and I realized that what I needed to do is relearn my day to day activities......minus the cigarettes.

And from that moment on, I had an incredible day!! I spent the day getting torn to shreds by my rose bush, on my knees with my hands in the dirt, pulling weeds, trimming shrubs and trees and loving every moment of it. My shoulders are sunburned, I desperately need a shower, my arms sting from all of the tiny thorn cuts but...I feel amazing! I went ALL DAY without one gnawing craving for a cigarette........not one!! I enjoyed the fresh air, the birds singing and the sun shining....without once stopping to light up a cigarette!

Life is good without cigarettes.

I'm sure I'm not entirely out from under their iron fisted hold, but I think I am conquering them...I am now stronger than the cigarettes, more powerful than the cravings and more capable of separating the bad moods, frustration and physical symptoms from reality. I am actually doing this!!

I am becoming a non smoker!

"Technically" It was Trespassing....But.......

Sometimes my curiosity gets the best of me and I end up in all sorts of strange situations....last night was one of those times.

You see, several months ago, my neighbor passed away. Her house has been empty since, however, lately there's been a lot of activity......appliances being moved, things being packed, the pool being disassembled. And of course, me being the curious one, I wondered if they were going to rent the place out (which taking out the appliances wouldn't make sense) or sell it (again, removing the appliances wouldn't make sense) or it was going into foreclosure......now that would make sense.

So, I was chit chatting with my neighbor on the other side of me, and we both felt the house was probably going into foreclosure.....but, we were both even more curious as to what type of shape the house was in and if we could tell more about the state of the house (sell-rent-foreclosure) by peeking inside. Ahhhhh, time for a bored housewife, nosey neighbor, after-dark covert operation!!

Last night, after dark (of course) my neighbor and I (dressed in dark clothing and wielding flashlights) creep out my back door, intending to climb over the fence and slip into the back yard of the empty house....quietly. Right!

My daughter's two dogs, who are happily house in our back yard, decided we shouldn't be there. Coaga, who is half pit bull and half coon hound let out the most horrific howl-bark that could have woken the dead....and Asuka joined in with her demented-goose honk-bark. So I'm trying to get the two of them to hear me and shut the heck up......"Coaga! Asuka! Hush! It's me! Shhhhh! Shut UP!"

Baroooooooo, Bark, Bark, Bark!
Honk, Honk, Honk, Honk!!

Ignoring the dogs and hoping other neighbors aren't alert to our covert ops tactics, we attempt to climb the ancient, rickety fence between my yard and the yard of the empty house. I stick my flashlight in my pocket, put my foot up on the top board of the fence and hoist myself up.....fully INTENDING on hopping right over.

BUT......the board broke and I went over the fence head first......grabbed onto the fence for dear life with my thighs and sort of "boinged" into an upright position, rusty fence swaying under my weight. My heart is beating so loudly for fear of crashing onto my head that I did notice right away that my neighbor was in hysterics, laughing at me. "Are you alright?" she chokes out between peels of laughter........."Yeah, I'm alright." (Tell that to my thighs)

I finally pull myself off of my rusty, jagged horsey ride and wait for my neighbor to follow me over the fence (as she's still laughing...which I can actually hear over the barooooooo, bark, bark, honk honking) We creep to the back of the abandoned house and we see that there is a light on. Immediately my ballsiness waivers and I freak, thinking someone is in there. My neighbor assures me no one is there and proceeds to peek through the windows with her flashlight. We then go back around to the front of the house and look inside. (By the way, my neighbor is still snickering)

Junk strewn about in one room, boxes scattered about, cabinets ripped from the walls, appliances gone.......yes, it looks as if the house is in foreclosure and they are stripping it clean, hoping to recoup any amount of money they can. You can't really blame them in this economy. You can barely take care of your own family these days without having to take up the mortgage of the deceased relatives home.

Our curiosity is satisfied....and our sneaky little operation in the dark of night was fun....except for the enormous scrape and black and blue bruises on the inside of my thigh.....pretty. And of course, today, as I'm in the yard gardening, another neighbor stops by to chat and immediately says.....

"I heard the house next to you is in foreclosure.....saw it in the paper."

Yeah....could have saved myself a few bruises.

Day 6 With My E-Cigarette....Need Laughter and Sex Pronto!

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I knew when I saw the Electronic Cigarette that it was the right tool for me to use to become tobacco free. I just never realized how easy this tool would make it for me.

Yes, I still get cravings and yes, sometimes they are extremely POWERFUL cravings. I just need to be stronger than the tobacco....wait it out.....and if it's just too difficult, I pick up my Electronic Cigarette and take a few long draws...and the craving just disappears.

My chest still hurts, but my cough is becoming more productive. My digestive tract is still wondering what the hell is up and not sure how to work without all of the extra nicotine and chemicals. I can't really eat a big meal right now, but that's OK! Gaining weight was one of my big worries when it came to becoming a non-smoker....after all, I still want to get into my bikini this summer!

The strangest withdrawal symptom I have has so far has been emotional. I sometimes get these fleeting feelings of loss and depression, like something important is suddenly gone from my life. I believe that comes from that trigger experts say you get when you smoke cigarettes, that release of "feel good" hormones, much like those which are released during laughter or orgasm. Since I consciously know what's going on, I can reason myself out of it.......or I could just remedy it with more sex and laughter! LOL! "But Honey, it's for therapy.....smoking replacement.....I NEED it for my well being!"

Yeah right, like that will work! LOL! (Ahh, it was worth a try!)

Two very important things did happen to me today, day 6. The weather was beautiful here in Indiana, so I grabbed one of the dogs (Rukia, my best walker) and headed out for a brisk walk around the block. Usually, I'm huffing and puffing and beginning to pace myself and slow down by the time I get to the entrance of our edition. By the time I'm around the block, I'm exhausted and ready to put my feet up and take a nap! But this time, not only did I make it all the way around the block, I did so at the same brisk pace I started out with! I could feel the air filling my lungs....and they didn't feel like they were going to burst! Rukia knew it too! She just looked up at me with her excited Shih Tzu smile, tail wagging, as if to say, "Good mom, good, good, good. You get a treat now. Treat, bone, treat, yes, yes, yes. Good mom, good girl!"

Secondly, my neighbor, Jennifer, told me I "looked better". She said my skin looked much brighter and overall I looked healthier! Really?? So, of course, as soon as we were finished chit chatting (neighborly gossiping), I ran in, flipped on the bathroom light and gazed into the mirror above the sink. Wrinkles still there, laugh lines, crows feet,....check......but Jen was right....my coloring is different....my skin really does look brighter. I have color in my cheeks and my overall coloring isn't so "gray" anymore! Yes, smokers, we look gray! I'm definitely impressed and really starting to realize the physical impact that cigarette smoking has had on my mind and my body, inside and out. I mean, you can read about it, hear about it in the news and even listen to your doctor yammer about it over and over......but seriously, you have NO IDEA what cigarette smoking is doing to you until you quit.

I say, if you've been considering kicking the habit, go for it!! I don't care how you do it....with the patch, gum, cold turkey, medications or with the Electronic Cigarette.....just do it. You will be absolutely shocked and surprised at how much of a hold cigarettes have on you as well as how quickly your body will start repairing itself! You will start feeling almost immediately and you'll start looking better too!

This is awesome......I'm feeling good (though I really need more laughter and sex...Honey, are you reading?) and know now that I am not turning back! I like being a non smoker and I enjoy the comfort my Electronic Cigarette is giving me. I am proud of myself......and so happy that I have all of you cheering me on and supporting me! Thanks a million.....you're saving my life.

Day 5...and I Didn't Kill Anyone

Day 5 on my journey to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes using my new Electronic Cigarette and I feel like I'm coping well.

I have yet to kill anyone.

I woke on day 5 feeling like I'd taken a horse tranquilizer the night before.....groggy, slow, unable to think clearly. I mentioned to my oldest daughter how I'd been feeling, sort of wondering out loud how long it would be before I felt normal again. And what she answered stunned me and got me thinking....

"Maybe this IS your normal, mom. You have been smoking for almost 30 years, your body doesn't remember what normal is."

Wow. OK......first off, I certainly HOPE my normal isn't a drooling, slow, depressed, spaced-out, sleepy, groggy, achey, hacking, coughing recovering addict! If that's the case, it's no wonder I started smoking! I'm kidding.........I understand what she meant and I know my body has alot of changes to go through...............and boy, is my body changing!

At night, seems my body wants to purge the toxins via my pores. I wake up with my hair stuck to my neck, bangs plastered to my forehead and fight to peel the damp blankets from my body. I'm still sleeping alright, though it seems I'm dreaming more. My upper chest has gone from discomfort to out and out PAIN and my cough is much more productive. The dizzy spells are still there, but less frequent and much less severe.

The new symptom I'm suffering through is stomach pain.......kind of like sharp, stabbing cramps. Nothing alarming, but definitely something I read I should expect.......not fun. As a matter of fact, I got this fleeting thought to start smoking again just so I could stop the withdrawal pains and misery. I said "fleeting"........as I quickly told myself I was insane to even allow that thought to cross my mind.

I did have a comforting picture in mind......me being put in a drug induced coma, tied to a bed and sleeping my way through the rest of these withdrawal symptoms. Ahhhh, that would be nice, but of course, who would feed my dogs, take care of the house, run the errands, find everything my family has lost for the day, cook the meals, do the wash etc, etc, etc, etc? Again, my mind trying to find comfort kicking these poisons out of my body.

The good parts of this quest are starting to reveal themselves and I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel! My "fog" cleared early in the afternoon and I felt pretty good (aside from the stomach pains). I have found myself automatically reaching for my Electronic Cigarette now rather than thinking about tobacco first. My skin is starting to look brighter. I'm beginning to get my normal appetite back. And most importantly, I beginning to feel pride in what I'm doing! I'm actually proud of myself! YAY ME!

Soooooooooo, I'm now off to have a great day 6. Am planning on walking my dogs today and enjoying the warm sunshine, Let's see how my lungs react to some exercise and fresh air!